Greater London · England
Live paella catering in Hackney, Greater London
Paella for every guest: separate pans for meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan guests. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Hackney.
- Big birthdays
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Office lunches and staff parties
Planning an event in Hackney?
Paella catering in Hackney, cooked live
One cooking area feeds plenty of people, there’s very little waste, and the food is served hot. That’s why it works for so many events. Whether it’s office lunches and staff parties and milestone birthday parties, we can cook black rice, paella Valenciana and mixed paella.
In a London neighbourhood like Hackney, the cooking spot is typically a back garden, a courtyard or a venue’s terrace. The thing to plan is parking and unloading, so let us know about parking permits or a driveway. Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included, with each paella cooked in its own pan and clearly labelled.
- Where
- Hackney (E9, E8, E3, E5)
- Region
- Greater London
- Diets
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Extras
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Price
- Ask us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Diets, allergies and planning
Most events have a mix of diets. To cater well for them:
- Give us separate numbers for children
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
Let the paella rest for a few minutes before serving, which is when we normally call guests over.
Bread, salad and lemon wedges make the meal go further and suit guests who are not big rice eaters.
Who books paella catering in Hackney?
Outdoor events and live paella go together: it’s cooked in the open, served hot and eaten together.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. In Hackney, people book us for events such as:
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Birthday celebrations
- Community events and fairs
Thinking of a picnic-style party in Clapton Park? Public parks normally need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first.
What to look for in a quote
- The deposit and payment dates
- When final numbers are due
- If the price includes VAT
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
Where we can cook in Hackney
We cook in large pans over gas burners, so the cooking area needs a little planning. Here’s what we look for:
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
Hackney is in London, within the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking can be tight: tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway.
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think before you book.
Popular choices
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegan paella
DIY paella versus live catering
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but there is shopping, prep and hours of cooking. A caterer handles all of that.
Hackney: venues, travel and local tips
Hackney is about 4 miles north-east of London, in Greater London. For an event in Hackney, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices in and around Hackney. Hackney is one of 764 towns and villages in Greater London we cover.
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St Luke, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Berger Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
This part of Greater London takes in E9, E8, E3 and E5, so your event can be anywhere in it. From Homerton High Street, Primrose Square and St John's Church Road or a nearby road, we can cook there. With the A107 and B113 close by, Hackney is simple for us to get to for your event. Nearby, we also cater events in Homerton (1 mile north), Lower Clapton (1 mile north), Hackney Central (1 mile west), London Fields (1 mile south-west) and Cambridge Heath (1 mile south-west). Larger places within reach include London (4 miles south-west), City of Westminster (5 miles south-west), Marylebone (5 miles south-west), Kensington (7 miles south-west), St Pancras (3 miles west) and Walthamstow (3 miles north).
A little further out are Park (0.8 miles south-east) and Homerton University Hospital (within half a mile north). Not far away are Tower Hill and Old Ford Island.
- Local schools include Cardinal Pole Catholic School (within half a mile north) and The Urswick School (within half a mile west)
- Nearby, you will find Chesham Arms (under half a mile north-west)
Hackney questions
We are having a ceremony at Church of St Luke: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking normally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
What about parking in Hackney?
London parking needs planning: let us know about permits or off-street space. We will plan unloading around it.
Can you cook indoors?
Mostly outside or under an open cover, since the burners are gas. Some venues have suitable spaces; we will check with you and the venue.
How much paella per person?
Pans are sized to your numbers and other courses. Let us know about any other food. Our guide to portions explains more.
Can you serve drinks?
Yes, sangria. For other drinks, we can provide bar staff to serve what you buy.
Do you cater in Hackney?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, including Hackney and the rest of Greater London. To check your date, send us your details through our quote form.
What about pudding?
Yes, Spanish desserts can be added. Let us know if you’d like one in your enquiry.
Is the paella gluten-free?
We can, if you tell us in advance. Rice is naturally gluten-free, but stock and some ingredients may not be, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
Also near Hackney
Also in Hackney
What paella catering costs
There’s nothing hidden: the price is based on:
- Waiting and bar staff
- The number of people
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- The paellas you choose
Compared with a plated meal, live paella is frequently good value, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. We will send you a quote.
What to tell us
You don’t need every detail fixed to get a quote, but these help:
- Expected numbers
- The address or venue name
- Which courses you have in mind
- A picture of where we’d cook
Still deciding on the menu? That is fine: give us the basics about your event, and we will make suggestions. Start when you are ready: send us your details through our quote form.
What happens on the day
Serving is fast: the paella goes straight from the pan to the plate, so even a long queue moves. When service is finished, we pack down. In Hackney, the sun sets at about 9:20pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, so summer evening events are usually served in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 3:55pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- You tell us the date, venue, guest numbers and any dietary needs.
- You get a suggested menu and an itemised quote.
- On the day, we set up the burners and pans and get the stock going.
- Your guests watch the paella cook, with any tapas served first.
- We serve it hot from the pan and clear our area when service ends.
Before we arrive
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Make sure the spot is clear of anything flammable
Ask for a quote
Each quote is tailored to your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we will confirm whether we are available that day.
Planning help
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.
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we’ll talk you through the process. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
About the dishes
Mixed paella
Mixed paella brings meat and seafood together, and it’s often the first pan to empty.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella isn’t an afterthought: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron.
- 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