Greater London · England
Paella Catering in Penge
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Penge and across Greater London.
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Big birthdays
- Company summer parties
Planning an event in Penge?
About our paella catering in Penge
Everything is cooked from scratch on site, beginning with a sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, then the stock, saffron and rice. Whether it’s wedding breakfasts and evening food and festivals, fairs and school events, we will put together a menu of vegan paella, paella Valenciana and black rice and more.
London gardens are often long and narrow, which is fine for live paella as long as there is a level spot clear of fences and trees. For an event in Penge, tell us where we can park to unload. You will know exactly what’s included before booking: menu, staff, crockery and anything else you choose.
- Area
- Penge (SE20, SE19, SE26)
- County
- Greater London
- Dietary options
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Extras
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quote
- Contact us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
How we price paella catering
We’ll give you a clear, itemised quote. What affects it most:
- Travel, parking and access
- How long we are needed on site
- The number of people
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
What we need to know
To check availability and price, we need:
- Where the event is
- A picture of the space, if you can
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
Send us the date, your venue or SE20 postcode and guest numbers, along with any dietary needs, and we will reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. Just fill in our quote form.
Nearby places to Penge
More for events in Penge
Who books paella catering in Penge?
Paella is one of the few dishes that handles mixed diets easily, because each version is cooked in its own pan. Nobody gets a token ‘special meal’.
We can help if you are planning any of the following:
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Anniversary celebrations
- Big birthdays
- Weddings and evening receptions
Thinking of a picnic-style party in Crystal Palace Dinosaurs? Public parks usually need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first.
Before booking anyone
- What happens if it rains
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
Before you choose a spot
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so the cooking area needs a little planning. Here’s what we look for:
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
Penge 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 you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think before you book.
On the menu in Penge
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
Paella compared with other options
If you want something different from the usual buffet or roast, live paella brings colour, aroma and a touch of Spain to your event in Penge. Got a budget? Let us know, and we will suggest a menu to match. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Why us?
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
- Sangria and bar staff available
DIY paella versus live catering
Some hosts like to cook themselves. The usual problems are a pan too big for the burner, too much rice and stirring once the rice is in. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and handles separate pans for each diet.
A closer look at the menu
Mixed paella
Paella mixta combines meat and seafood in one pan, and it’s frequently the first pan to empty.
Paella Valenciana
The original paella from Valencia is a countryside dish of chicken and vegetables, not seafood. It’s often the most popular pan at an event.
Penge questions
What about parking in Penge?
London parking needs planning: let us know about permits or off-street space. We will plan unloading around it.
Which station should guests use for Penge?
Penge West station, in Penge itself.
How many paellas should we have?
Two or three covers most guests. We will recommend a mix based on diets.
How soon do we need to book?
The sooner the better. Peak dates go quickly, so it pays to ask early.
Which paellas do you recommend?
It depends on your guests. A chicken or mixed paella is normally the most popular, with seafood and vegetable pans alongside.
Can you serve drinks?
We can make sangria, and provide bar staff to serve drinks you supply.
Are premium seafood options available?
We’ll suggest seafood to suit your menu and budget. Premium options are available.
Can you cook halal paella?
Yes, we do. Halal paella is cooked with halal chicken and no pork or alcohol, in a separate pan.
Planning for every diet
A little planning makes sure everyone can eat. Try these:
- Request clear labels at the serving table
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
You shouldn’t have to worry about the food on the day. We arrive in good time, set up, cook and serve, and keep in touch with you or your venue about timings.
Bread, salad and lemon wedges make the meal go further and suit guests who are not big rice eaters.
Live paella in Penge: local details
Penge is about 1 mile west of Beckenham, in Greater London. Across the SE20 area, we can cook for your guests. Penge is one of 764 places in Greater London where we cook. Our events stretch from Penge to London (6 miles away).
For guests coming by train, Penge has its own station, Penge West station. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Harris Primary Academy Crystal Palace, can book us as a food stall.
Anywhere in SE20, SE19 and SE26, we can cook for your guests, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Your event could be at a home on High Street, Anerley Station Road and Station Road. Main roads around Penge include the A234, which makes travel to your event easy. If your venue is just outside Penge, we also cover Anerley (1 mile west), Crystal Palace (1 mile north-west), Sydenham (1 mile north), Gipsy Hill (1 mile north-west) and Upper Norwood (1 mile west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (6 miles north), City of Westminster (8 miles north-west), Marylebone (8 miles north-west), Kensington (8 miles north-west), St Pancras (8 miles north) and Shoreditch (8 miles north).
A little further out are Whitgift Centre (3.2 miles south-west) and St Christopher's Hospice (0.5 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Dulwich Upper Wood and Knight's Hill.
- Nearby schools include Harris City Academy Crystal Palace (0.8 miles west) and Crystal Palace School (0.8 miles north-west)
- Pubs nearby include Crooked Billet pub (less than half a mile north-west)
- Other local spots include Addiscombe (2.5 miles south)
Step by step
From set-up to serving, we look after the food, so you can enjoy your event. If you’ve chosen tapas or canapés, they go out first as the rice is cooking. Evenings in Penge stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:05pm; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- It starts with your date, venue, numbers and any dietary needs.
- We suggest a menu and confirm a quote, including what’s included.
- 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 it hot from the pan and clear our area when service ends.
Before we arrive
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
- Give us a contact for the day
- Have a level space ready for the pans
How to get a price
Thinking about paella catering for your event in Penge? Send us the details and we’ll come back with ideas and a quote. Just use our quote form.
Planning help
- 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