Kent · England
Live paella catering in Ringlestone, Kent
We cook live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event across Ringlestone and Kent, catering for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests.
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Garden get-togethers
Paella catering in Ringlestone
Space, weather and the venue
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We look for:
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
Menu ideas
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
Paella catering for your event in Ringlestone
The cooking is half the fun. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the smell does the rest. We cook chicken and chorizo paella, black rice and paella Valenciana, and we are frequently booked for anniversaries and engagement parties and garden get-togethers.
For a place the size of Ringlestone, your own garden is often the best venue: no venue hire, and nobody stuck cooking. Let us know about access to the house. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, never made in advance and reheated.
Towns and villages near Ringlestone
Also in Ringlestone
For event organisers in Ringlestone
Venues frequently have their own rules about outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Send us your venue’s requirements and we will follow them.
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.
Paella catering around Ringlestone
Ringlestone is about 2 miles north of Maidstone, in Kent. Anywhere in ME14, we will come to your venue or garden. Ringlestone is one of 922 places in Kent we cover. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 24 miles away.
Thinking of a picnic-style party in Whatman Park? Public parks normally need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first. For guests coming by train, Maidstone Barracks station is about 0.8 miles away. Ringlestone is within about 6 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
We cater events across ME14 and ME16 and the streets around it. Your event could be at a home on Hyde Road, Mill Lane and Edna Road or the roads around them. We also cook at events in Sandling (1 mile north), Abbey Gate (1 mile north), Foley Park (1 mile south-east), Penenden Heath (1 mile south-east) and Harbourland (1 mile east). Within a short drive, we also cover Sittingbourne (10 miles east), Sevenoaks (14 miles west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (15 miles south-west), Gravesend (11 miles north-west), Tonbridge (12 miles south-west) and Northfleet (12 miles north-west).
Nearby you will also find Maidstone Hospital (1.7 miles south-west) and Fremlin Walk (1 mile south). The countryside around Ringlestone includes Burham Down and Boxley Hills.
- Local schools include Maidstone Grammar School for Girls (0.6 miles south) and St. Simon Stock Catholic School (1.4 miles south-west)
- Nearby, you’ll find Harvester pub (within half a mile north)
Why choose paella catering in Ringlestone?
Paella is quick to serve and suits mixed diets, so it suits all kinds of occasions. It also gives guests something to watch and talk about.
Live paella works for big and small events alike. Common bookings include:
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Company summer parties
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Christenings and family gatherings
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as North Borough Junior School, can book us as a food stall.
Comparing caterers
- What the price includes, item by item
- How long the team stays
- The venue requirements
- Any travel, parking or access charges
Diets, allergies and planning
Paella is one of the easiest dishes for mixed diets, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. Here are a few tips for planning:
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Put allergy details in writing
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Let us know about other food at the event
Let the paella rest for a few minutes before serving, and that’s when we invite guests up.
Bread, salad and lemon wedges make the meal go further and suit guests who aren’t big rice eaters.
Should I cook it myself?
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.
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. Ask us for a quote and compare.
How we price paella catering
There is nothing hidden: the quote reflects:
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Distance and access to the venue
- The length of service
- Waiting and bar staff
Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so the menu you choose affects the price. Tell us your budget and we will suggest a menu.
Getting an accurate quote
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- Where the event is
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- A picture of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- Which courses you have in mind
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. When you’re ready, fill in our quote form.
The process
Serving is fast: we serve straight from the pan, so large groups are fed quickly. Afterwards we clear our cooking area away. Evenings in Ringlestone 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.
- 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.
- The rice cooks in full view, while tapas or canapés go round.
- It’s served straight from the pan, and we pack down afterwards.
Before we arrive
- Give us a contact for the day
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
How to get a price
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, along with any dietary needs, and you will get a menu idea and a price. To get started, send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
The menu, dish by dish
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans.
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea, and is popular with adventurous guests.
Ringlestone: your questions answered
Can you cook at venues in the Kent Downs National Landscape?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We will work to whatever the site needs.
What’s the nearest station to Ringlestone for guests?
Maidstone Barracks station, about 0.8 miles south of the centre.
What seafood can we have?
Seafood choices are agreed when we plan the menu, including premium options if you want them.
What does paella catering cost?
We quote for each event, based on what you actually want. Tell us your date and numbers and we will reply with a price.
Will there be enough food?
We plan quantities from your guest numbers, timings and other courses, with a sensible margin. Give us accurate numbers for the best result.
What do you need at the venue?
A level space for the pans, burners and a serving table, outdoors or in a marquee or well-ventilated area, and the venue’s permission for live cooking.
Do you do starters?
Of course. Canapés with drinks or tapas for the tables, served while the paella cooks.
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.
- 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