Kent · England
Live paella catering in Lenham Forstal, Kent
From the first sizzle of the sofrito to the last spoonful of crispy rice, live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event makes the food a highlight of your event in Lenham Forstal.
- Birthday celebrations
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Festivals, fairs and school events
Paella catering in Lenham Forstal
Paella catering in Lenham Forstal, made fresh on the day
Live paella catering means we bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients to your event and cook in front of your guests. Once it is ready, we serve it hot from the pan. Whether it’s retirement celebrations and christenings and family gatherings, we’ll put together a menu of vegetable paella, seafood paella and mixed paella and more.
In a hamlet or village like Lenham Forstal, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Mention gates and soft ground when you contact us. All the cooking equipment comes with us, and we clear our cooking area away afterwards.
Questions from Lenham Forstal
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of the Holy Trinity?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking generally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
Is Lenham Forstal close to London?
Roughly 41 miles from the centre of London.
Do you provide drinks?
Sangria can be added, and we can staff a bar with your drinks.
Should we have more than one paella?
Most events have two or three: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We will help you decide the split.
Can you provide dessert?
We can add a dessert. Let us know if you’d like one in your enquiry.
What equipment do you bring?
All cooking kit comes with us. Let us know what your venue has, like tables or crockery.
What do you need at the venue?
Level ground for the burners, pans and a table, outdoors or in a marquee or well-ventilated area, plus the venue’s agreement to cooking.
When should we book?
As early as you can, especially for summer weekends. Even if it’s short notice, it’s worth asking.
Should I cook it myself?
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but you’ll still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. We take care of all of it.
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.
Space, weather and the venue
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We need:
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think before booking.
Popular choices
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
Also near Lenham Forstal
More for events in Lenham Forstal
The menu, dish by dish
Vegetable and vegan paella
A slow sofrito, seasonal vegetables and a good vegetable stock make a paella that stands on its own. Vegan versions use plant-based stock.
Black rice
Arroz negro is coloured and flavoured with squid ink, and is usually served with alioli. It’s a striking addition to a seafood menu.
Planners, venues and businesses
Throwing a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we will let you know if live paella is a good fit.
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so guests are fed quickly. Tell us how long you have for food.
How we price paella catering
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Travel, parking and access
- How many staff you need
- The length of service
Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
Getting an accurate quote
You do not need everything decided to ask for a quote, but it helps to know:
- The address or venue name
- The courses you’d like
- The date and rough timings
- Expected numbers
Each quote is tailored to your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we will check availability at the same time.
The process
Here’s how the day normally runs: we arrive, set up and start cooking, the rice cooks in front of your guests, and it’s served hot from the pan at the agreed time. Around midsummer it stays light in Lenham Forstal until about 9:15pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:00pm, so summer evening events are generally 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.
- 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.
- We serve, then leave our area tidy.
Before we arrive
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
Ask for a quote
Not sure what you need yet? No problem: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll suggest a menu. To start, send us your details through our quote form.
Planning help
Catering an event in Lenham Forstal
Lenham Forstal is about 8 miles north-west of Ashford, in Kent. Tell us where your event in Lenham Forstal will be, and we’ll plan access and set-up. Lenham Forstal is one of 922 places in Kent we cover. We cook right across the region, from Lenham Forstal to Canterbury (15 miles away).
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as The Lenham School, can book us as a food stall. If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like Church of the Holy Trinity, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. Lenham Forstal is within about 6 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
Paella catering in ME17 is planned around your venue and timings. Whether your event is on The Forstal, Mount Castle Lane and Burgess Fields or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Lenham Heath (1 mile south-east), Charing Heath (1 mile south-east), Stonebridge Green (1 mile south), Leadingcross Green (2 miles north-west) and Lenham (2 miles north-west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Maidstone (10 miles west), Ashford (8 miles south-east), Canterbury (15 miles east), Sittingbourne (9 miles north), Faversham (9 miles north-east) and Minster (14 miles north).
Other landmarks nearby include Coldbridge Castle (2.3 miles south-west).
Paella compared with other options
Barbecues cook in batches, so food comes off in waves. Paella is ready all at once, so everyone eats together. Larger events normally cost less per head, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
Why us?
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- A clear, itemised quote
- Events in Lenham Forstal and across Kent
- Sangria and bar staff available
See How we price And What paella catering costs.
Diets, allergies and planning
Most events have a mix of diets. To plan for them:
- Ensure most guests can sit to eat
- Send allergies to us in writing
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
Paella is at its best straight from the pan, so we serve when guests are ready.
Crockery, cutlery and waiting staff are available if your venue doesn’t provide them.
- 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