Kent · England
Paella Catering in Old Tree
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Old Tree and the surrounding area.
- Birthday celebrations
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Office lunches and staff parties
Planning an event in Old Tree?
Occasions we cook for in Old Tree
It needs no kitchen, so it works in gardens, fields and marquees where other catering struggles.
Whatever the occasion, live paella can be the centrepiece. We often cook for:
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Anniversary celebrations
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
For guests coming by train, Herne Bay station is about 2.9 miles away.
What to look for in a quote
- What the price includes, item by item
- Allergen information for each dish
- Space, access and power needs
- Any travel, parking or access charges
About our paella catering in Old Tree
Paella was made for feeding a crowd: cooked in the open in a big, shallow pan and shared straight from it. That’s what we bring to events in Old Tree. We cook seafood paella, chicken and chorizo paella and paella Valenciana, and we are frequently booked for birthday celebrations and staff parties and work lunches.
For a rural spot like Old Tree, the countryside is part of the appeal: a giant pan in a garden or field fits perfectly. Tell us about access and the ground. All the cooking equipment comes with us, and we clear our cooking area away afterwards.
FAQs for Old Tree
We are having a ceremony at Church of the Holy Cross: can you cater afterwards?
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.
Can you cook in Curtis Wood?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, usually the council. Check with them, and we’ll provide our paperwork.
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, timed around your event.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes, we do. We use halal chicken and leave out pork and alcohol, in a separate pan.
Where do you cater?
London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Of course. Children frequently love a simple chicken paella. Tell us how many are coming.
Is live paella good for a large crowd?
Very much so. We size pans and serving points to your guest list.
What is live paella catering?
We set up a cooking area at your venue, cook the paella from scratch in large pans while your guests watch, and serve it straight from the pan.
Why choose live paella in Old Tree?
Compared with a hog roast or barbecue, paella makes vegetarian, vegan and halal guests easier to cater for, thanks to separate pans. It’s served quickly from the pan, so queues move. The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, plus any staff, crockery and travel. Every event gets its own quote.
What you get with us
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- No hidden extras in your quote
Take a look at Our prices page And What paella catering costs.
Catering for every guest
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because every paella has its own pan. A few tips:
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
- Ask for labels on each pan
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.
Finish with churros, crema catalana or tarta de Santiago, or serve your own cake.
What we need at the venue
Most outdoor spaces and many venues work for live paella, but a few things matter:
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Somewhere close to park and unload
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly before booking.
Popular choices
- Seafood paella
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Working with your venue
Throwing a party at home? Send a photo of the space and tell us about parking, and we’ll tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Send us your venue’s requirements and we’ll follow them.
The process
When the rice goes in, it’s left alone. That’s how the grains cook evenly and the toasted base, the socarrat, forms. The smell generally draws people over. Around midsummer it stays light in Old Tree until about 9:15pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:00pm, so summer evening events are normally served in daylight. For winter events, when it’s dark by about 3:50pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- First, you send us your date, venue, numbers and diets.
- We put together a menu and a clear quote.
- On the day, we set up the burners and pans and get the stock going.
- Your guests watch the paella cook, with any tapas served first.
- We serve from the pan, then clear our cooking area away.
Preparing for the day
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Leave space around the cooking area
Ask for a quote
It’s easy to get a price: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We’ll come back with a clear quote and a suggested menu.
Planning help
Paella catering around Old Tree
Old Tree is about 3 miles south-east of Herne Bay, in Kent. For an event in Old Tree, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices in and around Old Tree. We cook in all 922 towns and villages across Kent. You can also see our page for Canterbury, about 6 miles away.
Parks such as Curtis Wood typically need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there. If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of the Holy Cross, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. Old Tree is within about 3 miles of the sea, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Sea breezes can be strong, so we plan a sheltered cooking spot.
We cater events across the CT3 postcode area and the streets around it. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Maypole (1 mile west), Hoath (1 mile south-west), Millbank (1 mile north-west), Knave's Ash (1 mile south-west) and Hollow Street (1 mile south-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Canterbury (6 miles south-west), Margate (10 miles east), Dover (15 miles south), Ramsgate (10 miles east), Broadstairs (11 miles east) and Whitstable (6 miles west).
Well-known places in the area include St Martins Hospital (5.1 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include West Blean and Thornden Woods.
- Nearby schools include Spires Academy (2.1 miles south-west)
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but there is shopping, prep and hours of cooking. A caterer handles all of that.
Not sure whether to cook yourself or book a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. We’re happy to give you a quote to compare.
Nearby places to Old Tree
What else we do in Old Tree
What paella catering costs
The price comes down to a few factors:
- The paellas you choose
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Waiting and bar staff
- The length of service
There is no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. We itemise everything in your quote.
Details that help
Good planning starts with a few facts. Try to include:
- A photo of the space, if you can
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- Your date and when you want to eat
- Diets and allergies you know about
Planning paella catering in Old Tree? Send us the details and we will come back with ideas and a quote. Just fill in our quote form.
- 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