Kent · England
Paella Catering for Lyminge events
Love Paella cooks live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event across Lyminge and Kent, catering for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests.
- Garden get-togethers
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Weddings and evening receptions
Live paella catering in Lyminge
How our paella catering works in Lyminge
Watching it cook is part of the experience. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the smell does the rest. Popular choices include black rice, seafood paella and chicken and chorizo paella, and we are regularly asked to cater garden get-togethers and birthday celebrations.
In a rural place like Lyminge, the setting does a lot of the work: a paella cooking in a garden or field feels right at home. Tell us about access and the ground. We serve straight from the pan, so it’s hot and generous, and a queue moves quickly.
Dishes our guests love
Black rice
Black rice gets its colour from squid ink, traditionally with alioli. It makes a dramatic second seafood pan.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella isn’t an afterthought: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron.
Common questions in Lyminge
Which station should guests use for Lyminge?
Sandling station, about 2.8 miles south of the centre.
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’ll follow the site rules.
How much does paella catering cost in Lyminge?
The price depends on numbers, menu, courses, staff and travel. Send us the details for a quote.
Which paellas suit our guests?
Most events choose two or three: chicken or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. Our menu lists the options.
Is paella a full meal?
Yes. Paella with bread and salad makes a full main course.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Children are welcome. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we’ll plan for them.
Can you cook halal paella?
Yes. We use halal chicken and leave out pork and alcohol, in its own pan.
How long does the paella take?
That depends on your menu and numbers. We agree the timings in advance.
Also near Lyminge
What else we do in Lyminge
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but there is shopping, prep and hours of cooking. A caterer handles all of that.
Some hosts like to cook themselves. The usual problems are a pan too big for the burner, too much rice and stirring once the rice is in. If you’d rather be with your guests, we will do the cooking.
Prices and what affects them
Every event is priced individually, and the price depends on a few things:
- How many guests are eating
- Distance and access to the venue
- Waiting and bar staff
- Your choice of paellas
Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so the menu you choose affects the price. We’ll suggest options to suit your budget.
What we need to know
To speed things up, tell us:
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- The venue or postcode
- A picture of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
We quote for each event separately, so the price fits what you actually want. For a quote, fill in our quote form.
Paella compared with other options
A plated meal needs a kitchen, more staff and usually costs more per head. Live paella needs a level, ventilated spot and the venue’s permission to cook, and gives guests something to watch. If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we’ll put together a menu that fits. Even a simple menu can be a feast.
Why book with us
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
- Live cooking, not reheated food
Take a look at Our prices page Or Our guide to catering costs.
Perfect for your event in Lyminge
Paella is quick to serve and suits mixed diets, which is why it works for so many occasions. It also gives guests something to watch and talk about.
Big or small, live paella works well. Common bookings include:
- Anniversary celebrations
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Naming days and family parties
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
Nearby historic houses include Acrise Place (2.1 miles east) and Westenhanger Castle (3.4 miles south-west). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
Questions to ask before booking
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- How late numbers can change
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- What the price includes, item by item
Live paella in Lyminge: local details
Lyminge is about 4 miles north of Hythe, in Kent. For paella catering in Lyminge, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices. We cater in all 922 towns and villages across Kent. We cook right across the region, from Lyminge to Canterbury (about 10 miles away).
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Lyminge Church of England Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Sandling station, about 2.8 miles south. The Kent Downs National Landscape is within about 3 miles of Lyminge, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours. Lyminge is within about 5 miles of the sea, and seafood paella always feels right near the sea. Sea breezes can be strong, so we plan a sheltered cooking spot.
Here we cover the CT18 postcode area, so your event can be anywhere in it. Local streets include Church Road, Station Road and Silverlands Road; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Other places close to Lyminge for paella catering include Ottinge (1 mile north-east), Woodland (1 mile west), Skeete (1 mile west), Etchinghill (1 mile south) and Rhodes Minnis (1 mile north-west). Further out, we also cater in Ashford (10 miles west), Canterbury (10 miles north), Dover (9 miles east), Folkestone (5 miles south-east), Deal (15 miles north-east) and Hythe (4 miles south).
A little further out are Saltwood Castle (3.3 miles south) and Elham Valley Countryside Centre And Railway Museum (2.5 miles south-east). Open spaces near Lyminge include Tolsford Hill.
Space, weather and the venue
Most gardens and venues can host live paella, but there are a few things to check:
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise.
What we offer
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
Catering for every guest
A little planning makes sure everyone can eat. Here’s how:
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Make sure each pan is labelled
- Send allergies to us in writing
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
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.
Step by step
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. Evenings in Lyminge stay light until about 9:15pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:00pm; once it’s dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- 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.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
How to prepare
- Ensure the spot is clear of anything flammable
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
Get a quote
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, plus any dietary needs, and you’ll get a menu idea and a price. To get started, send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
- 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