Kent · England
Paella Catering in Swattenden
From the first sizzle of the sofrito to the last spoonful of crispy rice, live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event makes the food a highlight of your event in Swattenden.
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Retirement celebrations
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
Paella catering near Swattenden
How our paella catering works in Swattenden
Almost any venue with a level, ventilated spot will do: a garden, marquee, barn, courtyard or field. Typical bookings include weddings, from canapés to evening food and retirement and leaving parties, serving chicken and chorizo paella, paella Valenciana and black rice.
For a rural spot like Swattenden, the countryside is part of the appeal: a paella cooking in a garden or field feels right at home. Tell us about access and the ground. We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in a separate pan and clearly labelled.
Should I cook it myself?
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it is harder than it looks. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
Dietary needs and planning tips
Nearly every event has some special diets. To cater well for them:
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
- Put allergy details in writing
- Request clear labels at the serving table
Once the rice is in, it needs about 20 minutes, so we start it at the right moment for your event. If timings shift, we adapt.
Crockery, cutlery and waiting staff are available if your venue doesn’t provide them.
Why choose live paella in Swattenden?
For something a little different, live paella adds colour, smell and theatre. Live paella pricing depends on the event. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. Your quote spells it all out.
Why choose Love Paella in Swattenden
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- We cover Swattenden and the whole of Kent
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Served hot, straight from the pan
Read Our pricing And Our guide to catering costs.
Prices and what affects them
These are the factors that matter most:
- How many guests are eating
- How many courses
- Your choice of paellas
- Timings and hours
Got a budget? Let us know, and we’ll put together a menu that fits. A simple menu can still feel generous.
What to tell us
When you contact us, it helps to tell us:
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- Anything your venue supplies
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- A photo of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
Send us the date, your venue or TN17 postcode and guest numbers, along with any dietary needs, and we will reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, use our quote form.
What happens on the day
When the rice goes in, it is left alone. That is how the grains cook evenly and the toasted base, the socarrat, forms. The smell typically draws people over. In Swattenden, the sun sets at about 9:15pm in late June and about 7:00pm in late September, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 3:55pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- We start with a few details about your event.
- We suggest paellas and extras and send a clear quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- On the day, we set up and cook in front of your guests.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
Before we arrive
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Ensure we can park close by to unload
Get a quote
Every event is quoted individually, so the price fits what you actually want. To ask for one, send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
Also near Swattenden
Also in Swattenden
Space, weather and the venue
We’ll be honest if a space won’t work, and help find another spot. The main points are:
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think.
Popular choices
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
What’s in the pans
Mixed paella
Paella mixta combines meat and seafood in one pan, and it is frequently the first pan to empty.
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, not seafood. It’s a favourite with guests who don’t eat fish.
Occasions we cook for in Swattenden
It suits relaxed, sociable events, where guests can mingle while it cooks before sitting down to eat.
These are some of the occasions we cater around Swattenden:
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Big birthdays
- Summer garden parties
- Community events and fairs
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Congregational Church, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
What your quote should include
- If the price includes VAT
- When payment is due
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- The deadline for final numbers
FAQs for Swattenden
We are having a ceremony at Congregational Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking generally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
Can you cook in Crane Valley?
Only if the landowner, typically the council, allows it. Ask them first, and we’ll send any information they need.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes, and meat eaters frequently go back for seconds. Each is cooked separately, with its own stock and utensils.
What happens with live paella?
We set up a cooking area at your venue, cook the paella from scratch in large pans while your guests watch, and serve it straight from the pan.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Yes, it’s the classic pairing. Tapas first, paella to follow.
Which paellas do you recommend?
Most events choose two or three: chicken or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. See the sample menu.
Do you cater in Swattenden?
Yes. We cater across London and the South East, including Swattenden and the rest of Kent. To check your date, send us your details through our quote form.
What do you need at the venue?
Less than you might think: a level spot clear of fences, hedges and branches, with room for a serving table. Send us a picture if you are not sure.
Planning live paella in Swattenden
Swattenden is about 12 miles east of Royal Tunbridge Wells, in Kent. Tell us where your event in Swattenden will be, and we will plan the journey and set-up before the day. Swattenden is one of 922 places in Kent we cover. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 28 miles away.
Parks such as Crane Valley generally need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there. If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Cranbrook School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. The High Weald National Landscape is within about a mile of Swattenden, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
Wherever your event is in TN17, we can bring paella catering to you. If your venue is just outside Swattenden, we also cover Hartley (1 mile west), Cranbrook (1 mile north), Baker's Cross (1 mile north-east), Coursehorn (1 mile north-east) and Gill's Green (2 miles south-west). Further out, we also cater in Maidstone (13 miles north), Ashford (15 miles east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (12 miles west), Tonbridge (14 miles north-west), Kings Hill (14 miles north) and Foley Park (14 miles north).
Nearby you will also find Sissinghurst Castle (3.2 miles north-east) and Benenden Hospital (3.9 miles east).
- Nearby, you’ll find Duke Of York Public House Little Tudor (0.9 miles north)
- 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