Medway · England
Live paella catering in Stoke, Medway
From the first sizzle in the pan to the last crispy spoonful, live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event turns food into part of your event in Stoke.
- Milestone birthday parties
- Anniversary celebrations
- Community events and fairs
Paella catering near Stoke
Planning the cooking area
Most gardens and venues can host live paella, but a few things matter:
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Somewhere close to park and unload
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we will tell you honestly before booking.
Popular choices
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
Paella catering in Stoke, made fresh on the day
Paella was made for feeding a crowd: cooked in the open in a big, shallow pan and shared straight from it. That’s what we bring to events in Stoke. We’re frequently asked to cater retirement celebrations and wedding breakfasts and evening food, with black rice, chicken and chorizo paella and paella Valenciana.
In a rural place like Stoke, the setting does a lot of the work: a giant pan in a garden or field fits perfectly. Tell us about access and the ground. Timings are planned around your event, so the paella is ready when you want to eat.
Dietary needs and planning tips
Allergies and diets are taken seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Give us separate numbers for children
- Mention any other courses or food
Once everyone is fed, we clear our cooking area, quietly and quickly.
Bread, salad and lemon wedges make the meal go further and suit guests who are not big rice eaters.
The process
When we arrive, we set up the burners and pans and start cooking the sofrito and stock. The rice goes in about 20 minutes before serving, so we time everything to your schedule. Around midsummer it stays light in Stoke until about 9:20pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:00pm, so summer evening events are typically served in daylight. In December it is dark by about 3:50pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- First, tell us about your event.
- We suggest paellas and extras and send a clear quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
How to prepare
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
How to get a price
It is easy to get a price: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We will send a clear, itemised quote.
Read more
Nearby places to Stoke
What else we do in Stoke
Planning live paella in Stoke
Stoke is about 5 miles north of Gillingham, in Medway. Anywhere in ME3, we’ll come to your venue or garden. Stoke is one of 68 places in Medway where we cook. Our events stretch from Stoke to Canterbury (about 23 miles away).
If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Stoke Primary Academy, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
Paella catering in ME3 is planned around your venue and your guests. From Vicarage Lane and Vicarage Close or a nearby road, we can cook there. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Middle Stoke (1 mile east), Lower Stoke (1 mile north-east), North Street (1 mile south-west), Tunbridge Hill (1 mile south-west) and St Mary Hoo (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Gillingham (5 miles south), Chatham (7 miles south-west), Rochester (7 miles south-west), Rainham (6 miles south), Strood (7 miles south-west) and Luton (6 miles south-west).
A little further out are Medway Maritime Hospital (5.7 miles south-west) and Upnor Castle (4.8 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include Bishop Saltings.
- Local pubs include The White Horse pub (under half a mile north-east)
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
Stoke questions
We are having a ceremony at Church of St Peter and St Paul: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking normally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
Is Stoke too small for live paella?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Is the paella cooked on site?
It is. We arrive with everything we need and cook it there and then, then serve straight from the pan.
Should we have more than one paella?
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.
How long does the paella take?
It depends on the menu and numbers. We agree the timings in advance so the paella is ready when you want it.
Can you provide dessert?
Yes. Churros, crema catalana and tarta de Santiago are popular choices, or you can serve your own cake.
Where do you cater?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
How do you work out quantities?
Quantities depend on numbers, timing and courses, with a sensible margin. Give us accurate numbers for the best result.
Why choose paella catering in Stoke?
Live paella is made for outdoor events: cooked outside, served hot and shared.
Here are some of the events we cook for around Stoke:
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Festivals, fairs and school events
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St Peter and St Paul, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Questions to ask before booking
- How late numbers can change
- Payment terms and deposit
- If the price includes VAT
- What the caterer needs from your venue
The menu, dish by dish
Black rice
Arroz negro is coloured and flavoured with squid ink, traditionally with alioli. It’s a striking addition to a seafood menu.
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich fish stock, finished with lemon wedges. It’s the pan people photograph.
Prices and what affects them
Your quote will be clear and itemised. What affects it most:
- How many courses
- The paellas you choose
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Travel, parking and access
Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so the menu you choose affects the price. Tell us your budget and we will suggest a menu.
Getting an accurate quote
For a quote, it helps to have:
- A photo of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- The address or venue name
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
Planning paella catering in Stoke? Send us the details and we’ll come back with ideas and a quote. Just send us your details through our quote form.
Planners, venues and businesses
If you are booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we’ll explain how it works. We are happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
- 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