Kent · England
Paella Catering for Newenden events
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Newenden and across Kent.
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
Book paella catering in Newenden
About our paella catering in Newenden
The cooking is half the fun. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the smell does the rest. We cook vegan paella, paella Valenciana and mixed paella, and we’re regularly asked to cater garden get-togethers and retirement celebrations.
Somewhere as small as Newenden, a garden or field is often the venue. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and a firm spot near where we park makes set-up easier. We plan the timings around your day, so the paella is ready when you want to eat.
What’s in the pans
Vegetable and vegan paella
The vegetable pan is a dish in its own right: artichokes, beans, peppers and saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Paella Valenciana
The original paella from Valencia is a countryside dish of chicken and vegetables, rather than seafood. It is often the most popular pan at an event.
Paella compared with other options
For something a little different, live paella adds colour, smell and theatre. Live paella frequently compares well with a sit-down meal, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. Ask us for a quote.
Why book with us
- Fast service from the pan
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- No hidden extras in your quote
Newenden questions
Do you cater in the High Weald National Landscape?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We’ll work to whatever the site needs.
Is Newenden too small for live paella?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Can you cook halal paella?
Yes. Halal paella is cooked with halal chicken and no pork or alcohol, in a separate pan.
Which paellas do you recommend?
It depends on your guests. Chicken and mixed paellas tend to go first, alongside seafood and vegetable or vegan pans.
Is paella enough as a main?
It is a full meal on its own. Tapas and desserts can be added if you like.
Is it really cooked live?
Yes. We cook from scratch in large pans at your venue, where your guests can watch.
Do you do desserts?
We do. Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana.
How much paella per person?
Quantities depend on numbers, timing and courses, with a little extra built in. Accurate numbers help.
For planners, venues and organisers
Organising a club, school or community event in Newenden? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we will suggest a menu.
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we’ll talk you through the process. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Diets, allergies and planning
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To make it work smoothly:
- Make sure each pan is labelled
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Send allergies to us in writing
After service, we pack down our cooking area, quietly and quickly.
Crockery, cutlery and waiting staff are available if your venue doesn’t provide them.
Should I cook it myself?
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 at scale is tricky. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Space, weather and the venue
Before the day, we will agree where we cook. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Somewhere close to park and unload
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we will say what we think before you book.
On the menu in Newenden
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
How it works
On the day, we set up our cooking area, light the burners and start the sofrito. The rice goes in about 20 minutes before serving, so we time everything to your schedule. Evenings in Newenden stay light until about 9:15pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:00pm; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- Get in touch 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.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
How to prepare
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
Ask for a quote
Getting a quote is simple: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We will come back with a clear quote.
Related guides
Other catering in Newenden
Live paella in Newenden: local details
Newenden is about 10 miles north of Hastings, in Kent. For an event in Newenden, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices. Newenden is one of 922 places in Kent where we cook. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 27 miles away.
Nearby historic houses include Great Dixter (1.7 miles south-west) and Smallhythe Place (3.8 miles north-east). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. Newenden is within about 7 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 cook at events all over TN18 and the streets around it. For events just outside Newenden, we cover Rolvenden Layne (2 miles north-east), Rolvenden (3 miles north), West Cross (3 miles north), Strood (3 miles north-east) and Small Hythe (4 miles north-east). Larger places within reach include Ashford (14 miles north-east), Paddock Wood (15 miles north-west), Tenterden (5 miles north-east), New Romney (14 miles east), Staplehurst (11 miles north) and Stanhope (13 miles north-east).
Other landmarks nearby include Benenden Hospital (4.9 miles north) and The C.M Booth Collection (2.6 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Flatropers Wood.
- Local pubs include The White Hart Inn (under half a mile west)
Occasions we cook for in Newenden
It needs no kitchen, so it works in gardens, fields and marquees where other catering struggles.
Here are some of the events we cook for:
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Garden get-togethers
- Big birthdays
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Parish Church of St Peter, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Questions to ask before booking
- A clear list of what’s included
- If the price includes VAT
- Who provides the crockery
- How bad weather is handled
- 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