Greater London · England
Paella Catering for St Johns events
Something for every guest: meat, seafood, vegetarian and vegan pans side by side. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in St Johns.
- Retirement celebrations
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Naming days and family parties
Live paella catering in St Johns
How our paella catering works in St Johns
The cooking is half the fun. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the aroma does the rest. For festivals, fairs and school events and staff parties and work lunches, we’ll put together a menu of mixed paella, black rice and vegan paella and more.
Gardens in London can be narrow, which is fine for live paella as long as there’s a level spot clear of fences and trees. In St Johns, the bigger question is parking near the house or venue. All the cooking equipment comes with us, and we clear our cooking area away afterwards.
- Area
- St Johns (SE13, SE10, SE8)
- Area hub
- Greater London
- Special diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quote
- Contact us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
What affects the price in St Johns
There are no hidden charges: the price is based on:
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- The paellas you choose
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Travel, parking and access
Live paella frequently compares well with a sit-down meal, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. Ask us for a quote.
Getting an accurate quote
To speed things up, tell us:
- A picture of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
- The date and rough timings
- The courses you’d like
- What the venue already provides
Not sure what you need yet? No problem: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll suggest a menu. To start, use our quote form.
Dietary needs and planning tips
With a little notice, every diet is easy. We suggest:
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Put allergy details in writing
- Let us know about other food at the event
Paella is at its best straight from the pan, so we serve when guests are ready.
We can add sangria and bar staff to serve drinks you provide.
St Johns: your questions answered
We’re having a ceremony at Church of St John: can you cater afterwards?
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 usually elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
What about parking in St Johns?
London parking needs planning: let us know about permits or off-street space. We’ll work around it.
Do you do starters?
Of course. Canapés with drinks or tapas for the tables, while the rice is cooking.
What is live paella catering?
We arrive with pans, burners and ingredients, cook while everyone watches, and serve at the time you want.
How do you work out quantities?
We plan quantities from your guest numbers, timings and other courses, with a little extra built in. Accurate numbers help.
How long do you need on site?
That depends on your menu and numbers. We’ll agree arrival, cooking and serving times with you.
Can you cook indoors?
Only in a suitable, well-ventilated area with the venue’s permission. Most events have us cooking outside or in a doorway or courtyard.
Which paellas suit our guests?
It depends on your guests. A chicken or mixed paella is normally the most popular, alongside seafood and vegetable or vegan pans.
How it works
We get there well before serving, set up the cooking area and get the stock going. Guests generally gather round to watch while it cooks. Planning an evening event in St Johns? Sunset is around 8:50pm in late May, 9:20pm at midsummer and 7:05pm in late September; once it’s dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- First, tell us about your event.
- You get a menu and an itemised quote.
- We agree timings, access and the cooking spot.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
How to prepare
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
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 are ready, use our quote form.
Related guides
Other catering in St Johns
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Vans serve one order at a time. A big pan serves many guests fast, so everyone can eat at the same time. Larger events typically cost less per head, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
Why choose Love Paella in St Johns
- A quote that spells everything out
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
See Our pricing And The cost guide.
Working with your venue
Organising a club, school or community event in St Johns? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we’ll suggest a menu.
Events in public spaces, like parks, generally need permission. We’ll provide any information the landowner or council asks for.
Before you choose a spot
Before the day, we’ll agree where we cook. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
As a London location, St Johns is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway.
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before you book.
What we offer
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
Catering an event in St Johns
St Johns is about 4 miles south-east of London, in Greater London. For paella catering in St Johns, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices in and around St Johns. We cook in all 764 towns and villages in Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages.
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St John, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. Nearby historic houses include Queen's House (1.1 miles north-east) and Eltham Palace (3.4 miles south-east). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
Anywhere in SE13, SE10 and SE8, we can bring paella catering to you. Local streets include Avon Road, Mill Lane and Clare Road; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. St Johns is on the A2210 and A2211, so it’s easy for us to reach with the van and pans. We also cook at events in New Cross (1 mile west), Deptford (1 mile north), Lewisham (1 mile south-east), Telegraph Hill (1 mile west) and Ladywell (1 mile south). Further out, we also cater in London (4 miles north-west), City of Westminster (6 miles north-west), Marylebone (6 miles north-west), Kensington (8 miles west), St Pancras (6 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (5 miles north-west).
Nearby you will also find Miller General Hospital (within half a mile north) and Nunhead (1.4 miles west). The countryside around St Johns includes Brookmill Road Local Nature Reserve and Tower Hill.
- Nearby schools include Addey and Stanhope School (under half a mile north-west) and Laban Centre (0.8 miles north)
- Pubs nearby include Wickham Arms (0.5 miles west)
The menu, dish by dish
Mixed paella
Chicken and seafood together, and a popular all-rounder.
Vegetable and vegan paella
The vegetable pan is a dish in its own right: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Should I cook it myself?
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
- 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