Kent · England
Paella Catering in Lydd-on-Sea
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Lydd-on-Sea: paella cooked from scratch in giant pans, in full view of your guests.
- Milestone birthday parties
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Company summer parties
Paella catering in Lydd-on-Sea
The menu, dish by dish
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, rather than seafood. It is frequently the most popular pan at an event.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella isn’t an afterthought: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Paella catering in Lydd-on-Sea, cooked live
Everything is cooked from scratch on site, beginning with a sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, then the stock, saffron and rice. For weddings and evening receptions and fairs, fêtes and festivals, we will put together a menu of seafood paella, vegan paella and black rice.
In a rural place like Lydd-on-Sea, the setting does a lot of the work: a huge pan in a garden or field fits perfectly. Tell us about access and the ground. The paella is served straight from the pan, so every plate is hot, and a queue moves quickly.
The process
Once the rice is in, we do not stir it. That is how the grains cook evenly and the toasted base, the socarrat, forms. Your guests will smell it before they see it. Planning an evening event in Lydd-on-Sea? Sunset is around 8:45pm 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.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
Preparing for the day
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
Getting a price
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, use our quote form.
Read more
Nearby places to Lydd-on-Sea
More for events in Lydd-on-Sea
Planning for every diet
Most events have a mix of diets. To plan for them:
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Ensure most guests can sit to eat
- Send allergies to us in writing
Once everyone is fed, we clear our cooking area, quietly and quickly.
Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana finish the meal, or serve your own cake.
Why choose live paella in Lydd-on-Sea?
If you want something different from the usual buffet or roast, live paella brings colour, aroma and a touch of Spain to your event in Lydd-on-Sea. Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so your choice of paellas affects the total. Tell us your budget and we will suggest a menu.
Why book with us
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Events in Lydd-on-Sea and across Kent
- Drinks service on request
Read Our prices page Or The cost guide.
What we need at the venue
We’ll agree the cooking spot with you before the day. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before you book.
Popular choices
- Mixed paella
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
Lydd-on-Sea: your questions answered
Do you come out to small places like Lydd-on-Sea?
No, we cook in small places too. Let us know about access and parking.
Is Lydd-on-Sea close to London?
Roughly 60 miles from the centre of London, and we cover it as standard.
Can you cater for children?
Children are welcome. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we will plan a pan with them in mind.
What is live paella catering?
We set up a cooking area at your venue, cook the paella from scratch in large pans while your guests watch, and serve it straight from the pan.
Can you cook in the rain?
We cook under cover, like a gazebo or open-sided marquee. We will agree a wet-weather plan with you.
Is the paella cooked on site?
Yes, always. We cook from scratch in large pans at your venue, in front of your guests.
Do you cook inside?
Mostly outside or under an open cover, because we use gas burners. Some venues have suitable spaces; we’ll check with you and the venue.
Do you do vegan paella?
Yes, and meat eaters often go back for seconds. Each is cooked separately, with its own stock and utensils.
How we price paella catering
We will give you a clear, itemised quote. What affects it most:
- How many staff you need
- Whether you need crockery
- Timings and hours
- Your choice of paellas
Compared with a plated meal, live paella is frequently good value, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. Ask us for a quote.
Details that help
The more we know about your event, the better we can plan. Please include:
- Expected numbers
- The venue or postcode
- A photo of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- Your date and when you want to eat
We quote for each event separately, so the price fits what you actually want. To ask for one, fill in our quote form.
Should I cook it myself?
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. Ask us for a quote and compare.
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Planners, venues and businesses
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 will follow them.
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so guests are fed quickly. Let us know how long the food break is.
Live paella in Lydd-on-Sea: local details
Lydd-on-Sea is about 10 miles south-west of Hythe, in Kent. Events in Lydd-on-Sea are planned around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. Lydd-on-Sea is one of 922 places in Kent we cover. Our events stretch from Lydd-on-Sea to Canterbury (about 23 miles away).
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Greatstone Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
Paella catering in TN29 and TN28 is planned around your venue and your guests. That could mean an event in a garden on Taylor Road, Lade Fort Crescent and Williamson Road or the roads around them. Nearby, we also cater events in Greatstone-on-Sea (2 miles north), Dungeness (2 miles south), Littlestone-on-Sea (2 miles north), Lydd (2 miles west) and New Romney (3 miles north). We also cook in nearby towns such as Ashford (14 miles north), Folkestone (13 miles north-east), Hythe (10 miles north-east), Hawkinge (14 miles north-east), Tenterden (15 miles north-west) and Cheriton (12 miles north-east).
A little further out are Romney 'castle' (4.2 miles north-west) and Lydd Town Museum (2.5 miles west). The countryside around Lydd-on-Sea includes Dungeness National and Burnthouse Pen.
- 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