Kent · England
Live paella catering in Pluckley, Kent
Planning paella catering in Pluckley? We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook in front of your guests.
- Birthday celebrations
- Garden get-togethers
- Anniversary celebrations
Paella catering near Pluckley
How our paella catering works in Pluckley
Everything is cooked from scratch on site, beginning with a sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, then the stock, saffron and rice. Typical bookings include christenings and family gatherings and retirement celebrations, serving vegetable paella, black rice and vegan paella.
In a small place like Pluckley, events are usually in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. Tell us about narrow lanes or long drives and we’ll plan for them, and a firm spot near where we park makes set-up easier. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, not reheated.
DIY paella versus live catering
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and handles separate pans for each diet.
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. 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.
Paella catering around Pluckley
Pluckley is about 5 miles north-west of Ashford, in Kent. We cook at events in gardens, halls and venues around Pluckley. Pluckley is one of 922 places in Kent we cover. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 16 miles away.
If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Pluckley Church of England Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Nicholas, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. Pluckley is within about 8 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
Wherever your event is in TN27, we can bring paella catering to you. We can cater an event on streets such as The Street, Station Road and Smarden Road or the roads around them. Nearby, we also cater events in Pluckley Thorne (1 mile south-west), Fir Toll (1 mile south), Chambers' Green (1 mile south), Little Chart (1 mile east) and Mundy Bois (1 mile west). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (12 miles north-west), Ashford (5 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (12 miles north), Faversham (11 miles north-east), Davington (11 miles north-east) and Foley Park (12 miles north-west).
Nearby you will also find Romden Castle (2.8 miles south-west).
- Nearby, you will find The Black Horse Inn (less than half a mile west)
Planning for every diet
Nearly every event has some special diets. To plan for them:
- Confirm allergies by email
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
Any staff you book serve and clear, so you can enjoy your guests.
We can add sangria and bar staff to serve drinks you provide.
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Food trucks and street-food vans serve one portion at a time. A paella pan serves many portions quickly, which suits weddings and parties where everyone eats together. Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so it helps to tell us about your venue. Everything is confirmed in writing.
Why us?
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
Take a look at Our pricing Or The cost guide.
The menu, dish by dish
Vegetable and vegan paella
A slow sofrito, seasonal vegetables and a good vegetable stock make a proper main dish. For vegans, the stock is plant-based.
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, not seafood. It is often the most popular pan at an event.
Pluckley: your questions answered
Do you come out to small places like Pluckley?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St Nicholas?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is typically elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
Can we add tapas or canapés?
Yes. Canapés with drinks or tapas for the tables, served while the paella cooks.
Which paellas suit our guests?
That depends on who’s coming. Chicken and mixed paellas tend to go first, with seafood and vegetable pans alongside.
Can you bring crockery?
Yes, on request. Proper crockery or quality disposables can be added to your booking.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Of course. A simple chicken paella is generally popular with children. Include children in your numbers.
What if the weather’s bad?
A covered, ventilated spot keeps us cooking in the rain. We’ll make a plan B with you.
Do you cover Pluckley?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, and Pluckley is within our area and the rest of Kent. To check your date, fill in our quote form.
What paella catering costs
We’ll give you a clear, itemised quote. What affects it most:
- The paellas you choose
- How many guests are eating
- How long we are needed on site
- 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 we need to know
You do not need every detail fixed to get a quote, but these help:
- Anything your venue supplies
- The courses you’d like
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- The venue or postcode
To get a price, use our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we will suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Step by step
When the rice goes in, it is left alone. That is what gives paella its separate grains and crispy base. The smell typically draws people over. Planning an evening event in Pluckley? Sunset is around 8:45pm in late May, 9:15pm at midsummer and 7:00pm in late September; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- You share your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including every diet.
- We arrive in good time to set up.
- The sofrito, stock and rice go in, and guests gather to watch.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
Getting ready for the day
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
Ask for a quote
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. To send your details, send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
For planners, venues and organisers
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Send us your venue’s requirements and we will follow them.
Wedding planners and venue coordinators are welcome to contact us directly, and we will keep you updated on timings and set-up.
Places near Pluckley
Also in Pluckley
Before you choose a spot
We will be honest if a space will not work, and suggest an alternative. What matters most:
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before you book.
Popular choices
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
- 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