Kent · England
Paella Catering for Herne events
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 for events in Herne.
- Anniversary celebrations
- Retirement celebrations
- Big birthdays
Paella catering near Herne
Paella catering for your event in Herne
Almost any venue with a level, ventilated spot will do: gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and festival fields. We’re frequently asked to cater engagement and anniversary parties and wedding breakfasts and evening food, with paella Valenciana, mixed paella and vegan paella.
Around Herne, events are often in gardens, local halls or nearby venues. If the road in is narrow, tell us so we can plan the van. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, not reheated, and served the moment it’s ready.
How the day works
The paella is cooked in huge, shallow pans over gas burners. It needs a level spot with some shelter and good ventilation, and we agree where that is before the day. In Herne, the sun sets at about 9:15pm in late June and about 7:00pm in late September, 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.
- 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.
Getting ready for the day
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Have a level space ready for the pans
How to get a price
Every quote is put together for your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll confirm whether we’re available that day.
Read more
The menu, dish by dish
Black rice
Arroz negro is coloured and flavoured with squid ink, traditionally with alioli. It makes a dramatic second seafood pan.
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, not seafood. It is a favourite with guests who don’t eat fish.
Common questions in Herne
What’s the nearest station to Herne for guests?
The closest is Herne Bay station, roughly 1.2 miles away.
We’re having a ceremony at Church of St Martin: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking usually happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
Can paella be the only main course?
Paella is a meal in itself. Many hosts add tapas first or dessert after.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Yes, and meat eaters frequently go back for seconds. They have their own pans, stock and spoons.
Do you cover Herne?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, and Herne is within our area and the rest of Kent. To check your date, send us your details through our quote form.
What equipment do you bring?
All cooking kit comes with us. Let us know what your venue has, like tables or crockery.
Is the paella gluten-free?
Yes, on request. Rice is naturally gluten-free, but stock and some ingredients may not be, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
Can you cook indoors?
Only in a suitable, well-ventilated area with the venue’s permission. Courtyards, doorways and terraces often work.
Events we cater in Herne
It needs no kitchen, so it’s at home in gardens, fields and marquees where plated meals are hard.
Live paella works for big and small events alike. Common bookings include:
- Community events and fairs
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Big birthdays
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Herne Bay station, about 1.2 miles north-west.
Before you book anyone
- Staff numbers and hours
- The deadline for final numbers
- How bad weather is handled
- The deposit and payment dates
Planning for every diet
Allergies and diets are taken seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
On the day, you shouldn’t have to think about the food. We set up, cook and serve, and stay in touch with your venue about timings.
Bread, salad and lemon go well alongside and suit guests who aren’t big rice eaters.
Why choose live paella in Herne?
Compared with a hog roast or barbecue, live paella is easier for vegetarian, vegan and halal guests, because each paella has its own pan. It’s served quickly from the pan, so queues move. Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, as there’s no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. We will send you a quote.
What you get with us
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- We cover Herne and the whole of Kent
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
Take a look at How we price And The cost guide.
Should I cook it myself?
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it is harder than it looks. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
Planning the cooking area
We will agree the cooking spot with you before the day. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before you book.
Menu ideas
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
Live paella in Herne: local details
Herne is about 1 mile south of Herne Bay, in Kent. For paella catering in Herne, we plan around your venue and timings: a quote, a plan and live cooking on the day. Herne is one of 922 towns and villages in Kent where we cook.
Parks such as Curtis Wood typically need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Herne Church of England Infant School, can book us as a food stall. Herne is within about 2 miles of the sea, and seafood paella always feels right near the sea. Coastal wind means we plan a sheltered spot.
Anywhere in CT6, we can bring paella catering to you, from busy streets to quiet lanes. We can cater an event on streets such as St Martin's View, Ridley Close and Herne Street. Other places close to Herne for paella catering include Hunters Forstal (1 mile north-east), Eddington (1 mile north-west), Herne Common (1 mile south-west), Bullockstone (1 mile west) and Broomfield (1 mile north-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Canterbury (5 miles south-west), Margate (11 miles east), Ramsgate (12 miles east), Broadstairs (13 miles east), Whitstable (4 miles west) and Deal (15 miles south-east).
Other landmarks nearby include Whitstable and Tankerton Hospital (3.7 miles west) and Tankerton Castle (4.4 miles west). Green spaces nearby include West Blean and Thornden Woods.
- Schools near Herne include Herne Bay High School (1.2 miles north-west)
How we price paella catering
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- Waiting and bar staff
- The number of people
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we’ll suggest a menu to match. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Getting an accurate quote
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. Here’s what’s useful:
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- Anything your venue supplies
- Expected numbers
- Where the event is
Not sure what you need yet? That’s fine: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll make suggestions. Start when you’re ready: use our quote form.
Towns and villages near Herne
What else we do in Herne
- 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