Greater London · England
Paella Catering in South Kensington
Something for every guest: separate pans for meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan guests. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in South Kensington.
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Company summer parties
- Birthday celebrations
Paella catering for South Kensington events
About our paella catering in South Kensington
Almost any venue with a level, ventilated spot will do: a garden, marquee, barn, courtyard or field in and around South Kensington. Popular choices include black rice, mixed paella and seafood paella, and typical bookings are for garden get-togethers and staff parties and work lunches.
London gardens are frequently long and narrow, which is fine for live paella as long as there’s a level spot clear of fences and trees. In South Kensington, the bigger question is parking near the house or venue. Everything is cooked from scratch at your event, never made in advance and reheated, and served the moment it’s ready.
- Area
- South Kensington (SW3, SW7, SW10)
- County
- Greater London
- Dietary options
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Price
- Contact us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Dishes our guests love
Mixed paella
A mix of chicken and seafood, for guests who want a bit of everything.
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The classic version is chicken, green beans and butter beans with saffron, and it is a crowd-pleaser.
Nearby places to South Kensington
Other catering in South Kensington
Planning for every diet
Nearly every event has some special diets. To cater well for them:
- Put allergy details in writing
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Count adults and children separately
The rice takes about 20 minutes once it goes in, so we start it at the right moment for your event. If timings shift, we adapt.
Tapas or canapés make a good start while the paella cooks.
How we price paella catering
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- Travel, parking and access
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Guest numbers
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. Ask us for a quote.
What we need to know
For a quote, it helps to have:
- Expected numbers
- Which courses you have in mind
- Diets and allergies you know about
- The date and rough timings
Getting a quote is simple: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We will send a clear, itemised quote and a suggested menu.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but there is shopping, prep and hours of cooking. A caterer handles all of that.
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
For planners, venues and organisers
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Tell us what your venue needs and we’ll work to it.
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in South Kensington? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we’ll suggest a menu.
South Kensington: your questions answered
Can you cook in Burton’s Court?
Only if the landowner, generally the council, allows it. Ask them first, and we’ll send any information they need.
Which station should guests use for South Kensington?
West Brompton station, about 0.8 miles west of the centre.
How do you work out quantities?
We plan quantities from your guest numbers, timings and other courses, with a little extra built in. Give us accurate numbers for the best result.
Do you provide drinks?
Sangria can be added, and we can staff a bar with your drinks.
Do you do desserts?
We do. Churros, crema catalana and tarta de Santiago are popular choices, or you can serve your own cake.
Do you do vegan paella?
Yes. Vegetarian and vegan paellas are cooked in separate pans.
How soon do we need to book?
The sooner the better. Peak dates go quickly, so contact us early.
How many different paellas?
Two or three is usual: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We’ll help you decide the split.
Catering an event in South Kensington
South Kensington is about 1 mile south-east of Kensington, in Greater London. Give us the address of your event in South Kensington, and we will plan the journey and set-up before the day. South Kensington is one of 764 places in Greater London we cover.
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Our Lady of Victories RC Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. Parks such as Burton’s Court usually need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there.
Here we cover the SW3, SW7 and SW10 postcode area. Streets in the area include King's Road, Fulham Road and Museum Lane, and we can cook for an event on any of them. South Kensington sits on or near the A3217, so getting the burners and pans to your event is simple. Other places close to South Kensington for paella catering include Little Chelsea (1 mile south), Chelsea (1 mile east), Brompton (1 mile north-east), World's End (1 mile south) and Earl's Court (1 mile west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (4 miles east), St Pancras (4 miles north-east), Shoreditch (5 miles north-east), Walthamstow (9 miles north-east), Hoxton (5 miles north-east) and Whitechapel (5 miles east).
Well-known places in the area include Royal Marsden Hospital (within half a mile east) and Victoria and Albert Museum Spiral (within half a mile north). Open spaces near South Kensington include Serpentine and Campden Hill.
- Nearby schools include London School of Dramatic Art (within half a mile north) and Collingham College (0.5 miles west)
- Pubs nearby include Anglesea Arms (less than half a mile south)
- Parks and local facilities nearby include Natural History Museum Library and Archives (within half a mile north) and Ladbroke Estate (2 miles north-west)
Live paella or other catering?
A plated meal needs a kitchen, more staff and normally costs more per head. Live paella needs only a level, ventilated spot and permission to cook, and it’s entertaining too. Larger events usually cost less per head, since the set-up is much the same either way. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Why book with us
- Drinks service on request
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
Read How we price Or The cost guide.
How it works
When the rice goes in, it is left alone. That’s what gives paella its separate grains and crispy base. Your guests will smell it before they see it. Evenings in South Kensington 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.
- Get in touch with the basics: when, where and how many.
- We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
- Closer to the day, we confirm timings and the cooking spot.
- On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
How to prepare
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Leave space around the cooking area
How to get a price
Most quotes start with a few simple details: date, location, guest numbers and diets. You can use our quote form.
Read more
Who books paella catering in South Kensington?
Outdoor events and live paella go together: it’s cooked in the open, served hot and eaten together.
These are some of the occasions we cater:
- Naming days and family parties
- Summer garden parties
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Leaving dos and retirements
Nearby historic houses include Carlyle's House (0.6 miles south-east) and Garden Lodge, Kensington (0.9 miles west). Historic venues often limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one.
Before you book anyone
- When payment is due
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- What happens if it rains
- The venue requirements
- 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