Kent · England
Paella Catering in Stanford
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Stanford: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, right in front of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Garden get-togethers
- Retirement celebrations
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
Paella catering near Stanford
Organising for someone else?
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Stanford? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Give us the details and we will suggest a plan.
If you are planning an event on someone’s behalf, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we’re happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It saves passing messages back and forth.
About our paella catering in Stanford
Live paella works almost anywhere with a level, ventilated spot: gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and festival fields. For weddings and evening receptions and milestone birthday parties, we can cook mixed paella, vegan paella and paella Valenciana.
Somewhere like Stanford, a field or garden is frequently the perfect setting. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. You can add tapas, desserts, sangria, bar staff and waiting staff, so one booking can cover the whole menu.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
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. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
How we price paella catering
Two events with the same number of guests can cost different amounts, because of:
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Waiting and bar staff
- Guest numbers
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so it helps to tell us about your venue. Everything is confirmed in writing.
What to tell us
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what to include:
- Where the event is
- Anything your venue supplies
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- The courses you’d like
It is easy to get a price: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We’ll send a clear, itemised quote.
How it works
Service is quick: the paella goes straight from the pan to the plate, so even a long queue moves. Afterwards we clear our cooking area away. Planning an evening event in Stanford? Sunset is around 8:45pm in late May, 9:15pm at midsummer and 7:00pm in late September; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- Start with the date, the place and the numbers.
- Expect a menu idea and a clear, itemised price.
- A week or so before, we confirm the plan.
- We set up, cook from scratch and keep an eye on your timings.
- We serve, then leave our area tidy.
Before we arrive
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Tell us where to park and unload
Get a quote
Send us the date, your venue or TN25 postcode and guest numbers, plus any dietary needs, and you’ll get a menu idea and a price. To get started, send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
Perfect for your event in Stanford
There’s no kitchen needed, so it works in gardens, fields and marquees where plated meals are hard.
Whatever you are celebrating in Stanford, paella can be the star of the food. We frequently cook for:
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Company summer parties
Parks such as Sandling Park normally need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there.
Before booking anyone
- The deadline for final numbers
- The wet-weather plan
- Travel and parking costs
- A clear list of what’s included
Paella compared with other options
A cold buffet is simple but has no theatre, and food can sit out for a while. Paella is cooked live and served hot. The cost per head normally falls as numbers rise, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
What you get with us
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- We cover Stanford and the whole of Kent
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
See Our prices page And The cost guide.
Paella catering around Stanford
Stanford is about 3 miles north-west of Hythe, in Kent. Tell us where your event in Stanford will be, and we will plan the journey and set-up. We cook in 922 places in Kent. You can also see our page for Canterbury, about 12 miles away.
For guests coming by train, Stanford has its own station, Westenhanger station. Nearby historic houses include Westenhanger Castle (0.6 miles south-west) and Acrise Place (4.8 miles north-east). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. The Kent Downs National Landscape is within about 5 miles of Stanford. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking. The coast is within about 3 miles of Stanford, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Sea breezes can be strong, so we plan a sheltered cooking spot.
Paella catering in TN25 is planned around your venue and your guests. Whether your event is on Stone Street and Kennett Lane or anywhere nearby, we’ll bring the pans to you. Close by, we cover events in Postling (1 mile north-east), Sellindge (2 miles west), Moorstock (2 miles north-west), Skeete (2 miles north-east) and Woodland (2 miles north-east). Larger places within reach include Ashford (8 miles west), Canterbury (12 miles north), Dover (12 miles east), Folkestone (6 miles east), Hythe (3 miles south-east) and Tower Hamlets (11 miles east).
Well-known places in the area include Hythe Museum (2.9 miles south-east) and Royal Victoria Hospital (5.8 miles east). Open spaces near Stanford include Hatch Park and Tolsford Hill.
What else we do in Stanford
About the dishes
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. The shellfish is added late so it stays tender.
Vegetable and vegan paella
Seasonal vegetables on a rich sofrito base make a proper main dish. For vegans, the stock is plant-based.
Planning the cooking area
We’ll agree the cooking spot with you before the day. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Somewhere close to park and unload
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think before you book.
What we offer
- Mixed paella
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Stanford questions
How far is Stanford from London?
About 56 miles from central London, and we cover it as standard.
What’s the nearest station to Stanford for guests?
Stanford has its own station: Westenhanger station.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes. Halal paella is cooked with halal chicken and no pork or alcohol, in its own pan.
Is paella a full meal?
It can be. With bread and salad, paella is a complete main, and tapas or dessert can be added.
Do you provide drinks?
We can make sangria, and provide bar staff to serve drinks you supply.
Can you feed plenty of people?
Very much so. We plan the number of pans and serving points around your numbers.
Is the paella gluten-free?
We can, if you tell us in advance. The rice is gluten-free, but stocks and chorizo can contain gluten, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
How does live paella catering work?
We arrive with pans, burners and ingredients, cook in front of your guests, and serve when you’re ready to eat.
- 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