Kent · England
Paella Catering for Sheldwich events
Looking for paella catering in Sheldwich? We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook while your guests watch.
- Garden get-togethers
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Retirement and leaving parties
Paella catering near Sheldwich
Paella compared with other options
A cold buffet is simple but has no theatre, and the food sits out. Paella is cooked live and served hot. Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, as there’s no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. Ask us for a quote.
Why us?
- Drinks service on request
- Fast service from the pan
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
- Live cooking, not reheated food
How our paella catering works in Sheldwich
A couple of different pans covers everyone: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. Each is cooked separately, so diets are easy to manage. Popular choices include vegetable paella, mixed paella and vegan paella, and we are regularly asked to cater office lunches and staff parties and family celebrations and christenings.
In a rural place like Sheldwich, the setting does plenty of the work: a paella cooking in a garden or field feels right at home. Tell us about access and the ground. Tapas, canapés, desserts, sangria and staff can all be added, so the whole menu comes from one caterer.
Towns and villages near Sheldwich
Other catering in Sheldwich
Sheldwich: your questions answered
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St James?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking usually happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
What’s the nearest station to Sheldwich for guests?
The closest is Selling station, roughly 2.6 miles away.
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.
Can the paella be cooked in a hall?
Generally we cook outdoors or under a ventilated cover, since the burners are gas. We will check whether your venue has a suitable space.
When should we book?
The sooner the better. Popular dates book up first, so it pays to ask early.
What seafood can we have?
We’ll talk through seafood options when we plan your menu, including premium options if you want them.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Yes, and they’re popular with everyone. They have their own pans, stock and spoons.
Is paella enough as a main?
Yes. With bread and salad, paella is a complete main.
The menu, dish by dish
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans, and it is a crowd-pleaser.
Mixed paella
Chicken and seafood together, for guests who want a bit of everything.
Planning the cooking area
No two venues are the same, so we’ll ask about yours when you get in touch. In general, we need:
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think before booking.
What we offer
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
For planners, venues and organisers
If you are booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we’ll talk you through the process. We are happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
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.
Sheldwich: venues, travel and local tips
Sheldwich is about 3 miles south of Faversham, in Kent. Events in Sheldwich are planned around your venue and timings: a quote, a plan and live cooking on the day. We cater in 922 places across Kent. We cook right across the region, from Sheldwich to Canterbury (about 9 miles away).
If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St James, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. Nearby historic houses include Belmont House and Gardens (1.6 miles west). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. Sheldwich is within about 7 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
We cook at events all over the ME13 postcode area and the streets around it. Whether your event is on Ashford Road and Lees Court Road or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. We also cook at events in Sheldwich Lees (1 mile south-east), North Street (1 mile north), Badlesmere (1 mile south), Throwley (1 mile south-west) and Throwley Forstal (2 miles south-west). Further out, we also cater in Maidstone (15 miles west), Ashford (9 miles south), Canterbury (9 miles east), Sittingbourne (8 miles north-west), Whitstable (8 miles north-east) and Faversham (3 miles north).
Well-known places in the area include Newnham Castle (3.6 miles west).
- Local schools include The Abbey School (2.3 miles north)
Prices and what affects them
Every event is priced individually, and the price depends on a few things:
- How many courses
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Guest numbers
- Timings and hours
Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so your choice of paellas affects the total. We will suggest options to suit your budget.
What to tell us
To speed things up, tell us:
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- The address or venue name
- A picture of where we’d cook
- The date and rough timings
Most quotes start with a few simple details: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. You can use our quote form.
Should I cook it myself?
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but there’s shopping, prep and hours of cooking. A caterer handles all of that.
Who books paella catering in Sheldwich?
Paella is quick to serve and suits mixed diets, which is why it works for so many occasions. It gives people something to gather round, too.
Whatever you’re celebrating in Sheldwich, paella can be the star of the food. We frequently cook for:
- Big birthdays
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Summer garden parties
For guests coming by train, Selling station is about 2.6 miles away.
What your quote should include
- How bad weather is handled
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- Who provides the crockery
How it works
When the rice goes in, it’s left alone. That’s how the grains cook evenly and the toasted base, the socarrat, forms. The smell normally draws people over. Planning an evening event in Sheldwich? Sunset is around 8:45pm in late May, 9:15pm at midsummer and 7:00pm in late September; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- You share your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including every diet.
- We arrive in good time to set up.
- The paella cooks as guests gather round.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
Preparing for the day
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
How to get a price
We quote for each event separately, so the price fits what you actually want. To ask for one, use our quote form.
Related guides
- 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