Greater London · England
Paella Catering in Shortlands
From the first sizzle of the sofrito to the last spoonful of crispy rice, live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event turns food into part of your event in Shortlands.
- Milestone birthday parties
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
Paella catering for Shortlands events
Why choose live paella in Shortlands?
A plated meal needs a kitchen, more staff and typically costs more per head. Live paella needs only a level, ventilated spot and permission to cook, and gives guests something to watch. Compared with a plated meal, live paella is frequently good value, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. We’ll send you a quote.
Why us?
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- Sangria and bar staff available
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
Read Our pricing And The cost guide.
Paella catering in Shortlands, cooked live
We cook every paella from scratch on the day, beginning with a sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, then the stock, saffron and rice. Typical bookings include festivals, fairs and school events and engagement and anniversary parties, serving vegetable paella, chicken and chorizo paella and vegan paella.
Around Shortlands, most London events we are asked about are in gardens, courtyards and hired venues. Parking and loading are the main things to plan, so let us know about parking permits or a driveway. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, not reheated.
- Location
- Shortlands (BR2, BR1, BR3)
- Region
- Greater London
- Diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Extras
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quote
- Ask us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Working with your venue
Events in public spaces, like parks, generally need permission. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
Hosting a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we’ll tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
Events we cater in Shortlands
Paella is one of the few dishes that handles mixed diets easily, because each version is cooked in its own pan. Nobody gets a token ‘special meal’.
Here are some of the events we cook for:
- Garden get-togethers
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Naming days and family parties
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Highfield Infants' School, can book us as a food stall.
Questions to ask before booking
- What the price includes, item by item
- How late numbers can change
- Travel and parking costs
- How long the team stays
Prices and what affects them
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Your choice of paellas
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you can choose exactly what you need.
Details that help
You don’t need every detail fixed to get a quote, but it helps to know:
- Where the event is
- A photo of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- The date and time of the event
- Which courses you have in mind
We quote for each event separately, so you only pay for what you need. For a quote, use our quote form.
Also near Shortlands
Other catering in Shortlands
Paella catering around Shortlands
Shortlands is about 1 mile south-west of Bromley, in Greater London. Give us the address of your event in Shortlands, and we’ll plan access and set-up before the day. We cover 764 places in Greater London. You can also see our page for London, about 8 miles away.
Historic houses near Shortlands include Bromley Palace (0.8 miles north-east) and Addington Palace (3.4 miles south-west). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. Thinking of a picnic-style party in Church House Gardens? Public parks normally need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first.
Here we cover the BR2, BR1 and BR3 postcode area, so your event can be anywhere in it. From Hayes Lane, Stone Road and Hayes Road or anywhere nearby, we’ll bring the pans to you. For events just outside Shortlands, we cover Eden Park (1 mile south-west), Hayes (2 miles south), Bromley Common (2 miles south-east), West Wickham (2 miles south-west) and Southborough (2 miles east). We also cook in nearby towns such as London (8 miles north-west), City of Westminster (10 miles north-west), Marylebone (11 miles north-west), Kensington (11 miles north-west), St Pancras (10 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (10 miles north).
Other landmarks nearby include Bethlem Museum of the Mind (1.6 miles south-east) and The Mall (0.6 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Summer Hill and Downham Woodland Walk.
- Schools near Shortlands include Langley Park School for Girls (1.2 miles south-west) and Holy Trinity College Bromley (1.4 miles north-east)
- Nearby, you’ll find The Richmal Crompton pub (0.6 miles east)
- Other local spots include Municipal Borough of Bromley (0.6 miles east)
Space, weather and the venue
If a space is not suitable, we will tell you. The main points are:
- Somewhere close to park and unload
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
Shortlands is in London, within the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking can be tight: tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway.
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think.
On the menu in Shortlands
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Dishes our guests love
Paella Valenciana
The original paella from Valencia is a countryside dish of chicken and vegetables, not seafood. It’s often the most popular pan at an event.
Black rice
Arroz negro is coloured and flavoured with squid ink, traditionally with alioli. It makes a dramatic second seafood pan.
Shortlands: your questions answered
Can you cater a reception after a service at St Mark's Church?
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 generally elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
Which station should guests use for Shortlands?
The closest is Shortlands station, roughly 0.5 miles away.
Can you cook halal paella?
Yes, on request. Let us know your halal numbers, and we will cook a separate pan.
Do you come to Shortlands?
Yes. We cater across London and the South East, and Shortlands is within our area. To check your date, use our quote form.
Will there be enough food?
Quantities depend on numbers, timing and courses, with a sensible margin. Accurate numbers help.
What about pudding?
Yes. Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana, or you can serve your own cake.
Can you do sangria?
Yes, sangria. For other drinks, we can provide bar staff to serve what you buy.
How much does paella catering cost in Shortlands?
Every event is quoted individually, based on what you actually want. Tell us your date and numbers and we will reply with a price.
How the day works
We work to your timings. If speeches run late or the photos take longer, we adjust the cooking so it’s served at its best. Evenings in Shortlands stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:05pm; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- You tell us the date, venue, guest numbers and any dietary needs.
- You get a suggested menu and an itemised quote.
- We arrive early, set up the cooking area and start the stock.
- The paella cooks in front of your guests, with tapas first if you’ve chosen them.
- We serve it hot from the pan and clear our area when service ends.
How to prepare
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Give us a contact for the day
- Share the running order, including any speeches
Get a quote
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. When you’re ready, use our quote form.
Planning help
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. We’re happy to give you a quote to compare.
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and handles separate pans for each diet.
- 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