Kent · England
Paella Catering in Old Wives Lees
Love Paella cooks live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event across Old Wives Lees and Kent, with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal options.
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Retirement celebrations
- Milestone birthday parties
Paella catering for Old Wives Lees events
Paella catering in Old Wives Lees, made fresh on the day
We cook every paella from scratch on the day, starting with a slow sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, followed by stock, saffron and rice. We are often asked to cater engagement and anniversary parties and garden get-togethers, serving mixed paella, vegan paella and black rice.
For a rural spot like Old Wives Lees, the countryside is part of the appeal: a paella cooking in a garden or field feels right at home. Let us know about access and ground conditions. Every pan is cooked in front of your guests, so it arrives hot and becomes part of the event.
What affects the price in Old Wives Lees
Two events with the same number of guests can cost different amounts, because of:
- The length of service
- How many guests are eating
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
Extras such as tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are priced separately, so you only pay for what you want.
What to tell us
The more we know about your event, the better we can plan. Please include:
- Anything your venue supplies
- The address or venue name
- Your date and when you want to eat
- A picture of where we’d cook
Planning paella catering in Old Wives Lees? Send us the details and we’ll come back with ideas and a quote. Just send us your details through our quote form.
For event organisers in Old Wives Lees
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so guests are fed quickly. Let us know how long the food break is.
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We’ll provide any information the landowner or council asks for.
How it works
A typical event goes like this: we arrive, set up and start cooking, the rice cooks in front of your guests, and it is served hot from the pan at the agreed time. Evenings in Old Wives Lees stay light until about 9:15pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:00pm; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- It starts with your date, venue, numbers and any dietary needs.
- You get a suggested menu and an itemised quote.
- We arrive early, set up the cooking area and start the stock.
- Your guests watch the paella cook, with any tapas served first.
- We serve it hot from the pan and clear our area when service ends.
How to prepare
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
How to get a price
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. To send your details, send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
Events we cater in Old Wives Lees
People book live paella because it is food and entertainment at once. The pans become a focal point, and the food is hot and generous.
Big or small, live paella works well. Common bookings include:
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Naming days and family parties
- Milestone birthday parties
- Staff parties and work lunches
Thinking of a picnic-style party in Broadham Down? Public parks normally need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first.
What your quote should include
- A clear list of what’s included
- How each diet is kept separate
- Payment terms and deposit
- Staff numbers and hours
Nearby places to Old Wives Lees
Other catering in Old Wives Lees
Live paella or other catering?
If you want something different from the usual buffet or roast, live paella adds colour, smell and theatre to your event in Old Wives Lees. Larger events normally cost less per head, since the set-up is much the same either way. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Why us?
- Catering across Kent, including Old Wives Lees
- Sangria and bar staff available
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- No hidden extras in your quote
Read Our pricing Or The cost guide.
Dishes our guests love
Seafood paella
The secret is a well-made seafood stock. Shellfish goes in towards the end so it stays tender.
Black rice
Squid ink rice is bold and savoury.
Catering an event in Old Wives Lees
Old Wives Lees is about 5 miles west of Canterbury, in Kent. For paella catering in Old Wives Lees, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices in and around Old Wives Lees. Old Wives Lees is one of 922 places in Kent where we cook.
For guests coming by train, Chilham station is about 0.8 miles away. For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St Mary, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. Old Wives Lees is within about 6 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
For paella catering in CT4, we plan around your venue. Streets in the area include Cherry Orchard, Cobbs Hill and Green Lane, and we can cook for an event on any of them. We also cook at events in Chilham (1 mile south), Mountain Street (1 mile south), Oversland (2 miles north), Neames Forstal (2 miles north-west) and Shottenden (2 miles west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Ashford (9 miles south-west), Canterbury (5 miles east), Sittingbourne (12 miles north-west), Folkestone (15 miles south-east), Whitstable (7 miles north) and Faversham (5 miles north-west).
Well-known places in the area include Chilham Castle (0.9 miles south-west) and Eastbridge Hospital of St Thomas the Martyr (5.1 miles east). Open spaces near Old Wives Lees include Blean Woods RSPB Reserve.
- Nearby, you’ll find The Star Inn (within half a mile north-west)
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. We’re happy to give you a quote to compare.
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. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
Catering for every guest
We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests. To make it work smoothly:
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Give us separate numbers for children
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
Paella is at its best straight from the pan, so we serve when guests are ready.
Sangria and bar staff can be added to serve drinks you provide.
Your questions about paella catering in Old Wives Lees
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St Mary?
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.
Could we have live paella in Broadham Down?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, usually the council. Check with them, and we’ll provide our paperwork.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Yes, and it’s a popular combination. Tapas go out first, then the paella.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Children are welcome. Let us know numbers and ages, and we will plan for them.
What space do you need to cook?
A level space for the pans, burners and a serving table, in the open air or a ventilated covered area, and the venue’s permission for live cooking.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes, and meat eaters frequently go back for seconds. They have their own pans, stock and spoons.
Can you cook halal paella?
We can. Let us know your halal numbers, and we will cook a separate pan.
Can you provide dessert?
Yes. Churros, crema catalana and tarta de Santiago are popular choices.
- 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