Kent · England
Live paella catering in Hartley, Kent
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Hartley and across Kent.
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Retirement celebrations
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
Paella catering for Hartley events
Paella catering in Hartley, made fresh on the day
A single cooking set-up can feed a crowd, there is very little waste, and the food arrives hot. It is why live paella suits so many kinds of event. Whether it’s christenings and family gatherings and community events and fairs, we’ll put together a menu of chicken and chorizo paella, mixed paella and vegan paella.
In a small place like Hartley, events are normally in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and cooking close to where we can park helps. You can add tapas, desserts, sangria, bar staff and waiting staff, so one booking can cover the whole menu.
For event organisers in Hartley
If you are booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will talk you through the process. We are happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Hartley: your questions answered
Do you cater in the High Weald National Landscape?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We’ll follow the site rules.
Is Hartley close to London?
About 39 miles from central London, and we cover it as standard.
Can you cook halal paella?
We can. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and it’s cooked separately.
Which paella is most popular?
It depends on your guests. Chicken and mixed paellas tend to go first, with seafood and vegetable pans alongside.
What is live paella catering?
We cook from scratch at your venue in big pans, in front of your guests, and serve straight from the pan.
Do you cater in Hartley?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, and Hartley is within our area and the rest of Kent. To check your date, use our quote form.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Yes, children are easy to cater for. Let us know numbers and ages, and we will plan for them.
Does paella work for big events?
It is ideal. Big pans feed a lot of people, and service from the pan is quick.
Why choose live paella in Hartley?
Vans serve one order at a time. A paella pan serves many portions quickly, so everyone can eat at the same time. Live paella pricing depends on the event. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. We itemise everything in your quote.
Why us?
- Fast service from the pan
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Drinks service on request
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
Read How we price Or Our guide to catering costs.
DIY paella versus live catering
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. Ask us for a quote and 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 be with your guests, we’ll do the cooking.
How we price paella catering
Each event is quoted on its own, and the price depends on a few things:
- How many staff you need
- How many guests are eating
- Travel, parking and access
- Timings and hours
Extras such as tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are priced separately, so you only pay for what you want.
Details that help
For a quote, it helps to have:
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- Your date and when you want to eat
- A picture of the space, if you can
- Which courses you have in mind
We need only a few details to quote: date, location, guest numbers and diets. You can send us your details through our quote form.
The menu, dish by dish
Paella Valenciana
In Valencia, the recipe is fiercely debated. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans, and it is a crowd-pleaser.
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich fish stock, finished with lemon wedges. It’s generally the most photographed pan.
Towns and villages near Hartley
Also in Hartley
How it works
We get there well before serving, unload, set up the burners and prepare the stock. Your guests are welcome to watch as the paella takes shape. Around midsummer it stays light in Hartley until about 9:15pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:00pm, so summer evening events are typically served in daylight. In December it is dark by about 3:55pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- Start with the date, the place and the numbers.
- We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
- A week or so before, we confirm the plan.
- On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
How to prepare
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Check the venue allows live cooking
Get a quote
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, along with any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, use our quote form.
Related guides
Catering for every guest
Most events have a mix of diets. To plan for them:
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Tell us what else is being served
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
Once the rice is in, it needs about 20 minutes, so we start it at the right moment for your event. If plans change, tell us and we’ll adjust.
Bread, salad and lemon go well alongside.
Occasions we cook for in Hartley
It suits relaxed, sociable events, with guests mingling as it cooks before sitting down to eat.
In Hartley and nearby, we cater all sorts of events. Some of the most common are:
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Milestone birthday parties
- Festivals, fairs and school events
Historic houses near Hartley include Scotney Castle (4.4 miles west). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one.
Questions to ask before you book
- How long the team stays
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- Who provides the crockery
Planning live paella in Hartley
Hartley is about 8 miles south-east of Paddock Wood, in Kent. Tell us where your event in Hartley will be, and we’ll plan access and set-up before the day. Hartley is one of 922 towns and villages in Kent we cover. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 28 miles away.
Thinking of a picnic-style party in Crane Valley? Public parks generally need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as High Weald Academy, can book us as a food stall. Hartley is within about 2 miles of the High Weald National Landscape. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
Wherever your event is in TN17, we can bring paella catering to you. From Hartley Road, Campion Crescent and Hartley Court Gardens or a nearby road, we’ll bring the pans to you. We also cook at events in Swattenden (1 mile east), Cranbrook (1 mile north-east), Baker's Cross (2 miles north-east), Gill's Green (2 miles south) and Beal's Green (2 miles south). We also cook in nearby towns such as Maidstone (13 miles north), Royal Tunbridge Wells (11 miles west), Tonbridge (13 miles north-west), Kings Hill (14 miles north), Foley Park (14 miles north) and Paddock Wood (8 miles north-west).
A little further out are Benenden Hospital (4.7 miles east) and Sissinghurst Castle (3.8 miles north-east).
- 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