Kent · England
Live paella catering in Hoaden, Kent
Planning paella catering in Hoaden? We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook while your guests watch.
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
Book paella catering in Hoaden
About our paella catering in Hoaden
Keep it simple, or go all out: just paella, or paella with tapas, desserts and drinks. We will suggest what suits your event. For garden parties and summer barbecues and retirement and leaving parties, we can cook paella Valenciana, vegetable paella and vegan paella for your guests.
In a small place like Hoaden, events are generally 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. Your quote spells out exactly what’s included: the menu, the staff and any extras.
Why live cooking beats a buffet
With a barbecue, food comes in waves. Paella is ready all at once, so everyone eats together. Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so it helps to tell us about your venue. The full price is confirmed before booking.
Why choose Love Paella in Hoaden
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
Take a look at How we price Or The cost guide.
How we price paella catering
There are no hidden charges: the price is based on:
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Timings and hours
- The paellas you choose
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so the menu you choose affects the price. We’ll suggest options to suit your budget.
Details that help
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- A picture of where we’d cook
- The courses you’d like
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
To get a price, use our quote form. Tell us about your event in Hoaden, and we’ll suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Common questions in Hoaden
Is Hoaden too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
We are having a ceremony at Elmstone Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking typically happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
Is paella a full meal?
Paella is a meal in itself. Many hosts add tapas first or dessert after.
Will there be enough food?
We size the pans for your numbers and the rest of the menu. Let us know about any other food. Our guide to portions explains more.
Is halal food available?
Yes, we do. Halal paella is cooked with halal chicken and no pork or alcohol, in a separate pan.
What equipment do you bring?
All cooking kit comes with us. Let us know what your venue has, like tables or crockery.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes, and they’re popular with everyone. Each is cooked separately, with its own stock and utensils.
How long do you need on site?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
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:
- Ensure most guests can sit to eat
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Confirm allergies by email
After service, we pack down our cooking area, quietly and quickly.
Tapas or canapés make a good start while the paella cooks.
For planners, venues and organisers
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.
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we will talk you through the process. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Step by step
We arrive in good time before you want to eat, set up the cooking area and get the stock going. Guests typically gather round to watch as the paella takes shape. In Hoaden, the sun sets at about 9:15pm in late June and about 7:00pm in late September, so summer evening events are usually served in daylight. In December it is dark by about 3:50pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- Get in touch with the basics: when, where and how many.
- We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
- A week or so before, we confirm the plan.
- We set up, cook from scratch and keep an eye on your timings.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
How to prepare
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Have a level space ready for the pans
Getting a price
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. When you are ready, use our quote form.
Related guides
Planning the cooking area
We will be honest if a space will not work. The main points are:
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly.
What we offer
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Dishes our guests love
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’s frequently the most popular pan at an event.
Towns and villages near Hoaden
Also in Hoaden
Live paella in Hoaden: local details
Hoaden is about 7 miles east of Canterbury, in Kent. For an event in Hoaden, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices. We cover 922 places in Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 7 miles away.
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Ash Cartwright and Kelsey Church of England Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like Elmstone Church, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
This part of Kent takes in CT3, so your event can be anywhere in it. Local streets include Overland Lane and Walmestone Road; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Nash (1 mile south-west), Perry (1 mile west), Elmstone (1 mile north-west), Shatterling (1 mile south-west) and Durlock (1 mile south-east). Further out, we also cater in Canterbury (7 miles west), Margate (9 miles north-east), Dover (11 miles south), Folkestone (15 miles south), Ramsgate (8 miles north-east) and Broadstairs (9 miles north-east).
Other landmarks nearby include White Mill (3.5 miles east). Not far away are Monk's Wall nature reserve.
Events we cater in Hoaden
Few dishes cope with mixed diets like paella, thanks to separate pans for each version. Everyone gets the same kind of meal.
We can help if you are planning any of the following:
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Naming days and family parties
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Milestone birthday parties
Historic houses near Hoaden include Goodnestone Park (3.4 miles south). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
Questions to ask before you book
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- What the price includes, item by item
- The venue requirements
- If the price includes VAT
- 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