Medway · England
Live paella catering in Lidsing, Medway
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Lidsing: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, right in front of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Garden get-togethers
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Company summer parties
Book paella catering in Lidsing
How our paella catering works in Lidsing
Watching it cook is part of the experience. People drift over as the sofrito sizzles and the rice turns gold, and the smell does the rest. Typical bookings include wedding breakfasts and evening food and naming days and family parties, serving vegan paella, vegetable paella and black rice.
For a rural spot like Lidsing, the countryside is part of the appeal: a paella cooking in a garden or field feels right at home. Tell us about access and the ground. Everything is cooked from scratch at your event, never made in advance and reheated.
Planning live paella in Lidsing
Lidsing is about 2 miles south-east of Chatham, in Medway. From the centre of Lidsing to the outskirts, we offer the same service: live cooking, separate pans for every diet and a clear price. We cook in all 68 towns and villages across Medway. You can also see our page for Canterbury, about 23 miles away.
For guests coming by train, Rainham (Kent) station is about 3.3 miles away. Nearby historic houses include Restoration House (4.7 miles north-west) and Starkey Castle (5 miles north-west). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. Lidsing is within about 6 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
We cater events across ME7 and the streets around it. We also cook at events in Dunn Street (1 mile south-east), Bredhurst (1 mile east), Lordswood (1 mile north-west), Kemsley Street (1 mile east) and Scragged Oak (1 mile south-east). Larger places within reach include Gillingham (3 miles north), Rochester (5 miles north-west), Rainham (3 miles north-east), Strood (6 miles north-west), Luton (3 miles north) and Twydall (3 miles north).
Well-known places in the area include Allington Castle (3.3 miles south-west) and Medway megaliths (2.8 miles west). The countryside around Lidsing includes Boxley Hills and Burham Down.
- Schools near Lidsing include Greenacre Academy (2.2 miles north-west)
- Nearby, you’ll find The Harrow pub (under half a mile north)
Live paella or other catering?
Compared with a hog roast or barbecue, paella makes vegetarian, vegan and halal guests easier to cater for, thanks to separate pans. It’s served quickly from the pan, so queues move. The cost per head usually falls as numbers rise, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Why choose Love Paella in Lidsing
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- We cover Lidsing and the whole of Medway
- Sangria and bar staff available
- A clear, itemised quote
Read Our pricing And What paella catering costs.
More for events in Lidsing
For planners, venues and organisers
If you’re booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will talk you through the process. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Throwing a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we’ll let you know if live paella is a good fit.
What affects the price in Lidsing
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- Travel, parking and access
- How many guests are eating
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, along with staff, extras and travel. Every event gets its own quote.
Getting an accurate quote
To check availability and price, we need:
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- Your date and when you want to eat
- Roughly how many adults and children
- The courses you’d like
Send us the date, your venue or ME7 postcode and guest numbers, along with any dietary needs, and you will get a menu idea and a price. To get started, send us your details through our quote form.
What we need at the venue
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We look for:
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Level ground for the pans and burners
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before you book.
What we offer
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
Questions from Lidsing
Can you cook at venues in the Kent Downs National Landscape?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We will work to whatever the site needs.
Could we have live paella in South Wood?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, typically the council. Ask them first, and we will send any information they need.
Do you provide drinks?
Sangria, yes. For other drinks, we can provide bar staff to serve what you buy.
What areas do you cover?
We cover London and the South East, including Medway. See all areas.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes, on request. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and it’s cooked separately.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Of course. Vegetarian and vegan paellas are cooked in separate pans.
Can you cater for children?
Yes. A simple chicken paella is normally popular with children. Include children in your numbers.
Is paella a full meal?
Yes. With bread and salad, paella is a complete main.
Dietary needs and planning tips
With a little notice, every diet is easy. We suggest:
- Send allergies to us in writing
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Give us separate numbers for children
Paella is best eaten as soon as it is ready, so we serve when guests are ready.
Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana finish the meal, or serve your own cake.
How it works
A typical event goes like this: we set up the pans and start the sofrito, your guests watch the rice cook, and it’s served hot from the pan at the agreed time. Planning an evening event in Lidsing? Sunset is around 8:50pm in late May, 9:15pm at midsummer and 7:00pm in late September; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- 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.
- It’s served straight from the pan, and we clear our area afterwards.
Preparing for the day
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Let us know the timings for the day
Ask for a quote
Not sure what you need yet? That’s fine: give us the basics about your event, and we will make suggestions. Start when you’re ready: send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and do not stir once the rice goes in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
The menu, dish by dish
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, finished with lemon wedges. It is normally the most photographed pan.
Mixed paella
Mixed paella brings meat and seafood together, and it’s frequently the first pan to empty.
- 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