Kent · England
Paella Catering for Highsted events
From the first sizzle in the pan to the last crispy spoonful, live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event makes the food a highlight of your event in Highsted.
- Anniversary celebrations
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
Paella catering near Highsted
Why choose live paella in Highsted?
Barbecues cook in batches, so food comes off in waves. Paella is cooked as one big dish and served together. Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you can choose exactly what you need.
What you get with us
- A quote that spells everything out
- Drinks service on request
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
See Our pricing And Our guide to catering costs.
Paella catering for your event in Highsted
Everything is cooked from scratch on site, starting with a slow sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, then the stock, saffron and rice. For weddings, from canapés to evening food and community events and fairs, we can cook vegan paella, seafood paella and chicken and chorizo paella and more.
In a small place like Highsted, events are normally in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. Tell us about narrow lanes or long drives and we’ll plan for them, and a firm spot near where we park makes set-up easier. Every pan is cooked in front of your guests, so it arrives hot and becomes part of the event.
What affects the price in Highsted
There are no hidden charges: the quote reflects:
- The number of people
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Parking and unloading
- Timings and hours
Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so it helps to tell us about your venue. The full price is confirmed before you book.
Details that help
Good planning starts with a few facts. Please include:
- Diets and allergies you know about
- What the venue already provides
- The address or venue name
- The courses you’d like
The quickest way to a quote is to fill in our quote form. Tell us about your event in Highsted, and we’ll put together a menu and price.
Should I cook it myself?
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. Ask us for a quote and compare.
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it is in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Planners, venues and businesses
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Tell us what your venue needs and we will work to it.
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so guests are fed quickly. Let us know how long the food break is.
Paella catering around Highsted
Highsted is about 2 miles south of Sittingbourne, in Kent. We cater events at homes, gardens and venues in Highsted. Highsted is one of 922 places in Kent where we cook. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 15 miles away.
For guests coming by train, Sittingbourne station is about 1.6 miles away. If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Rodmersham School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. Highsted is within about 6 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
For paella catering in ME9, we plan around your venue and timings. From Stockers Hill and Highsted Road or a nearby road, we’ll bring the pans to you. We also cook at events in Rodmersham Green (1 mile east), Rodmersham (1 mile east), Tunstall (1 mile west), Bapchild (1 mile east) and Dungate (1 mile south). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (10 miles west), Ashford (13 miles south-east), Canterbury (15 miles east), Whitstable (13 miles east), Faversham (6 miles east) and Minster (7 miles north).
Well-known places in the area include Sittingbourne and Milton Urban District (2.2 miles north) and Sittingbourne Heritage Museum (1.4 miles north).
- Schools near Highsted include Fulston Manor School (1 mile north)
What we need at the venue
Most outdoor spaces and many venues work for live paella, but a few things matter:
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise.
On the menu in Highsted
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Paella Valenciana
The process
It’s a relaxed, well-organised set-up. We agree arrival and serving times in advance, set up the pans and burners, and cook and serve without fuss. In Highsted, the sun sets at about 9:15pm in late June and about 7:00pm in late September, so summer evening events are generally served in daylight. For winter events, when it’s 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.
- 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
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Check the venue allows live cooking
Getting a price
Not sure what you need yet? That’s fine: give us the basics about your event, and we will suggest a menu. To start, fill in our quote form.
Related guides
What’s in the pans
Mixed paella
Mixed paella brings meat and seafood together, and it’s often the first pan to empty.
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, not seafood. It is often the most popular pan at an event.
Highsted: your questions answered
We are having a ceremony at Church of St Nicholas: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is normally elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
How far is Highsted from London?
About 38 miles from central London.
Do you provide plates and cutlery?
We can. Let us know what you have, and we will quote for the rest.
How far ahead should we book?
As soon as you have a date. Popular dates book up first, so get in touch early.
How much is live paella catering?
It depends on guest numbers, the menu, the courses, staff and travel. Tell us about your event and we will send a quote.
Which areas do you serve?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
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.
Do you cook inside?
Usually we cook outdoors or under a ventilated cover, since the burners are gas. We will check whether your venue has a suitable space.
Places near Highsted
Also in Highsted
Perfect for your event in Highsted
It’s ideal for relaxed, sociable occasions, with guests mingling as it cooks and then sit down to share.
These are some of the occasions we cater around Highsted:
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Big birthdays
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
Thinking of a picnic-style party in Cromers Wood? Public parks generally need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first.
Comparing caterers
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- The deadline for final numbers
- 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