Kent · England
Live paella catering in Marden Thorn, Kent
Looking for paella catering in Marden Thorn? We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook while your guests watch.
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Company summer parties
Book paella catering in Marden Thorn
DIY paella versus live catering
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 hire equipment and do it yourself, but there is shopping, prep and hours of cooking. We take care of all of it.
About our paella catering in Marden Thorn
Watching it cook is part of the experience. People drift over as the sofrito sizzles and the rice turns gold, and the aroma does the rest. Popular choices include mixed paella, vegan paella and chicken and chorizo paella, and we’re regularly asked to cater anniversaries and engagement parties and milestone birthday parties.
In a hamlet or village like Marden Thorn, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Mention gates and soft ground when you get in touch. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, never made in advance and reheated, and served as soon as it’s ready.
Dietary needs and planning tips
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. Our advice:
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Put allergy details in writing
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Make sure each pan is labelled
Once everyone is fed, we clear our cooking area, quietly and quickly.
Add canapé tapas with the drinks or table tapas as a starter while the paella cooks.
Paella compared with other options
If you want something different from the usual buffet or roast, live paella adds colour, smell and theatre. Larger events normally cost less per head, 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 Marden Thorn
- Drinks service on request
- A quote that spells everything out
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
The process
When we arrive, we set up our cooking area, light the burners and start the sofrito. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, so we time everything to your schedule. Planning an evening event in Marden Thorn? Sunset is around 8:50pm in late May, 9:15pm at midsummer and 7:00pm in late September; once it’s dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- Contact us with the basics: when, where and how many.
- Expect a menu idea and a clear, itemised price.
- Closer to the day, we confirm timings and the cooking spot.
- On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
- We serve, then leave our area tidy.
Getting ready for the day
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
- Make sure we can park close by to unload
How to get a price
To get a price, fill in our quote form. Tell us about your event in Marden Thorn, and we’ll put together a menu and price.
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What affects the price in Marden Thorn
Your quote will be clear and itemised. What affects it most:
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- Distance and access to the venue
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
Live paella pricing depends on the event. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. Your quote spells it all out.
What to tell us
When you get in touch, it helps to tell us:
- The courses you’d like
- A photo of the space, if you can
- Diets and allergies you know about
- The address or venue name
Thinking about paella catering for your event in Marden Thorn? Send us the details and we will come back with ideas and a quote. Just fill in our quote form.
For planners, venues and organisers
Venues often have their own rules about outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Send us your venue’s requirements and we’ll follow them.
Organising a club, school or community event in Marden Thorn? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we’ll suggest a menu.
Before you choose a spot
We cook in large pans over gas burners, so the cooking area needs a little planning. Here’s what we look for:
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Somewhere close to park and unload
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before booking.
On the menu in Marden Thorn
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
The menu, dish by dish
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The classic version is chicken, green beans and butter beans with saffron.
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea, and is popular with adventurous guests.
FAQs for Marden Thorn
Do you come out to small places like Marden Thorn?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
How far is Marden Thorn from London?
Roughly 35 miles from the centre of London, and we cover it as standard.
Who clears up?
Our cooking area is packed away and left clean. Table clearing is available with waiting staff.
Do you cook inside?
Indoors only where ventilation and the venue allow it. Most events have us cooking outside or in a doorway or courtyard.
Do you bring everything you need?
Pans, burners and ingredients all come with us. You provide a suitable spot and access.
Is paella a full meal?
Yes. Paella with bread and salad makes a full main course, and tapas or dessert can be added.
Is the paella gluten-free?
We can cook a gluten-free paella in its own pan. Tell us about any coeliac guests when you book so we take the right care.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes, on request. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and it’s cooked separately.
Paella catering around Marden Thorn
Marden Thorn is about 7 miles south of Maidstone, in Kent. Wherever your event is in the TN12 area, we will come to your venue or garden. We cook in 922 places in Kent. We cook right across the region, from Marden Thorn to Canterbury (26 miles away).
Marden Thorn is within about 5 miles of the High Weald National Landscape, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
We cater events across TN12 and the streets around it. We can cater an event on streets such as Pagehurst Road and Thorn Road. Other places close to Marden Thorn for paella catering include Wanshurst Green (1 mile north), Staplehurst (2 miles east), St Ann's Green (2 miles north), Milebush (2 miles north) and Horden (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Maidstone (7 miles north), Ashford (15 miles east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (11 miles west), Tonbridge (11 miles west), Kings Hill (9 miles north-west) and Foley Park (8 miles north).
Nearby you’ll also find South East Romany Museum (0.9 miles north) and Sissinghurst Castle (4.2 miles south-east).
Also near Marden Thorn
Also in Marden Thorn
- 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