Kent · England
Paella Catering for Rabbit's Cross events
Paella for every guest: meat, seafood, vegetarian and vegan pans side by side. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Rabbit's Cross.
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Leaving dos and retirements
Paella catering for Rabbit's Cross events
Rabbit's Cross: your questions answered
Can you cook at venues in the Kent Downs National Landscape?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We’ll work to whatever the site needs.
Is Rabbit's Cross close to London?
Roughly 35 miles from the centre of London, and we cover it as standard.
Does paella work for big events?
It is ideal. Large pans and fast service from the pan make it well suited to crowds.
Do you do desserts?
Yes, Spanish desserts can be added. Tell us what you have in mind in your enquiry.
What happens if it rains?
Rain doesn’t stop us, as long as there’s a ventilated cover. We’ll make a plan B with you.
What happens with live paella?
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.
Where do you cater?
London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
Do you cook it at the event?
It is. We arrive with everything we need and cook it there and then, then serve straight from the pan.
How our paella catering works in Rabbit's Cross
Almost any venue with a level, ventilated spot will do: a garden, marquee, barn, courtyard or field. We’re often asked to cater festivals, fairs and school events and retirement celebrations, serving chicken and chorizo paella, paella Valenciana and vegan paella.
In a small place like Rabbit's Cross, events are usually in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and cooking close to where we can park helps. You will know exactly what’s included before booking: menu, staff, crockery and anything else you choose, with no surprises on the day.
How we price paella catering
The price comes down to a few factors:
- How many courses
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Travel, parking and access
- The paellas you choose
The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, along with staff, extras and travel. Every event gets its own quote.
Details that help
When you get in touch, it helps to tell us:
- The venue or postcode
- What the venue already provides
- Expected numbers
- Diets and allergies you know about
We quote for each event separately, so the price fits what you actually want. To ask for one, send us your details through our quote form.
Who books paella catering in Rabbit's Cross?
Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets, which is why it works for so many occasions. It gives people something to gather round, too.
If you are planning any of these, we can help:
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Naming days and family parties
- Milestone birthday parties
Historic houses near Rabbit's Cross include Stoneacre (3.9 miles north) and Leeds Castle (4.8 miles north-east). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether travel is included
- Who provides the crockery
- How bad weather is handled
- The deadline for final numbers
Also near Rabbit's Cross
Other catering in Rabbit's Cross
About the dishes
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich fish stock, cooked until the rice is golden. It is normally the most photographed pan.
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, not seafood. It is often the most popular pan at an event.
How it works
Service is quick: the paella goes straight from the pan to the plate, so large groups are fed quickly. When service is finished, we pack down. In Rabbit's Cross, the sun sets at about 9:15pm in late June and about 7:00pm in late September, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. For winter events, when it’s dark by about 3:50pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- We start with a few details about your event.
- You get a menu and an itemised quote.
- We agree timings, access and the cooking spot.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
How to prepare
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
- Ensure we can park close by to unload
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
Getting a price
Getting a quote is simple: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We will come back with a clear quote and a suggested menu.
Read more
What we need at the venue
Before the day, we will agree where we cook. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise.
Popular choices
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable paella
DIY paella versus live catering
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. We are happy to give you a quote to compare.
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.
Paella compared with other options
A cold buffet is simple but has no theatre, and food can sit out for a while. Paella is cooked live and served hot. There is no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. We itemise everything in your quote.
Why Rabbit's Cross hosts choose us
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
See How we price And The cost guide.
Catering for every guest
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. A few tips:
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Request clear labels at the serving table
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
Once the rice is in, it needs about 20 minutes, so we start it at the right moment for your event. If timings shift, we adapt.
Sangria and bar staff can be added for your own drinks.
Planning live paella in Rabbit's Cross
Rabbit's Cross is about 5 miles south of Maidstone, in Kent. For an event in Rabbit's Cross, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices. Rabbit's Cross is one of 922 towns and villages in Kent we cover. Our events stretch from Rabbit's Cross to Canterbury (about 24 miles away).
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Staplehurst station, about 1.8 miles south. Rabbit's Cross is within about 6 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
Anywhere in ME17, we can bring paella catering to you, from busy streets to quiet lanes. For events just outside Rabbit's Cross, we cover Cross-at-Hand (1 mile south), Devil's Den (1 mile east), Underling Green (2 miles west), Farthing Green (2 miles east) and St Ann's Green (2 miles south-west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Maidstone (5 miles north), Ashford (14 miles east), Sittingbourne (13 miles north-east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (13 miles west), Tonbridge (12 miles west) and Kings Hill (8 miles north-west).
Nearby you’ll also find South East Romany Museum (2.4 miles south-west) and Oakwood Hospital (5.7 miles north-west).
- 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