Kent · England
Paella Catering in Rough Common
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Rough Common: paella cooked from scratch in huge pans, right in front of your guests.
- Company summer parties
- Garden get-togethers
- Family celebrations and christenings
Live paella catering in Rough Common
Where we can cook in Rough Common
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so the cooking area needs a little planning. These are the things we check:
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before you book.
Popular choices
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
How our paella catering works in Rough Common
A couple of different pans covers everyone: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. Every pan is cooked on its own, so diets are easy to manage. We are frequently asked to cater family celebrations and christenings and weddings, from canapés to evening food, with black rice, vegan paella and paella Valenciana.
In a hamlet or village like Rough Common, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in a separate pan and clearly labelled.
Organising for someone else?
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: where cooking is allowed, access times and the paperwork they need. Tell us what your venue needs and we’ll work to it.
Events in public spaces, like parks, normally need permission. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
Should I cook it myself?
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
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.
About the dishes
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella is not an afterthought: artichokes, beans, peppers and saffron.
Seafood paella
The secret is a well-made seafood stock. Shellfish goes in towards the end so it stays tender.
Step by step
Serving is fast: we serve straight from the pan, so large groups are fed quickly. Afterwards we clear our cooking area away. Around midsummer it stays light in Rough Common until about 9:15pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:00pm, 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.
- Send us your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including every diet.
- We arrive early to set up the burners and pans.
- The paella cooks as guests gather round.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
Getting ready for the day
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
Getting a price
Send us the date, your venue or CT2 postcode and guest numbers, along with any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. Just fill in our quote form.
Planning help
Rough Common: venues, travel and local tips
Rough Common is about 2 miles north-west of Canterbury, in Kent. We bring paella catering to homes, gardens and venues in Rough Common and nearby villages. Rough Common is one of 922 towns and villages in Kent we cover.
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Canterbury West station, about 1.3 miles south-east. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Blean Primary School, can book us as a food stall. Rough Common is within about 5 miles of the sea, and seafood paella always feels right near the sea. Sea breezes can be strong, so we plan a sheltered cooking spot.
For paella catering in CT2, we plan around your venue. That could mean an event in a garden on Ross Gardens, Firtree Close and Rough Common Road or the roads around them. Close by, we cover events in Harbledown (1 mile south-east), Upper Harbledown (1 mile south-west), Hales Place (1 mile east), Wincheap (2 miles south-east) and Thanington (2 miles south). We also cook in nearby towns such as Ashford (13 miles south-west), Dover (15 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (14 miles west), Folkestone (15 miles south), Whitstable (4 miles north) and Faversham (7 miles west).
Nearby you will also find Eastbridge Hospital of St Thomas the Martyr (1.6 miles south-east) and Canterbury Castle (1.6 miles south-east). Open spaces near Rough Common include Blean Woods RSPB Reserve.
- Local schools include St Edmund's School (0.5 miles east) and The Archbishop's School (1.1 miles east)
- Pubs nearby include The Dog and Bear pub (under half a mile south)
What paella catering costs
Every event is priced individually, based on a few main things:
- How many courses
- Distance and access to the venue
- How many staff you need
- How many guests are eating
Live paella often 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.
Getting an accurate quote
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. Here’s what to include:
- The date and time of the event
- Expected numbers
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- Where the event is
Most quotes start with a few simple details: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. To send them, use our quote form.
Also near Rough Common
Also in Rough Common
Catering for every guest
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. We suggest:
- Give us separate numbers for children
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Ensure most guests can sit to eat
- Ask for labels on each pan
Once everyone is fed, we clear our cooking area.
Finish with churros, crema catalana or tarta de Santiago.
FAQs for Rough Common
Is Rough Common too small for live paella?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Can you cook near the sea around Rough Common?
Yes, with a sheltered cooking spot. Sea breezes cool the pan, so a windbreak, building or gazebo helps.
How soon do we need to book?
As early as you can, especially for summer weekends. Ask about your date even if it’s soon.
Can you bring crockery?
If you need them, yes. Proper crockery or quality disposables can be added to your booking.
Do you cater in Rough Common?
Yes. We cater across London and the South East, and Rough Common is within our area. For a quote, fill in our quote form.
Which paellas suit our guests?
Most events choose two or three: chicken or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. Our menu lists the options.
When do you arrive?
It depends on the menu and numbers. We’ll agree arrival, cooking and serving times with you.
Is it really cooked live?
Yes. Every paella is cooked from scratch on site, where your guests can watch.
Live paella or other catering?
With a barbecue, food comes in waves. Paella is cooked as one big dish and served together. Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so tell us about the venue when you ask for a quote. Everything is confirmed in writing.
Why us?
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- A clear, itemised quote
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
Take a look at How we price Or The cost guide.
- 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