Kent · England
Live paella catering in Hoo, Kent
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Hoo and across Kent.
- Naming days and family parties
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Festivals, fairs and school events
Planning an event in Hoo?
Hoo: your questions answered
Is Hoo too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Let us know about access and parking.
We are having a ceremony at Church of Saint Mary the Virgin: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking normally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
Can you cater for children?
Of course. A simple chicken paella is generally popular with children. Include children in your numbers.
Should we have more than one paella?
Normally two or three, so every guest has a choice. Tell us about your guests’ diets and we will suggest the mix.
Can you serve drinks?
Sangria can be added, and we can staff a bar with your drinks.
Can you cook indoors?
Indoors only where ventilation and the venue allow it. Courtyards, doorways and terraces often work.
How much paella per person?
We size the pans for your numbers and the rest of the menu. Let us know about any other food. See how much paella per person.
Do you provide plates and cutlery?
We can. Tell us what your venue provides and we will include the rest in the quote.
About our paella catering in Hoo
Live paella catering means we bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients to your event and cook in front of your guests. Once it’s ready, we serve it hot from the pan. For weddings and evening receptions and naming days and family parties, we’ll put together a menu of vegetable paella, chicken and chorizo paella and paella Valenciana and more.
Somewhere like Hoo, a field or garden is frequently the perfect setting. Mention gates and soft ground when you get in touch. All the cooking equipment comes with us, and we clear our cooking area away afterwards.
Occasions we cook for in Hoo
Live paella is food and a show in one. The pans become a focal point, and the food itself is hot and plentiful.
We can help if you’re planning any of the following:
- Anniversary celebrations
- Company summer parties
- Retirement celebrations
- Family celebrations and christenings
Nearby historic houses include Quex Park (2.4 miles north-east). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you are booking one.
What your quote should include
- A clear list of what’s included
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- Staff numbers and hours
- Payment terms and deposit
Diets, allergies and planning
A little planning makes sure everyone can eat. Here’s how:
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
If you’ve booked staff, they’ll serve, clear and help keep things moving, so you can enjoy your guests.
Need plates or staff? We can provide them.
A closer look at the menu
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans, and it is a crowd-pleaser.
Mixed paella
Chicken and seafood together.
Should I cook it myself?
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
What affects the price in Hoo
Your quote will be clear and itemised. The main things that affect it are:
- Distance and access to the venue
- How many guests are eating
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- How many staff you need
Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so it helps to tell us about your venue. The full price is confirmed before booking.
What we need to know
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- The venue or postcode
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- The courses you’d like
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, plus any dietary needs, and you’ll get a menu idea and a price. To get started, use our quote form.
Space, weather and the venue
No two venues are the same, so we’ll ask about yours before we confirm. Generally, we look for:
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think before you book.
Popular choices
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
The process
Service is quick: we serve straight from the pan, so even a long queue moves. When service is finished, we pack down. Evenings in Hoo stay light until about 9:15pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:00pm; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- First, tell us about your event.
- You get a menu and an itemised quote.
- We agree timings, access and the cooking spot.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
Preparing for the day
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
- Ensure the spot is clear of anything flammable
Get a quote
Not sure what you need yet? That is fine: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll suggest a menu. To start, fill in our quote form.
Read more
Live paella or other catering?
Plated meals need a kitchen and a bigger team. Live paella needs a level, ventilated spot and the venue’s permission to cook, and it’s entertaining too. If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we will put together a menu that fits. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Why choose Love Paella in Hoo
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- We cover Hoo and the whole of Kent
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
Live paella in Hoo: local details
Hoo is about 5 miles south-west of Margate, in Kent. Wherever your event is in the CT12 area, we will come to your venue or garden. Hoo is one of 922 towns and villages in Kent where we cook. You can also see our page for Canterbury, about 10 miles away.
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Monkton Church of England Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. Hoo is within about 6 miles of the sea, and seafood paella always feels right near the sea. Coastal wind means we plan a sheltered spot.
We cater events across CT12 and the streets around it. Streets in the area include Monkton Road, Hoo Farm Way and Sheriffs Court Lane, and we can cook for an event on any of them. For events just outside Hoo, we cover Monkton (1 mile west), St Nicholas at Wade (2 miles north-west), Westmarsh (2 miles south-west), East Stourmouth (2 miles south-west) and Sarre (2 miles west). Larger places within reach include Canterbury (10 miles south-west), Margate (5 miles north-east), Dover (14 miles south), Ramsgate (5 miles east), Broadstairs (6 miles east) and Whitstable (11 miles west).
Well-known places in the area include Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital (5 miles north-east) and Powell-Cotton Museum (2.2 miles north). Not far away are Sandwich and Pegwell Bay.
- Nearby, you’ll find The Bell Inn (0.9 miles south-east)
Other catering in Hoo
- 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