Greater London · England
Live paella catering in Monks Orchard, Greater London
From the first sizzle of the sofrito to the last spoonful of crispy rice, live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event makes the food a highlight of your event in Monks Orchard.
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Birthday celebrations
- Summer garden parties
Planning an event in Monks Orchard?
Paella catering in Monks Orchard, cooked live
Live paella catering means we bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients to your event and cook in front of your guests. Once it’s ready, we serve it hot from the pan. We’re frequently asked to cater naming days and family parties and staff parties and work lunches, serving black rice, mixed paella and vegan paella.
In Monks Orchard, events range from terrace gardens to hired halls. Tell us how close we can park and about any steps. The paella is served straight from the pan, so every plate is hot, and a queue moves quickly.
- Where
- Monks Orchard (CR0, SE25, CR9)
- Region
- Greater London
- Dietary options
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Extras
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Price
- Contact us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
FAQs for Monks Orchard
We’re having a ceremony at St George The Martyr Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is generally elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
Can you cook in Ashburton Park?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, typically the council. Ask them first, and we’ll send any information they need.
Is it really cooked live?
Yes. We arrive with everything we need and cook on the day, then serve straight from the pan.
Are premium seafood options available?
We’ll talk through seafood options when we plan your menu, including premium options if you want them.
Is halal food available?
We can. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and we’ll cook a separate pan.
How do you work out quantities?
We plan quantities from your guest numbers, timings and other courses, with a little extra built in. Give us accurate numbers for the best result.
What equipment do you bring?
All cooking kit comes with us. Tell us what the venue provides, such as tables or crockery.
Which areas do you serve?
London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including Monks Orchard.
Before you choose a spot
We will agree the cooking spot with you before the day. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
Monks Orchard is in London, within the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking can be tight: tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway.
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before you book.
What we offer
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
Events we cater in Monks Orchard
Paella is quick to serve and suits mixed diets, so it suits all kinds of occasions. It gives people something to gather round, too.
Whatever the occasion, live paella can be the centrepiece. We regularly cater:
- Big birthdays
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Oasis Academy Shirley Park, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
Before you book anyone
- What the price includes, item by item
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- Whether VAT is included
Should I cook it myself?
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it is in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. Ask us for a quote and compare.
How we price paella catering
These are the factors that matter most:
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Distance and access to the venue
- How many staff you need
- Starters, canapés and desserts
Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so it helps to tell us about your venue. The full price is confirmed before you book.
What we need to know
When you get in touch, it helps to tell us:
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- Where the event is
- Your date and when you want to eat
Thinking about paella catering for your event in Monks Orchard? Send us the details and we’ll reply with a menu and a clear price. To get in touch, use our quote form.
Is live paella right for your event?
Plated meals need a kitchen and a bigger team. Live paella needs a level, ventilated spot and the venue’s permission to cook, and gives guests something to watch. Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. Ask us for a quote.
What you get with us
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Drinks service on request
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
Read How we price And Our guide to catering costs.
Step by step
Serving is fast: we serve straight from the pan, so large groups are fed quickly. When service is finished, we pack down. Around midsummer it stays light in Monks Orchard until about 9:20pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:05pm, so summer evening events are usually served in daylight. For winter events, when it’s dark by about 3:55pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- First, tell us about your event.
- We suggest paellas and extras and send a clear quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- On the day, we set up and cook in front of your guests.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
Before we arrive
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Ensure we can park close by to unload
Getting a price
Not sure what you need yet? That is fine: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we’ll suggest a menu. Start when you are ready: send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
Places near Monks Orchard
Other catering in Monks Orchard
Paella catering around Monks Orchard
Monks Orchard is about 2 miles north-east of Croydon, in Greater London. Whether your event is in the middle of Monks Orchard or on the outskirts, we offer the same service: live cooking, separate pans for every diet and a clear price. Monks Orchard is one of 764 places in Greater London we cover. Our events stretch from Monks Orchard to London (8 miles away).
For guests coming by train, Elmers End station is about 1.2 miles away. Thinking of a picnic-style party in Ashburton Park? Public parks usually need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first.
This part of Greater London takes in CR0, SE25 and CR9, so your event can be anywhere in it. That could mean an event in a garden on Long Lane, Poppy Lane and Homer Road. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Shirley (1 mile south), Shirley Oaks (1 mile west), Addiscombe (1 mile west), Ashburton (1 mile north-west) and Woodside (1 mile north-west). We also cook in nearby towns such as London (8 miles north), City of Westminster (10 miles north-west), Marylebone (10 miles north-west), Kensington (10 miles north-west), St Pancras (10 miles north) and Shoreditch (10 miles north).
Other landmarks nearby include Addiscombe (1.2 miles west) and Crystal Palace Museum (2.8 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Bramley Bank and Duppas Hill.
- Schools near Monks Orchard include Orchard Way Primary School (0.6 miles east)
- Nearby, you will find The Cricketers pub (within half a mile west)
The menu, dish by dish
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, rather than seafood. It is often the most popular pan at an event.
Seafood paella
The secret is a well-made seafood stock. The shellfish is added late so it stays tender.
Planning for every diet
We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests. To make it work smoothly:
- Send allergies to us in writing
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
The rice takes about 20 minutes once it goes in, so we start it at the right moment for your event. If timings shift, we adapt.
Add canapé tapas with the drinks or table tapas as a starter while the paella cooks.
- 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