Kent · England
Paella Catering in Tenterden
Love Paella cooks live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event across Tenterden and Kent, catering for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests.
- Birthday celebrations
- Summer garden parties
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
Book paella catering in Tenterden
How our paella catering works in Tenterden
There is something generous about paella: giant pans, saffron colour and a toasted crust that everyone fights over. It makes the food an event in itself. Typical bookings include festivals, fairs and school events and office lunches and staff parties, serving seafood paella, vegan paella and black rice.
For a place the size of Tenterden, your own garden is frequently the best venue: no hire fees, and live paella feeds everyone without anyone stuck in the kitchen. Let us know about access to the house. We serve straight from the pan, so it’s hot and generous, and a queue moves quickly.
Diets, allergies and planning
Allergies and diets are taken seriously. Here’s how you can help:
- Send allergies to us in writing
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
On the day, you shouldn’t have to think about the food. We set up, cook and serve, and keep in touch with you or your venue about timings.
Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana finish the meal, or serve your own cake.
Events we cater in Tenterden
It is ideal for relaxed, sociable occasions, where guests can mingle while it cooks and then sit down to share.
These are some of the occasions we cater in Tenterden and Kent:
- Company summer parties
- Milestone birthday parties
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Weddings and evening receptions
If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Tenterden Infant School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
Comparing caterers
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- How each diet is kept separate
- The deposit and payment dates
- How long the team stays
Organising for someone else?
If you are planning an event on someone’s behalf, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we’ll work directly with you and the venue. It keeps things simple.
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Catering an event in Tenterden
Tenterden is about 9 miles south-west of Ashford, in Kent. We cater events at gardens, halls and venues around Tenterden and nearby villages. We cover all 922 towns and villages in Kent. We cook right across the region, from Tenterden to Canterbury (22 miles away).
Historic houses near Tenterden include Smallhythe Place (2.2 miles south). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. Parks such as Turners Field usually need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there. The High Weald National Landscape is within about 8 miles of Tenterden, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
We cover events in every part of TN30. Streets in the area include Golden Square, High Street and Station Road, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Tenterden sits on or near the A28 and B2067, so getting the burners and pans to your event is simple. Other places close to Tenterden for paella catering include Broad Tenterden (1 mile south), St Michaels (1 mile north), Strood (2 miles west), London Beach (2 miles north) and Parkgate (2 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Maidstone (15 miles north-west), Ashford (9 miles north-east), Paddock Wood (15 miles north-west), Bearsted (15 miles north), Park Wood (13 miles north-west) and Kennington (11 miles north-east).
Well-known places in the area include Tenterden and District Museum (under half a mile west) and Benenden Hospital (3.4 miles west).
- Local schools include Homewood School and Sixth Form Centre (0.5 miles north)
- Local pubs include The Vine Inn (less than half a mile south-west)
Common questions in Tenterden
Could we have live paella in Turners Field?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, usually the council. Ask them first, and we will send any information they need.
We are having a ceremony at Parish Church of St Mildred: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking usually happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
Can paella be the only main course?
It’s a full meal on its own. Many hosts add tapas first or dessert after.
Which paellas suit our guests?
It depends on your guests. Chicken and mixed paellas tend to go first, alongside seafood and vegetable or vegan pans.
When do you arrive?
We get there in good time to set up. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
Can you cook halal paella?
We can. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and we will cook a separate pan.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Of course. Vegetarian and vegan paellas are cooked in separate pans.
What areas do you cover?
We cater across London and the South East, Kent included. See all areas.
What affects the price in Tenterden
Every event is priced individually, and the price depends on a few things:
- How many guests are eating
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Travel, parking and access
- Timings and hours
Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so your choice of paellas affects the total. Tell us your budget and we’ll suggest a menu.
What we need to know
To speed things up, tell us:
- What the venue already provides
- The date and rough timings
- Roughly how many adults and children
- The address or venue name
Send us the date, your venue or TN30 postcode and guest numbers, along with any dietary needs, and you will get a menu idea and a price. To get started, use our quote form.
Planning the cooking area
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so we need a suitable spot. These are the things we check:
- Somewhere close to park and unload
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
Menu ideas
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
About the dishes
Paella Valenciana
The original paella from Valencia is a countryside dish of chicken and vegetables, not seafood. It is a favourite with guests who do not eat fish.
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, cooked until the rice is golden. It’s typically the most photographed pan.
Why choose live paella in Tenterden?
With a barbecue, food comes in waves. Paella is ready all at once, so everyone eats together. Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so it helps to tell us about your venue. The full price is confirmed before you book.
Why us?
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Drinks service on request
- Fast service from the pan
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
Take a look at Our pricing And What paella catering costs.
Places near Tenterden
What else we do in Tenterden
How the day works
Watching it cook is half the fun. Onion, garlic, peppers and tomato go in first, then the stock and saffron, then the rice, which cooks without stirring while your guests chat. In Tenterden, 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. In December it is dark by about 3:50pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- Get in touch with the basics: when, where and how many.
- We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
- A week or so before, we confirm the plan.
- On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
- We serve, then leave our area tidy.
How to prepare
- Give us a contact for the day
- Make sure the spot is clear of anything flammable
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
Get a quote
Not sure what you need yet? That’s fine: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we’ll suggest a menu. To start, send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
- 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