Greater London · England
Live paella catering in St John's Wood, Greater London
We cook live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in St John's Wood and nearby, with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal options.
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Company summer parties
Book paella catering in St John's Wood
Paella catering for your event in St John's Wood
We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook the paella in front of your guests. When it is ready, it is served straight from the pan. We’re often asked to cater garden parties and summer barbecues and anniversaries and engagement parties, with chicken and chorizo paella, black rice and vegetable paella.
London gardens are often long and narrow, which is fine for live paella as long as there is a level spot clear of fences and trees. In St John's Wood, the bigger question is parking near the house or venue. Every pan is cooked in front of your guests, so it arrives hot and becomes part of the event.
- Area
- St John's Wood (NW8, NW6, NW3)
- Region
- Greater London
- Dietary options
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Also available
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quotes
- Ask us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Questions from St John's Wood
Could we have live paella in Primrose Hill?
Only if the landowner, generally the council, allows it. Check with them, and we’ll provide our paperwork.
We are having a ceremony at Church of All Souls: 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 generally elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
What happens with live paella?
We bring everything needed to cook on site, cook in front of your guests, and serve when you are ready to eat.
How long does the paella take?
We get there in good time to set up. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
Do you provide plates and cutlery?
If you need them, yes. Proper crockery or quality disposables are available.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Yes, it’s the classic pairing. Tapas go out first, then the paella.
Do you provide drinks?
Sangria can be added, and provide bar staff to serve drinks you supply.
How soon do we need to book?
Early, particularly for summer Saturdays. Even if it is short notice, it is worth asking.
Planning for every diet
Most events have a mix of diets. To cater well for them:
- Make sure most guests can sit to eat
- Put allergy details in writing
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
If you’ve booked staff, they’ll serve, clear and help keep things moving, so you can relax.
Sangria and bar staff can be added to serve drinks you provide.
What happens on the day
We get there well before serving, unload, set up the burners and prepare the stock. Your guests are welcome to watch while it cooks. Planning an evening event in St John's Wood? Sunset is around 8:55pm in late May, 9:20pm at midsummer and 7:05pm in late September; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- It starts with your date, venue, numbers and any dietary needs.
- We suggest a menu and confirm a quote, including what’s included.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up and start the stock.
- Your guests watch the paella cook, with any tapas served first.
- We serve it hot from the pan and clear our area when service ends.
Getting ready for the day
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Name one person we can ask on the day
Get a quote
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, plus any dietary needs, and you’ll get a menu idea and a price. To get started, use our quote form.
Planning help
St John's Wood: venues, travel and local tips
St John's Wood is about 1 mile south of Hampstead, in Greater London. For an event in St John's Wood, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices. We cater in all 764 towns and villages across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages.
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of All Souls, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. Historic houses near St John's Wood include Winfield House (0.6 miles south-east) and Keats House (1.4 miles north). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one.
Paella catering in NW8, NW6 and NW3 is planned around your venue and timings. Your event could be at a home on The Lane, Hall Road and Hill Road or the roads around them. St John's Wood is on the A5205, so it’s easy for us to reach with the van and pans. If your venue is just outside St John's Wood, we also cover South Hampstead (1 mile north), Swiss Cottage (1 mile north), Primrose Hill (1 mile north-east), Lisson Grove (1 mile south) and Haverstock (1 mile north-east). Larger places within reach include London (4 miles south-east), Kensington (3 miles south-west), St Pancras (3 miles east), Shoreditch (4 miles east), Walthamstow (7 miles north-east) and Hoxton (4 miles east).
Nearby you’ll also find O2 Centre (0.9 miles north) and Sherlock Holmes Museum (1.1 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include The Long Water and Primrose Hill.
- Local schools include Quintin Kynaston Community Academy (less than half a mile north-west) and Arnold House School (under half a mile south-west)
- Local pubs include Cafe Med pub (within half a mile north-west)
- Parks and local facilities nearby include Cecil Sharp House (1.1 miles east) and Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead (1.1 miles north)
For event organisers in St John's Wood
If you are booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will explain how it works. We are happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so guests are fed quickly. Let us know how long the food break is.
Prices and what affects them
Your quote will be clear and itemised. What affects it most:
- Travel, parking and access
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Guest numbers
Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so it helps to tell us about your venue. Everything is confirmed in writing.
Details that help
To speed things up, tell us:
- The courses you’d like
- Anything your venue supplies
- A photo of the space, if you can
- Where the event is
To get a price, use our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we’ll suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Events we cater in St John's Wood
It is ideal for relaxed, sociable occasions, with guests mingling as it cooks and then sit down to share.
We are booked for all kinds of occasions in St John's Wood and nearby. Some of the most common are:
- Garden get-togethers
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Birthday celebrations
- Leaving dos and retirements
For guests coming by train, St John's Wood has its own station, South Hampstead station.
Comparing caterers
- The venue requirements
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- Who provides the crockery
Space, weather and the venue
If a space isn’t suitable, we will tell you, and help find another spot. The main points are:
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
St John's Wood 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’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think before you book.
What we offer
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
Is live paella right for your event?
Barbecues cook in batches, so food comes off in waves. Paella is ready all at once, so everyone eats together. Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so the menu you choose affects the price. We will suggest options to suit your budget.
Why St John's Wood hosts choose us
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
- Events in St John's Wood and across Greater London
- Sangria and bar staff available
Take a look at Our prices page And What paella catering costs.
Also near St John's Wood
Other catering in St John's Wood
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
- 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