Kent · England
Live paella catering in Minster, Kent
Treat your guests to live paella at your event in Minster. Everything is cooked fresh on the day, then served hot from the pan.
- Summer garden parties
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Weddings and evening receptions
Planning an event in Minster?
Space, weather and the venue
Most gardens and venues can host live paella, but a few things matter:
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- Somewhere close to park and unload
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think.
Popular choices
- Vegan paella
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Paella catering in Minster, made fresh on the day
We cook every paella from scratch on the day, beginning with a sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, then the stock, saffron and rice. For fairs, fêtes and festivals and office lunches and staff parties, we can cook black rice, paella Valenciana and vegetable paella.
In Minster, live paella typically means a garden, a hall with outdoor space or a hired venue. Each works well, as long as there is a level spot to cook and somewhere close to park. Timings are planned around your event, whether that’s speeches, a lunch break or a festival schedule.
Planning for every diet
Nearly every event has some special diets. To plan for them:
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
- Give us separate numbers for children
- Mention any other courses or food
- Put allergy details in writing
Any staff you book serve and clear, so you can relax.
We can add sangria and bar staff for your own drinks.
Live paella in Minster: local details
Minster is about 6 miles north-east of Sittingbourne, in Kent. Wherever your event is in the ME12 area, we can bring the pans to you. Minster is one of 922 places in Kent where we cook. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 15 miles away.
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Queenborough station, about 2.3 miles west. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Thistle Hill Academy, can book us as a food stall.
For paella catering in ME12, we plan around your venue and your guests. That could mean an event in a garden on High Street, Lapwing Close and Copland Avenue or the roads around them. You will find Minster on the A2500 and B2008, so it is easy for us to reach with the van and pans. Other places close to Minster for paella catering include Halfway Houses (1 mile west), Sheerness (2 miles north-west), Queenborough (2 miles west), Eastchurch (3 miles east) and Rushenden (3 miles west). Further out, we also cater in Canterbury (15 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (6 miles south-west), Whitstable (11 miles south-east), Faversham (8 miles south-east), Herne Bay (15 miles east) and Davington (8 miles south-east).
Well-known places in the area include Minster Gatehouse Museum (under half a mile north-east) and Castle Rough (4.5 miles south-west).
- Schools near Minster include Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey (0.8 miles west) and Leigh Academy Minster (0.9 miles west)
Towns and villages near Minster
What else we do in Minster
DIY paella versus live catering
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. Ask us for a quote and compare.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
What affects the price in Minster
Each event is quoted on its own, and the price depends on a few things:
- The length of service
- Your choice of paellas
- The number of people
- Parking and unloading
Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you only pay for what you want.
Getting an accurate quote
You don’t need everything decided to ask for a quote, but these help:
- A picture of where we’d cook
- The venue or postcode
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- Roughly how many adults and children
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, along with any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, send us your details through our quote form.
Questions from Minster
Can you cook in Barton's Point Coastal Park?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, generally the council. Ask them first, and we’ll send any information they need.
We’re having a ceremony at The Abbey Church Of St Mary And St Sexburga: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking typically happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Of course. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, while the rice is cooking.
What seafood can we have?
Seafood choices are agreed when we plan the menu.
Can you feed a lot of people?
Yes, that’s what it’s made for. We size pans and serving points to your guest list.
Do we need to provide equipment?
We bring the pans, burners and ingredients. You just need a suitable spot and access.
Do you take everything away?
We take our equipment and leave the cooking area tidy. Table clearing is available with waiting staff.
Which paellas suit our guests?
It depends on your guests. Chicken and mixed paellas tend to go first, with seafood and vegetable pans alongside.
Working with your venue
Wedding planners and venue coordinators are welcome to contact us directly, and we will keep you updated on timings and set-up.
Events in public spaces, like parks, normally need permission. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
The menu, dish by dish
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich fish stock, finished with lemon wedges. It’s usually the most photographed pan.
Mixed paella
Paella mixta combines meat and seafood in one pan.
Step by step
We arrive in good time before you want to eat, set up the cooking area and get the stock going. Your guests are welcome to watch while it cooks. Around midsummer it stays light in Minster until about 9:15pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:00pm, so summer evening events are normally served 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 put together a menu and a clear quote.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up and start the stock.
- The rice cooks in full view, while tapas or canapés go round.
- We serve from the pan, then clear our cooking area away.
How to prepare
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Share the running order, including any speeches
Ask for a quote
To get a price, use our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we will put together a menu and price.
Read more
Perfect for your event in Minster
It suits relaxed, sociable events, with guests mingling as it cooks and then sit down to share.
In Minster and nearby, we cater all sorts of events. Some of the most common are:
- Community events and fairs
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Staff parties and work lunches
Parks such as Barton's Point Coastal Park normally need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there.
What to look for in a quote
- Whether VAT is included
- The venue requirements
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- A clear list of what’s included
- 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