Kent · England
Paella Catering in Lydd
Treat your guests to live paella at your event in Lydd. Everything is cooked fresh on the day, then served hot from the pan.
- Milestone birthday parties
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
Live paella catering in Lydd
Perfect for your event in Lydd
Live paella is food and a show in one. The pans become a focal point, and the food is hot and generous.
Whatever you’re celebrating in Lydd, live paella can be the centrepiece. We often cook for:
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Birthday celebrations
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Naming days and family parties
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Lydd Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
Comparing caterers
- How each diet is kept separate
- Who provides the crockery
- Space, access and power needs
- When payment is due
Paella catering in Lydd, cooked live
Almost any venue with a level, ventilated spot will do: a garden, marquee, barn, courtyard or field. On the menu are chicken and chorizo paella, paella Valenciana and vegetable paella, and typical bookings are for anniversary celebrations and weddings, from canapés to evening food.
In a smaller place like Lydd, a garden party is often the simplest option: no venue hire, and nobody stuck cooking. Tell us about access down the lane or drive. We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in a separate pan and clearly labelled.
What affects the price in Lydd
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- How many courses
- Distance and access to the venue
- The number of people
There is no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. Your quote spells it all out.
Details that help
When you get in touch, it helps to tell us:
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- Where the event is
Still deciding on the menu? That is fine: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we’ll make suggestions. Start when you are ready: use our quote form.
Planning for every diet
Paella is one of the easiest dishes for mixed diets, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. A few tips:
- Tell us what else is being served
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
- Have seats for most of your guests
Paella is best eaten as soon as it is ready, so we serve when guests are ready.
Add canapé tapas with the drinks or table tapas as a starter as the rice cooks.
The process
When we arrive, we set up the burners and pans and start cooking the sofrito and stock. The rice goes in about 20 minutes before serving, so we time everything to your schedule. In Lydd, the sun sets at about 9:15pm in late June and about 7:00pm in late September, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. In December it is dark by about 3:50pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- Start with the date, the place and the numbers.
- Expect a menu idea and a clear, itemised price.
- 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
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Name one person we can ask on the day
Ask for a quote
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. To send your details, fill in our quote form.
Planning help
Live paella or other catering?
If you want something different from the usual buffet or roast, live paella brings colour, aroma and a touch of Spain. Got a budget? Let us know, and we’ll suggest a menu to match. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Why choose Love Paella in Lydd
- Drinks service on request
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
Read Our pricing Or Our guide to catering costs.
What we need at the venue
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We need:
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think before you book.
Menu ideas
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
Planning live paella in Lydd
Lydd is about 11 miles south-west of Hythe, in Kent. For paella catering in Lydd, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices. We cook in 922 places in Kent. We cook right across the region, from Lydd to Canterbury (about 24 miles away).
For a christening or wedding at a church such as All Saints Church, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Anywhere in TN29, we can cook for your guests. Streets in the area include Church Road, Station Road and High Street, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Main roads around Lydd include the B2075, which makes travel to your event easy. Close by, we cover events in Lydd-on-Sea (2 miles east), Greatstone-on-Sea (3 miles north-east), Old Romney (3 miles north), New Romney (3 miles north-east) and Littlestone-on-Sea (3 miles north-east). Further out, we also cater in Ashford (13 miles north), Folkestone (15 miles north-east), Hythe (11 miles north-east), Tenterden (12 miles north-west), Cheriton (14 miles north-east) and Kennington (15 miles north).
A little further out are Lydd Town Museum (under half a mile south-west) and Romney 'castle' (2.9 miles north). The countryside around Lydd includes Dungeness National and Burnthouse Pen.
- Local pubs include The Dolphin Hotel (under half a mile south-west)
A closer look at the menu
Paella Valenciana
The original paella from Valencia is a countryside dish of chicken and vegetables, not seafood. It’s often the most popular pan at an event.
Vegetable and vegan paella
Seasonal vegetables on a rich sofrito base make a proper main dish. Vegan versions use plant-based stock.
For planners, venues and organisers
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: where cooking is allowed, access times and the paperwork they need. Send us your venue’s requirements and we’ll follow them.
Events in public spaces, like parks, generally need permission. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
Towns and villages near Lydd
What else we do in Lydd
Lydd questions
Can you cater a reception after a service at All Saints Church?
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 Lydd close to London?
Roughly 58 miles from the centre of London, and well within our area.
Can you cook indoors?
Indoors only where ventilation and the venue allow it. Courtyards, doorways and terraces often work.
What if the weather’s bad?
We need a covered spot, like a gazebo or open-sided marquee. We plan for rain with you in advance.
Which areas do you serve?
We cover London and the South East, including Kent. See all areas.
How soon do we need to book?
As soon as you have a date. Popular dates book up first, so contact us early.
How much is live paella catering?
The price depends on numbers, menu, courses, staff and travel. Send us the details for a quote.
Is paella a full meal?
It can be. With bread and salad, paella is a complete main.
- 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