Kent · England
Live paella catering in Highstead, Kent
Treat your guests to live paella at your event in Highstead. Everything is cooked fresh on the day, then served hot from the pan.
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Staff parties and work lunches
Live paella catering in Highstead
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. 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.
Paella catering in Highstead, cooked live
We cook every paella from scratch on the day, starting with a slow sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, followed by stock, saffron and rice. We cook vegetable paella, vegan paella and mixed paella, and we’re often booked for community events and fairs and naming days and family parties.
In a small place like Highstead, events are usually in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and a firm spot near where we park makes set-up easier. Timings are planned around your event, so the paella is ready when you want to eat.
For planners, venues and organisers
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Highstead? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Give us the details and we’ll suggest a plan.
Throwing a party at home? Send a photo of the space and tell us about parking, and we will let you know if live paella is a good fit.
Questions from Highstead
Can you cook in Bishopstone Cliffs?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, normally the council. Check with them, and we will provide our paperwork.
Is Highstead close to London?
About 56 miles from central London, and we cover it as standard.
What equipment do you bring?
Pans, burners and ingredients all come with us. You just need a suitable spot and access.
What space do you need to cook?
Not a lot: a level spot clear of fences, hedges and branches, with room for a serving table. If in doubt, send a photo.
Can you do gluten-free paella?
We can cook a gluten-free paella in its own pan. Tell us about any coeliac guests when you book so we can plan it carefully.
How much is live paella catering?
The price depends on numbers, menu, courses, staff and travel. Tell us about your event and we will send a quote.
Which paellas suit our guests?
It depends on your guests. A chicken or mixed paella is normally the most popular, with seafood and vegetable pans alongside.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes, on request. Let us know your halal numbers, and it is cooked separately.
Where we can cook in Highstead
Most outdoor spaces and many venues work for live paella, but there are a few things to check:
- Somewhere close to park and unload
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly before booking.
Menu ideas
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
Occasions we cook for in Highstead
It suits relaxed, sociable events, with guests mingling as it cooks and then sit down to share.
If you are planning any of these, we can help:
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Company summer parties
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Big birthdays
For guests coming by train, Herne Bay station is about 2.7 miles away.
What to look for in a quote
- Who provides the crockery
- VAT, if it applies
- Payment terms and deposit
- The venue requirements
Also near Highstead
What else we do in Highstead
What happens on the day
When we arrive, we set up our cooking area, light the burners and start the sofrito. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, so we time everything to your schedule. Around midsummer it stays light in Highstead until about 9:15pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:00pm, so summer evening events are usually served in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 3:50pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- Start with the date, the place and the numbers.
- Expect a menu idea and a clear, itemised price.
- A week or so before, we confirm the plan.
- On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
- We serve, then leave our area tidy.
Before we arrive
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Leave space around the cooking area
Ask for a quote
We quote for each event separately, so you only pay for what you need. To ask for one, fill in our quote form.
Planning help
Planning for every diet
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. A few tips:
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Send allergies to us in writing
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
Paella is best eaten as soon as it is ready, so we plan service for when guests are ready to eat.
Finish with churros, crema catalana or tarta de Santiago.
How we price paella catering
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- The number of people
- The length of service
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- How many courses
The cost per head generally falls as numbers rise, since the set-up is much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
Getting an accurate quote
To check availability and price, we need:
- Where the event is
- What the venue already provides
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
Planning paella catering in Highstead? Send us the details and we will come back with ideas and a quote. Just use our quote form.
Paella compared with other options
Vans serve one order at a time. A paella pan serves many portions quickly, so everyone can eat at the same time. There’s no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. We itemise everything in your quote.
Why us?
- Catering across Kent, including Highstead
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
Read Our pricing Or What paella catering costs.
Catering an event in Highstead
Highstead is about 2 miles south-east of Herne Bay, in Kent. Whether your event is in the middle of Highstead or on the outskirts, we offer the same service: live cooking, separate pans for every diet and a clear price. We cater in all 922 towns and villages in Kent. We cook right across the region, from Highstead to Canterbury (7 miles away).
Parks such as Bishopstone Cliffs generally need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there. If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Mary the Virgin, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. The coast is within about 3 miles of Highstead, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Coastal wind means we plan a sheltered spot.
Wherever your event is in CT3 and CT6, we can bring paella catering to you. Close by, we cover events in Hawthorn (1 mile north), Boyden Gate (1 mile south-east), Millbank (1 mile south-west), Old Tree (1 mile south) and Hillborough (1 mile north). We also cook in nearby towns such as Canterbury (7 miles south-west), Margate (9 miles east), Ramsgate (10 miles east), Broadstairs (11 miles east), Whitstable (6 miles west) and Deal (13 miles south-east).
Well-known places in the area include Whitstable and Tankerton Hospital (5.6 miles west). Green spaces nearby include West Blean and Thornden Woods.
- Nearby, you will find Hog & Donkey pub (0.8 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