Greater London · England
Live paella catering in Old Town, Greater London
Paella for every guest: separate pans for meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan guests. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Old Town.
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Staff parties and work lunches
Book paella catering in Old Town
Paella catering for your event in Old Town
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. Typical bookings include summer garden parties and anniversary celebrations, serving paella Valenciana, vegan paella and chicken and chorizo paella.
In Old Town, events range from terrace gardens to hired halls. Tell us how close we can park and about any steps. All the cooking equipment comes with us, and we clear our cooking area away afterwards.
- Location
- Old Town (CR0, CR9, CR90)
- Region
- Greater London
- Dietary options
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Also available
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quote
- Contact us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Dietary needs and planning tips
We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests. To make it work smoothly:
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Ask for labels on each pan
Let the paella rest for a few minutes before serving, which is when we usually call guests over.
Sangria and bar staff can be added to serve drinks you provide.
Also near Old Town
More for events in Old Town
Organising for someone else?
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.
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Old Town? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Give us the details and we’ll suggest a plan.
Planning live paella in Old Town
Old Town is about 1 mile north-west of Croydon, in Greater London. Wherever your event is in the CR0 area, we can bring the pans to you. We cook in 764 places in Greater London. We cook right across the region, from Old Town to London (about 9 miles away).
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Croydon Minster, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. Thinking of a picnic-style party in Duppas Hill? Public parks generally need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first.
Anywhere in CR0, CR9 and CR90, we can bring paella catering to you, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Local streets include Park Lane, Fell Road and Abbey Road; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Waddon (1 mile south-west), Broad Green (1 mile north), Beddington (1 mile west), Bandonhill (1 mile south-west) and Russell Hill (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (9 miles north), City of Westminster (10 miles north), Marylebone (10 miles north), Kensington (10 miles north-west), St Pancras (11 miles north) and Shoreditch (11 miles north).
Well-known places in the area include Centrale Croydon (less than half a mile north-east) and Croydon University Hospital (1.2 miles north). The countryside around Old Town includes Roundshaw Downs and Duppas Hill.
- Nearby schools include St Andrew's CofE School (under half a mile south-west) and Rutherford School (1.4 miles south-east)
- Local pubs include The Gun Tavern (within half a mile north-east)
- Other local spots include County Borough of Croydon (under half a mile east)
Prices and what affects them
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- Guest numbers
- Parking and unloading
- Whether you need crockery
- How many staff you need
Larger events generally cost less per head, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
Getting an accurate quote
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what to include:
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- The date and time of the event
- The address or venue name
Send us the date, your venue or CR0 postcode and guest numbers, along with any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, fill in our quote form.
Dishes our guests love
Mixed paella
Mixed paella brings meat and seafood together.
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, rather than seafood. It is often the most popular pan at an event.
Perfect for your event in Old Town
There is no kitchen needed, so it’s at home in gardens, fields and marquees where other catering struggles.
Here are some of the events we cook for around Old Town:
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Retirement celebrations
- Milestone birthday parties
- Company summer parties
Nearby historic houses include Addington Palace (3 miles east) and Kingswood House (4.1 miles north). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
Comparing caterers
- The wet-weather plan
- The deadline for final numbers
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- The deposit and payment dates
Old Town: your questions answered
Is parking a problem for events in Old Town?
London parking needs planning: let us know about permits or off-street space. We will work around it.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Croydon Minster?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking generally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
Do you cover Old Town?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, including Old Town and the rest of Greater London. For a quote, use our quote form.
Is paella a full meal?
It can be. Paella with bread and salad makes a full main course, and tapas or dessert can be added.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Yes, and meat eaters often go back for seconds. They have their own pans, stock and spoons.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Yes, it is the classic pairing. Tapas go out first, then the paella.
Do you cook inside?
Indoors only where ventilation and the venue allow it. Courtyards, doorways and terraces often work.
How long does the paella take?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. The rice itself takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
Should I cook it myself?
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but there is shopping, prep and hours of cooking. We take care of all of it.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it is harder than it looks. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Where we can cook in Old Town
No two venues are the same, so we ask about the space when you get in touch. Generally, we look for:
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
Old Town is in London, within the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking can be tight: let us know about permits, bays or off-street parking.
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before booking.
What we offer
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
The process
Service is quick: the paella goes straight from the pan to the plate, so even a long queue moves. When service is finished, we pack down. Around midsummer it stays light in Old Town until about 9:20pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:05pm, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. For winter events, when it’s dark by about 3:55pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- You share your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan a menu that covers every diet.
- We arrive in good time to set up.
- The paella cooks as guests gather round.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
How to prepare
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
Getting a price
We quote for each event separately, so you only pay for what you need. For a quote, use our quote form.
Read more
- 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