Kent · England
Paella Catering for Maidstone events
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Maidstone and the surrounding area.
- Birthday celebrations
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
Paella catering in Maidstone
Paella catering in Maidstone, cooked live
A couple of different pans covers everyone: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. Every pan is cooked on its own. Typical bookings include engagement and anniversary parties and big birthdays, with seafood paella, black rice and chicken and chorizo paella.
Busy roads and town-centre parking are the main things to plan for an event in Maidstone; the cooking itself only needs a level, ventilated spot. We plan the timings around your day, so the paella is ready when you want to eat.
What paella catering costs
Every event is priced individually, and the price depends on a few things:
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- The length of service
- Guest numbers
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
The cost per head typically falls as numbers rise, since the set-up is much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
Details that help
To speed things up, tell us:
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Which courses you have in mind
The quickest way to a quote is to fill in our quote form. Tell us about your event in Maidstone, and we will put together a menu and price.
Live paella or other catering?
Next to a hog roast or barbecue, live paella is easier for vegetarian, vegan and halal guests, because each paella has its own pan. It’s served quickly from the pan, so queues move. The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, plus any staff, crockery and travel. We quote for each event individually.
Why Maidstone hosts choose us
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
Take a look at Our pricing And What paella catering costs.
About the dishes
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, rather than seafood. It’s often the most popular pan at an event.
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich fish stock, finished with lemon wedges. It is the pan people photograph.
The process
Service is quick: the paella goes straight from the pan to the plate, so even a long queue moves. When service is finished, we pack down. In Maidstone, 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.
- You tell us the date, venue, guest numbers and any dietary needs.
- We suggest a menu and confirm a quote, including what’s included.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up and start the stock.
- Your guests watch the paella cook, with any tapas served first.
- We serve it hot from the pan and clear our area when service ends.
Before we arrive
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Tell us when you want to eat
How to get a price
Still deciding on the menu? No problem: give us the basics about your event, and we will suggest a menu. Start when you’re ready: send us your details through our quote form.
Planning help
Planning the cooking area
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We need:
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we’ll say what we think before you book.
Popular choices
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
Catering an event in Maidstone
Maidstone is about 31 miles south-east of London, in Kent. Tell us where your event in Maidstone will be, and we’ll plan the journey and set-up before the day. We cook in all 922 towns and villages in Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Canterbury, about 24 miles away.
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as South Borough Primary School, can book us as a food stall. For guests coming by train, Maidstone West station is about 0.6 miles away. Maidstone is within about 5 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
We cater events across ME15, ME16, ME14 and ME17. Local streets include Square Hill Road, Arundel Square and Square Hill; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Main roads around Maidstone include the A20 and A26, which makes travel to your event easy. Nearby, we also cater events in Tovil (1 mile west), Foley Park (1 mile north), Shepway (1 mile south-east), Penenden Heath (1 mile north) and Weavering (1 mile east). Within a short drive, we also cover Sittingbourne (10 miles north-east), Sevenoaks (15 miles west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (14 miles south-west), Gravesend (13 miles north-west), Tonbridge (12 miles south-west) and Northfleet (14 miles north-west). Maidstone is one of the larger places we cover in Kent, with plenty of venues for events.
A little further out are Maidstone Carriage Museum (under half a mile north-west) and Oakwood Hospital (1.8 miles west). Green spaces nearby include Burham Down and Boxley Hills.
- Schools near Maidstone include Maidstone Grammar School (less than half a mile south-east) and St Augustine Academy (1.2 miles west)
- Nearby, you will find Paper Makers Arms (within half a mile north)
Places near Maidstone
Also in Maidstone
Perfect for your event in Maidstone
There is no kitchen needed, so it works in gardens, fields and marquees where plated meals are hard.
Whatever the occasion, live paella can be the centrepiece. We frequently cook for:
- Milestone birthday parties
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Company summer parties
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
For a christening or wedding at a church such as St Philip's Church, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Questions to ask before booking
- The deadline for final numbers
- Travel and parking costs
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- A clear list of what’s included
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Not sure whether to cook yourself or book a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. Ask us for a quote and compare.
Your questions about paella catering in Maidstone
Can you cook in River Len LNR?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, usually the council. Ask them first, and we will send any information they need.
Is Maidstone close to London?
Roughly 31 miles from the centre of London.
What space do you need to cook?
Not a lot: a flat spot away from anything flammable, with space to serve. If in doubt, send a photo.
Can you do gluten-free paella?
We can, if you tell us in advance. Rice is naturally gluten-free, but stock and some ingredients may not be, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
Do you provide drinks?
Yes, sangria. We can also supply bar staff for your own drinks.
How many different paellas?
Most events have two or three: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We’ll suggest a split based on your guests.
What is live paella catering?
We arrive with pans, burners and ingredients, cook while everyone watches, and serve when you’re ready to eat.
How long do you need on site?
We get there in good time to set up. The rice itself takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
For planners, venues and organisers
Organising a club, school or community event in Maidstone? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Give us the details and we’ll suggest a plan.
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we’ll talk you through the process. We are happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
- 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