Kent · England
Paella Catering in Shadoxhurst
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Shadoxhurst and across Kent.
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Community events and fairs
- Engagement and anniversary parties
Live paella catering in Shadoxhurst
Paella catering for your event in Shadoxhurst
Everything is cooked from scratch on site, starting with a slow sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, followed by stock, saffron and rice. Whether it is wedding breakfasts and evening food and garden parties and summer barbecues, we can cook mixed paella, chicken and chorizo paella and vegetable paella.
In a hamlet or village like Shadoxhurst, 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 serve straight from the pan, so every plate is hot, and service is quick once it’s ready.
Planning live paella in Shadoxhurst
Shadoxhurst is about 3 miles south-west of Ashford, in Kent. Anywhere in TN26, we can bring the pans to you. We cook in all 922 towns and villages in Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 16 miles away.
Thinking of a picnic-style party in Stone Wood? Public parks normally need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first. Nearby historic houses include Godinton House (3.7 miles north). Historic venues often limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one. The Kent Downs National Landscape is within about 8 miles of Shadoxhurst. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
Wherever your event is in TN26, we can bring paella catering to you, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Streets in the area include The Street, Park Farm Close and Woodchurch Road, and we can cook for an event on any of them. We also cook at events in Stubb's Cross (1 mile north-east), Chilmington Green (2 miles north), Kingsnorth (2 miles east), Fleeden (2 miles north) and Stanhope (2 miles north-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Ashford (3 miles north-east), Folkestone (15 miles east), Faversham (15 miles north), Hythe (12 miles east), Davington (15 miles north) and Preston (14 miles north).
Well-known places in the area include Woodchurch Village Life Museum (2.9 miles south-west) and William Harvey Hospital (4.8 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Orlestone Forest.
What paella catering costs
These are the factors that matter most:
- Distance and access to the venue
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Timings and hours
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
There is no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. We itemise everything in your quote.
What to tell us
Good planning starts with a few facts. Please include:
- Which courses you have in mind
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- Your date and when you want to eat
- Roughly how many adults and children
Each quote is tailored to your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we’ll confirm whether we’re available that day.
Catering for every guest
With a little notice, every diet is easy. Our advice:
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Ensure most guests can sit to eat
- Tell us how many children are coming
Once everyone is fed, we clear our cooking area.
Sangria and bar staff can be added for your own drinks.
Space, weather and the venue
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We look for:
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we will tell you honestly before booking.
Popular choices
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
Step by step
When the rice goes in, it’s left alone. That is what gives paella its separate grains and crispy base. Your guests will smell it before they see it. Evenings in Shadoxhurst 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.
- 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 sofrito, stock and rice go in, and guests gather to watch.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
How to prepare
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
Ask for a quote
Every event is quoted individually, so you only pay for what you need. For a quote, send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Food trucks and street-food vans serve one portion at a time. A big pan serves many guests fast, so everyone can eat at the same time. If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we’ll put together a menu that fits. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Why Shadoxhurst hosts choose us
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- Catering across Kent, including Shadoxhurst
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
See Our pricing And Our guide to catering costs.
Planners, venues and businesses
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We will provide any information the landowner or council asks for.
Organising a club, school or community event in Shadoxhurst? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Give us the details and we will suggest a plan.
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.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it is in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
What’s in the pans
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, rather than seafood. It is a favourite with guests who do not eat fish.
Black rice
Squid ink rice is bold and savoury.
Nearby places to Shadoxhurst
Other catering in Shadoxhurst
Questions from Shadoxhurst
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 will follow the site rules.
What’s the nearest station to Shadoxhurst for guests?
The closest is Ham Street station, roughly 3.1 miles away.
How long do you need on site?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
When should we book?
As early as you can, especially for summer weekends. Even if it’s short notice, it’s worth asking.
What equipment do you bring?
Pans, burners and ingredients all come with us. You provide a suitable spot and access.
How much space do you need?
Level ground for the burners, pans and a table, in the open air or a ventilated covered area, plus the venue’s agreement to cooking.
Can you cater for children?
Of course. Children frequently love a simple chicken paella. Tell us how many are coming.
Do you cater in Shadoxhurst?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, and Shadoxhurst is within our area. For a quote, send us your details through our quote form.
- 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