Kent · England
Live paella catering in Newnham, Kent
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 Newnham.
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Community events and fairs
- Retirement celebrations
Paella catering near Newnham
About our paella catering in Newnham
We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook the paella in front of your guests. When it’s ready, it’s served straight from the pan. Typical bookings include summer garden parties and festivals, fairs and school events, serving mixed paella, vegetable paella and vegan paella.
In a rural place like Newnham, the setting does plenty of the work: a huge pan in a garden or field fits perfectly. Let us know about access and ground conditions. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
Catering an event in Newnham
Newnham is about 4 miles south-west of Faversham, in Kent. Anywhere in ME9, we can cook for your guests. Newnham is one of 922 towns and villages in Kent where we cook. We cook right across the region, from Newnham to Canterbury (12 miles away).
Thinking of a picnic-style party in Doddington Place Gardens? Public parks typically need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first. For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St Peter and St Paul, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. Newnham is within about 8 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
For paella catering in ME9, we plan around your venue and timings. From The Street, Sharsted Hill and Newnham Lane or a nearby road, we’ll bring the pans to you. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Doddington (1 mile west), Wichling (2 miles west), Bluetown (2 miles west), Hollybushes (3 miles west) and Payden Street (3 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (12 miles west), Ashford (10 miles south), Canterbury (12 miles east), Sittingbourne (5 miles north-west), Whitstable (11 miles north-east) and Faversham (4 miles north-east).
Nearby you will also find Newnham Castle (within half a mile north-east).
- Local pubs include The George Inn (within half a mile east)
Nearby places to Newnham
Other catering in Newnham
About the dishes
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The classic version is chicken, green beans and butter beans with saffron, and it’s a crowd-pleaser.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella is not an afterthought: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron.
Prices and what affects them
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- Parking and unloading
- How many guests are eating
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
Got a budget? Let us know, and we’ll suggest a menu to match. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Getting an accurate quote
When you get in touch, it helps to tell us:
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- The date and rough timings
- The venue or postcode
Still deciding on the menu? No problem: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll suggest a menu. Start when you’re ready: fill in our quote form.
For planners, venues and organisers
Hosting a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we will let you know if live paella is a good fit.
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Send us your venue’s requirements and we will follow them.
How it works
We work to your timings. If things run behind, we adjust the cooking so it’s still served fresh. Around midsummer it stays light in Newnham until about 9:15pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:00pm, so summer evening events are generally served in daylight. In December it is dark by about 3:50pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- 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
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
Get a quote
The quickest way to a quote is to fill in our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we’ll suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Read more
Where we can cook in Newnham
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so we need a suitable spot. These are the things we check:
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think before you book.
What we offer
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Occasions we cook for in Newnham
Outdoor events and live paella go together: cooked outside, served hot and shared.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. People in Newnham book us for occasions like:
- Birthday celebrations
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Weddings and evening receptions
Nearby historic houses include Belmont House and Gardens (2.2 miles south-east). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
Questions to ask before booking
- What the price includes, item by item
- VAT, if it applies
- Payment terms and deposit
- How each diet is kept separate
Planning for every diet
Good planning keeps every guest safe and happy. Here’s how:
- Make sure each pan is labelled
- Confirm allergies by email
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
You shouldn’t have to worry about the food on the day. We set up, cook and serve, and keep in touch with you or your venue about timings.
Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana finish the meal, or serve your own cake.
Questions from Newnham
Do you come out to small places like Newnham?
No, we cook in small places too. Let us know about access and parking.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St Peter and St Paul?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking usually happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
How far ahead should we book?
As early as you can, especially for summer weekends. Even if it’s short notice, it’s worth asking.
Is paella enough as a main?
Yes. With bread and salad, paella is a complete main, and tapas or dessert can be added.
What seafood can we have?
We will talk through seafood options when we plan your menu, including premium options if you want them.
Do you provide drinks?
We can make sangria, and we can staff a bar with your drinks.
Does paella work for big events?
It is ideal. Large pans and fast service from the pan make it well suited to crowds.
Can you cook halal paella?
Yes, on request. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and it is cooked separately.
DIY paella versus live catering
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but there’s shopping, prep and hours of cooking. We take care of all of it.
- 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