Kent · England
Paella Catering in Sissinghurst
Paella for every guest: meat, seafood, vegetarian and vegan pans side by side. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Sissinghurst.
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Family celebrations and christenings
Paella catering in Sissinghurst
How our paella catering works in Sissinghurst
You can keep it simple or build a full menu: just paella, or paella with tapas, desserts and drinks. We will recommend what fits your event. For naming days and family parties and anniversaries and engagement parties, we will put together a menu of vegan paella, black rice and mixed paella for your guests.
In a small place like Sissinghurst, events are usually in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and a firm spot near where we park makes set-up easier. Everything is cooked from scratch at your event, not reheated.
How we price paella catering
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- How many staff you need
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so the menu you choose affects the price. Tell us your budget and we’ll suggest a menu.
Details that help
You don’t need every detail fixed to get a quote, but it helps to know:
- The date and rough timings
- The venue or postcode
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- Roughly how many adults and children
Every quote is put together for your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we will confirm whether we’re available that day.
Live paella in Sissinghurst: local details
Sissinghurst is about 11 miles south of Maidstone, in Kent. We cater events at gardens, halls and venues around Sissinghurst. We cover 922 places in Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. We cook right across the region, from Sissinghurst to Canterbury (26 miles away).
If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like Church of the Holy Trinity, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. For guests coming by train, Staplehurst station is about 4.3 miles away. The High Weald National Landscape is within about 2 miles of Sissinghurst. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
Wherever your event is in TN17, we can bring paella catering to you, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Local streets include The Street, Milkhouse Cottages and Cobnut Close; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Wilsley Pound (1 mile west), Cranbrook Common (1 mile north), Wilsley Green (1 mile south-west), Knox Bridge (2 miles north) and Colliers Green (2 miles west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Maidstone (11 miles north), Ashford (14 miles east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (13 miles west), Tonbridge (14 miles north-west), Kings Hill (13 miles north-west) and Foley Park (12 miles north).
Nearby you will also find Sissinghurst Castle (1.1 miles east) and Benenden Hospital (3.1 miles south-east).
- Local pubs include The Bull Public House (within half a mile south-east)
Why choose paella catering in Sissinghurst?
Live paella is food and a show in one. The cooking becomes the centre of the event, and the food is hot and generous.
We can help if you’re planning any of the following:
- Company summer parties
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Cranbrook School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
Before booking anyone
- Allergen information for each dish
- Staff numbers and hours
- VAT, if it applies
- Whether travel is included
How it works
Your timings come first. If things run behind, we hold the paella at the right stage so it’s still served fresh. In Sissinghurst, the sun sets at about 9:15pm in late June and about 7:00pm in late September, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 3:50pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- It starts with your date, venue, numbers and any dietary needs.
- We put together a menu and a clear quote.
- On the day, we set up the burners and pans and get the stock going.
- The rice cooks in full view, while tapas or canapés go round.
- It’s served straight from the pan, and we pack down afterwards.
Preparing for the day
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
How to get a price
Every event is quoted individually, so you only pay for what you need. For a quote, send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
Nearby places to Sissinghurst
Other catering in Sissinghurst
A closer look at the menu
Mixed paella
A mix of chicken and seafood, for guests who want a bit of everything.
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. The shellfish is added late so it stays tender.
Sissinghurst questions
We are having a ceremony at Church of the Holy Trinity: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is typically elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
Could we have live paella in Crane Valley?
Only if the landowner, typically the council, allows it. Ask them first, and we will send any information they need.
Can you feed plenty of people?
It’s ideal. Big pans feed plenty of people, and service from the pan is quick.
What seafood can we have?
We’ll talk through seafood options when we plan your menu.
Can you do gluten-free paella?
A gluten-free pan is no problem. Tell us about any coeliac guests when you book so we can plan it carefully.
What about pudding?
We can add a dessert. Tell us what you have in mind in your enquiry.
Is it really cooked live?
Yes, always. Every paella is cooked from scratch on site, in front of your guests.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes, and they’re popular with everyone. They have their own pans, stock and spoons.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
Some hosts like to cook themselves. The usual problems are a pan too big for the burner, too much rice and stirring once the rice is in. If you’d rather be with your guests, we will do the cooking.
Space, weather and the venue
Before the day, we’ll agree where we cook. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before you book.
Menu ideas
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
Catering for every guest
Good planning keeps every guest safe and happy. Here’s how:
- Count adults and children separately
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Tell us what else is being served
- Confirm allergies by email
Paella is best eaten as soon as it is ready, so we plan service for when guests are ready to eat.
Tapas or canapés make a good start as the rice cooks.
Paella compared with other options
With a barbecue, food comes in waves. Paella is ready all at once, so everyone eats together. Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
Why us?
- Drinks service on request
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Events in Sissinghurst and across Kent
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
Read How we price Or What paella catering costs.
- 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