Kent · England
Live paella catering in Heart's Delight, Kent
Bring the theatre of live paella to your event in Heart's Delight. We cook from scratch on site, then served hot from the pan.
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Milestone birthday parties
Planning an event in Heart's Delight?
How our paella catering works in Heart's Delight
Everything is cooked from scratch on site, starting with a slow sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, followed by stock, saffron and rice. We are frequently asked to cater office lunches and staff parties and christenings and family gatherings, with seafood paella, black rice and mixed paella.
In a rural place like Heart's Delight, the setting does a lot of the work: a giant pan in a garden or field fits perfectly. Let us know about access and ground conditions. We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, with each paella cooked in its own pan.
Organising for someone else?
Venues often have their own rules about outside caterers: where cooking is allowed, access times and the paperwork they need. Tell us what your venue needs and we will work to it.
Organising a club, school or community event in Heart's Delight? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Give us the details and we’ll suggest a plan.
How the day works
When we arrive, we set up the burners and pans and start cooking the sofrito and stock. The rice goes in about 20 minutes before serving, so the timing is planned around your event. Around midsummer it stays light in Heart's Delight until about 9:15pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:00pm, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. In December it is dark by about 3:50pm, 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.
Before we arrive
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Give us your final numbers and diets
Get a quote
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, along with any dietary needs, and we will reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, use our quote form.
Read more
The menu, dish by dish
Paella Valenciana
In Valencia, the recipe is fiercely debated. The classic version is chicken, green beans and butter beans with saffron.
Vegetable and vegan paella
The vegetable pan is a dish in its own right: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron.
Nearby places to Heart's Delight
What else we do in Heart's Delight
Questions from Heart's Delight
Could we have live paella in Jumping Downs?
Only if the landowner, usually the council, allows it. Check with them, and we’ll provide our paperwork.
Do you cater in the Kent Downs National Landscape?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We’ll work to whatever the site needs.
Which paellas do you recommend?
It depends on your guests. A chicken or mixed paella is normally the most popular, alongside seafood and vegetable or vegan pans.
Can you do sangria?
Sangria can be added, and provide bar staff to serve drinks you supply.
What do you need at the venue?
Less than you might think: a level spot clear of fences, hedges and branches, with room for a serving table. If in doubt, send a photo.
Do you do desserts?
Yes. Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana.
Can you cook indoors?
Only in a suitable, well-ventilated area with the venue’s permission. Most events have us cooking outside or in a doorway or courtyard.
How many different paellas?
Two or three covers most guests. Tell us about your guests’ diets and we will suggest the mix.
Dietary needs and planning tips
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. Our advice:
- Count adults and children separately
- Make sure most guests can sit to eat
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
- Confirm allergies by email
The rice takes about 20 minutes once it goes in, so we start it at the right moment for your event. If timings shift, we adapt.
Bread, salad and lemon wedges make the meal go further.
Prices and what affects them
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, because of:
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Travel, parking and access
- How many guests are eating
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
What to tell us
You do not need everything decided to ask for a quote, but these help:
- A photo of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- Where the event is
- Expected numbers
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. When you are ready, fill in our quote form.
Live paella in Heart's Delight: local details
Heart's Delight is about 6 miles north of Hawkinge, in Kent. For an event in Heart's Delight, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices in and around Heart's Delight. Heart's Delight is one of 922 places in Kent where we cook. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 6 miles away.
Nearby historic houses include Acrise Place (4.4 miles south) and Goodnestone Park (4.5 miles north-east). Historic venues often limit cooking, so ask early if you are booking one. For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St John the Baptist, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. Heart's Delight is within about 4 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
Here we cover the CT4 postcode area, and we can cater your event anywhere in it. We can cater an event on streets such as South Barham Road, Green Hills and Railway Hill or the roads around them. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Derringstone (1 mile north-east), Barham (1 mile north-east), Gravel Castle (1 mile east), Marley (1 mile north-west) and Out Elmstead (1 mile north). We also cook in nearby towns such as Ashford (13 miles west), Canterbury (6 miles north-west), Dover (8 miles south-east), Folkestone (8 miles south), Ramsgate (15 miles north-east) and Whitstable (12 miles north-west).
A little further out are Kent and Canterbury Hospital (5.3 miles north-west).
Occasions we cook for in Heart's Delight
Outdoor events and live paella go together: cooked outside, served hot and shared.
If you’re planning any of these, we can help:
- Anniversary celebrations
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Summer garden parties
- Birthday celebrations
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Snowdown station, about 2.9 miles east.
Comparing caterers
- Staff numbers and hours
- Payment terms and deposit
- The wet-weather plan
- Travel and parking costs
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but there’s shopping, prep and hours of cooking. We take care of all of it.
Why choose live paella in Heart's Delight?
For something a little different, live paella adds colour, smell and theatre to your event in Heart's Delight. Cost depends on guest numbers, the menu and the courses, plus any staff, crockery and travel. We quote for each event individually.
Why choose Love Paella in Heart's Delight
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Catering across Kent, including Heart's Delight
Take a look at How we price Or What paella catering costs.
- 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