Medway · England
Paella Catering in Rochester
Paella for every guest: separate pans for meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan guests. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Rochester.
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Garden get-togethers
Paella catering for Rochester events
Organising for someone else?
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so everyone eats promptly. Let us know how long the food break is.
Wedding planners and venue coordinators are welcome to contact us directly, and we’ll keep you updated on timings and set-up.
Paella catering in Rochester, cooked live
You can keep it simple or build a full menu: just paella, or paella with tapas, desserts and drinks. We’ll recommend what fits your event. Popular choices include vegetable paella, chicken and chorizo paella and black rice, and typical bookings are for retirement celebrations and summer garden parties.
In Rochester, live paella generally means a garden, a hall with outdoor space or a hired venue. Each works well, provided we can park nearby and cook on level ground. Your quote spells out exactly what’s included: menu, staff, crockery and anything else you choose.
About the dishes
Paella Valenciana
In Valencia, the recipe is fiercely debated. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans, and it is a crowd-pleaser.
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea, and is popular with adventurous guests.
FAQs for Rochester
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 usually elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
Is Rochester close to London?
About 27 miles from central London, and we cover it as standard.
Can you cater for children?
Of course. A simple chicken paella is generally popular with children. Tell us how many are coming.
How do you work out quantities?
We size the pans for your numbers and the rest of the menu. Let us know about any other food. See how much paella per person.
Can we choose the seafood?
We’ll talk through seafood options when we plan your menu, including premium options if you want them.
What does paella catering cost?
We quote for each event, based on what you actually want. Give us your date, numbers and menu ideas for a clear quote.
Do you provide drinks?
Yes, sangria. We can also supply bar staff for your own drinks.
Is paella enough as a main?
Yes. With bread and salad, paella is a complete main, and tapas or dessert can be added.
The process
We work to your timings. If things run behind, we hold the paella at the right stage so it’s still served fresh. Evenings in Rochester stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:00pm; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- First, you send us your date, venue, numbers and diets.
- We suggest a menu and confirm a quote, including what’s included.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up 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
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
Ask for a quote
Not sure what you need yet? That is fine: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll suggest a menu. To start, send us your details through our quote form.
Planning help
Paella catering around Rochester
Rochester is about 27 miles east of London, in Medway. For paella catering in Rochester, we plan around your venue and timings: a quote, a plan and live cooking on the day. We cook in 68 places across Medway. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 26 miles away.
Nearby historic houses include Restoration House (less than half a mile south-east) and Temple Manor (less than half a mile west). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one. If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Nicholas, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
Here we cover the ME2, ME1, ME3 and ME4 postcode area, and we can cater your event anywhere in it. We can cater an event on streets such as High Street, Gundolph Square and Station Road. You’ll find Rochester on the A2 and A226, which makes it straightforward to bring the equipment. Other places close to Rochester for paella catering include Strood (1 mile west), Borstal (1 mile south-west), Cuxton (2 miles south-west), Lower Bush (3 miles west) and North Halling (3 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Gillingham (4 miles east), Chatham (3 miles south-east), Rainham (5 miles south-east), Park Wood (5 miles south-east), Lordswood (4 miles south-east) and Twydall (4 miles east). Being one of Medway’s larger places, Rochester has plenty of venues and gardens for events.
Other landmarks nearby include Huguenot Museum (under half a mile east) and French Hospital (within half a mile south-east). Open spaces near Rochester include Gad's Hill and Rede Common.
- Local schools include Fort Pitt Grammar School (1 mile south-east) and Temple School (1.2 miles north)
- Local pubs include Royal Crown Hotel (less than half a mile east)
- Local facilities include City of Rochester-upon-Medway (less than half a mile north) and Former Ordnance Store At Chatham Gun Wharf (1.2 miles east)
Places near Rochester
Other catering in Rochester
Is live paella right for your event?
For something a little different, live paella adds colour, smell and theatre. Live paella frequently compares well with a sit-down meal, as there’s no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. We will send you a quote.
Why Rochester hosts choose us
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
Read How we price And Our guide to catering costs.
Prices and what affects them
There is nothing hidden: the quote reflects:
- Parking and unloading
- How many courses
- The number of people
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
Live paella pricing depends on the event. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. Your quote spells it all out.
What we need to know
When you get in touch, it helps to tell us:
- The venue or postcode
- Which courses you have in mind
- A photo of the space, if you can
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
We need only a few details to quote: date, location, guest numbers and diets. To send them, send us your details through our quote form.
Who books paella catering in Rochester?
It suits relaxed, sociable events, where guests can mingle while it cooks and then sit down to share.
Whatever you’re celebrating in Rochester, live paella can be the centrepiece. We frequently cook for:
- Naming days and family parties
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Community events and fairs
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
What your quote should include
- Space, access and power needs
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- What happens if it rains
- How long the team stays
What we need at the venue
No two venues are the same, so we ask about the space before we confirm. In general, we need:
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we will tell you honestly before booking.
What we offer
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
Catering for every guest
Good planning keeps every guest safe and happy. Here’s how:
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Put allergy details in writing
- Make sure each pan is labelled
Paella is best eaten as soon as it’s ready, so we plan service for when guests are ready to eat.
Bread, salad and lemon wedges make the meal go further.
- 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