Kent · England
Live paella catering in Leigh Green, Kent
From the first sizzle in the pan to the last crispy spoonful, live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event turns food into part of your event in Leigh Green.
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Naming days and family parties
- Office lunches and staff parties
Planning an event in Leigh Green?
About our paella catering in Leigh Green
Almost any venue with a level, ventilated spot will do: a garden, marquee, barn, courtyard or field in and around Leigh Green. Typical bookings include birthday celebrations and anniversaries and engagement parties, with vegetable paella, mixed paella and paella Valenciana.
For a rural spot like Leigh Green, the countryside is part of the appeal: a paella cooking in a garden or field feels right at home. Let us know about access and ground conditions. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
Live paella or other catering?
Next to a hog roast or barbecue, live paella is easier for vegetarian, vegan and halal guests, thanks to separate pans. Service from the pan keeps queues moving. Live paella pricing depends on the event. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. Your quote spells it all out.
What you get with us
- Drinks service on request
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
- We cover Leigh Green and the whole of Kent
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
See How we price And The cost guide.
Leigh Green: venues, travel and local tips
Leigh Green is about 8 miles south-west of Ashford, in Kent. For paella catering in Leigh Green, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices in and around Leigh Green. Leigh Green is one of 922 towns and villages in Kent we cover. Our events stretch from Leigh Green to Canterbury (22 miles away).
For guests coming by train, Appledore (Kent) station is about 5 miles away. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Tenterden Church of England Junior School, can book us as a food stall.
Wherever your event is in TN30, we can cook for your guests. Other places close to Leigh Green for paella catering include Reading Street (2 miles south-east), Brook Street (2 miles east), Stone Corner (3 miles south), Woodchurch (3 miles east) and Brattle (3 miles east). Within a short drive, we also cover Ashford (8 miles north-east), Park Wood (14 miles north-west), Kennington (10 miles north-east), New Romney (11 miles south-east), Staplehurst (10 miles north-west) and Stanhope (8 miles north-east).
A little further out are Benenden Hospital (4.5 miles west) and Tenterden and District Museum (1.3 miles west).
- Local schools include Homewood School and Sixth Form Centre (1.2 miles north-west)
Occasions we cook for in Leigh Green
It is ideal for relaxed, sociable occasions, with guests mingling as it cooks and then sit down to share.
Whatever you are celebrating in Leigh Green, live paella can be the centrepiece. We frequently cook for:
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Retirement and leaving parties
Historic houses near Leigh Green include Smallhythe Place (1.9 miles south). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
What your quote should include
- What the price includes, item by item
- Whether VAT is included
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- Staff numbers and hours
What’s in the pans
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans.
Seafood paella
The secret is a well-made seafood stock. Shellfish goes in towards the end so it stays tender.
Catering for every guest
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because every paella has its own pan. Here are a few tips for planning:
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Request clear labels at the serving table
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Put allergy details in writing
The rice takes about 20 minutes once it goes in, so we time it carefully. If plans change, tell us and we will adjust.
Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana finish the meal.
DIY paella versus live catering
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and handles separate pans for each diet.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and don’t stir once the rice goes in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
What we need at the venue
We will be honest if a space won’t work. The main points are:
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think.
On the menu in Leigh Green
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegan paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
Organising for someone else?
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Leigh Green? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we’ll suggest a menu.
Hosting a party at home? Send a picture of the space and tell us about parking, and we will let you know if live paella is a good fit.
Step by step
From set-up to serving, we look after the food, so you are free to enjoy your event. If you’ve chosen tapas or canapés, they go out first as the rice is cooking. In Leigh Green, 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’s dark by about 3:50pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- You tell us the date, venue, guest numbers and any dietary needs.
- You get a suggested menu and an itemised quote.
- We arrive early, set up the cooking area and start the stock.
- The rice cooks in full view, while tapas or canapés go round.
- We serve from the pan, then clear our cooking area away.
Before we arrive
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
Get a quote
Still deciding on the menu? That is fine: give us the basics about your event, and we will make suggestions. To start, fill in our quote form.
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Common questions in Leigh Green
Do you come out to small places like Leigh Green?
No, we cook in small places too. Let us know about access and parking.
How far is Leigh Green from London?
About 46 miles from central London, and well within our area.
Can you provide dessert?
We can add a dessert. Tell us what you have in mind when you ask for a quote.
Is the paella gluten-free?
Yes, on request. Rice is naturally gluten-free, but stock and some ingredients may not be, so we cook a gluten-free paella separately.
Do you come to Leigh Green?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, and Leigh Green is within our area and the rest of Kent. To check your date, fill in our quote form.
Which paellas suit our guests?
It depends on your guests. Chicken and mixed paellas tend to go first, alongside seafood and vegetable or vegan pans.
Can you cater for children?
Yes, children are easy to cater for. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we will plan a pan with them in mind.
Is live paella good for a large crowd?
Very much so. We size pans and serving points to your guest list.
- 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