Kent · England
Paella Catering for Greatness events
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Greatness and across Kent.
- Birthday celebrations
- Community events and fairs
- Engagement and anniversary parties
Paella catering for Greatness events
Dietary needs and planning tips
With a little notice, every diet is easy. We suggest:
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Tell us how many children are coming
Let the paella rest for a few minutes before serving, and that’s when we invite guests up.
Finish with churros, crema catalana or tarta de Santiago, or serve your own cake.
About our paella catering in Greatness
One cooking area feeds plenty of people, very little goes to waste, and the food arrives hot. It’s why live paella suits so many kinds of event. We cook black rice, seafood paella and vegan paella, and typical bookings are for festivals, fairs and school events and staff parties and work lunches.
Around Greatness, events are often in gardens, local halls or nearby venues. If the road in is narrow, tell us so we can plan the van. We serve straight from the pan, so every plate is hot, and a queue moves quickly.
Planning live paella in Greatness
Greatness is about 1 mile north-east of Sevenoaks, in Kent. Anywhere in TN13, we will come to your venue or garden. Greatness is one of 922 places in Kent where we cook. You can also see our page for London, about 19 miles away.
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as St John's Church of England Primary School, can book us as a food stall. For guests coming by train, Greatness has its own station, Bat & Ball station. The Kent Downs National Landscape is within about 4 miles of Greatness, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
This part of Kent takes in TN13, TN14 and TN15. Your event could be at a home on Seal Road, Mill Lane and Sandy Lane. Nearby, we also cater events in Seal (1 mile east), Godden Green (2 miles south-east), Styants Bottom (3 miles east), Bitchet Green (3 miles south-east) and Stone Street (3 miles south-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Maidstone (14 miles east), Dartford (11 miles north), Royal Tunbridge Wells (11 miles south), Gravesend (12 miles north-east), Tonbridge (7 miles south-east) and Northfleet (12 miles north-east).
Well-known places in the area include Sevenoaks Museum (1.3 miles south) and Kemsing Castle Bank (1.7 miles north-east). Not far away are Dryhill Nature Reserve.
- Nearby schools include Knole Academy (0.7 miles west) and Wildernesse School (0.9 miles east)
- Pubs nearby include The Old Bat and Ball pub (less than half a mile south-west)
Prices and what affects them
There are no hidden charges: the price is based on:
- Distance and access to the venue
- How long we’re needed on site
- How many courses
- Waiting and bar staff
Larger events generally cost less per head, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
What to tell us
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what’s useful:
- Anything your venue supplies
- Roughly how many adults and children
- The venue or postcode
- The courses you’d like
Every event is quoted individually, so you only pay for what you need. To ask for one, use our quote form.
Also near Greatness
What else we do in Greatness
Step by step
The paella is cooked in huge, shallow pans over gas burners. We need a level, ventilated spot, which we agree with you beforehand. Evenings in Greatness stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:05pm; once it’s dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- Contact us with the basics: when, where and how many.
- We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
- Closer to the day, we confirm timings and the cooking spot.
- On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
- We serve, then leave our area tidy.
Before we arrive
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
Get a quote
To get a price, send us your details through our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we will put together a menu and price.
Planning help
Greatness: your questions answered
Can you cook in Montreal Park?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, typically the council. Ask them first, and we will send any information they need.
Is Greatness close to London?
Roughly 19 miles from the centre of London, and well within our area.
What is live paella catering?
We bring everything needed to cook on site, cook in front of your guests, and serve when you are ready to eat.
Which paellas suit our guests?
That depends on who’s coming. Chicken and mixed paellas tend to go first, alongside seafood and vegetable or vegan pans.
Which areas do you serve?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including Greatness.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Yes. We cook vegetarian and vegan paellas in their own pans.
Do you provide drinks?
We can make sangria, and provide bar staff to serve drinks you supply.
Do you do starters?
Of course. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, while the rice is cooking.
Before you choose a spot
Every venue is different, so we’ll ask about yours when you contact us. Generally, we look for:
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think.
What we offer
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
Live paella or other catering?
A plated meal needs a kitchen, more staff and generally costs more per head. Live paella needs only a level, ventilated spot and permission to cook, and it’s entertaining too. Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you only pay for what you want.
Why choose Love Paella in Greatness
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Drinks service on request
- A clear, itemised quote
Take a look at Our pricing Or What paella catering costs.
For planners, venues and organisers
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so everyone eats promptly. Tell us how long you have for food.
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
DIY paella versus live catering
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. We’re happy to give you a quote to compare.
Some hosts like to cook themselves. The usual problems are a pan too big for the burner, too much rice and stirring once the rice is in. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
Dishes our guests love
Seafood paella
The secret is a well-made seafood stock. Shellfish goes in towards the end so it stays tender.
Black rice
Squid ink rice is bold and savoury, and is popular with adventurous guests.
- Cooked live in giant pans at your event
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal options
- Paella, tapas, canapés and desserts
- Sangria, bar staff, crockery and waiting staff