Kent · England
Live paella catering in The Stocks, Kent
Paella for every guest: meat, seafood, vegetarian and vegan pans side by side. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in The Stocks.
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Community events and fairs
- Company summer parties
Live paella catering in The Stocks
Working with your venue
Venues often have their own rules about outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Send us your venue’s requirements and we’ll follow them.
Hosting a party at home? Send a picture of the space and tell us about parking, and we’ll tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
How our paella catering works in The Stocks
A couple of different pans covers everyone: meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan paellas. Each is cooked separately, so diets are easy to manage. On the menu are seafood paella, vegan paella and vegetable paella, and we’re regularly asked to cater retirement celebrations and summer garden parties.
For a rural spot like The Stocks, the countryside is part of the appeal: a paella cooking in a garden or field feels right at home. Let us know about access and ground conditions. Your quote spells out exactly what’s included: menu, staff, crockery and anything else you choose, with no surprises on the day.
Space, weather and the venue
No two venues are the same, so we will ask about yours before we confirm. In general, we need:
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- Somewhere close to park and unload
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly before booking.
Popular choices
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
Is live paella right for your event?
A plated meal needs a kitchen, more staff and usually costs more per head. Live paella needs only a level, ventilated spot and permission to cook, and it’s entertaining too. Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so your choice of paellas affects the total. Tell us your budget and we will suggest a menu.
Why us?
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
Take a look at Our pricing Or Our guide to catering costs.
FAQs for The Stocks
We’re having a ceremony at Parish Church of St John the Baptist: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is generally elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
What’s the nearest station to The Stocks for guests?
Rye station, about 4.2 miles south of the centre.
Do you bring everything you need?
Pans, burners and ingredients all come with us. You provide a suitable spot and access.
How many different paellas?
Two or three is usual: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We will suggest a split based on your guests.
Who clears up?
We take our equipment and leave the cooking area tidy. Table clearing is available with waiting staff.
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.
Is paella enough as a main?
It can be. With bread and salad, paella is a complete main, and tapas or dessert can be added.
How much space do you need?
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’re not sure.
A closer look at the menu
Black rice
Squid ink rice is bold and savoury, and is popular with adventurous guests.
Mixed paella
Paella mixta combines meat and seafood in one pan, and it is often the first pan to empty.
The process
From set-up to serving, we look after the food, so you are free to enjoy your event. Any tapas or canapés are served first while the paella cooks. Around midsummer it stays light in The Stocks until about 9:15pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:00pm, so summer evening events are generally served in daylight. In December it is dark by about 3:50pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- Send us your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan a menu that covers every diet.
- We arrive early to set up the burners and pans.
- The sofrito, stock and rice go in, and guests gather to watch.
- Service is straight from the pan, then we pack down.
Before we arrive
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
Ask for a quote
Planning paella catering in The Stocks? Tell us what you have in mind and we will come back with ideas and a quote. To get in touch, send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
Perfect for your event in The Stocks
People book live paella because it is food and entertainment at once. The pans become a focal point, and the food itself is hot and plentiful.
Here are some of the events we cook for:
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Naming days and family parties
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
For guests coming by train, Rye station is about 4.2 miles away.
Questions to ask before booking
- If the price includes VAT
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- What the price includes, item by item
- What happens if it rains
What paella catering costs
Every event is priced individually, based on a few main things:
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Distance and access to the venue
- Whether you need crockery
- Timings and hours
If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we’ll put together a menu that fits. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Details that help
These details help us quote quickly:
- The venue or postcode
- Expected numbers
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- Anything your venue supplies
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. When you’re ready, fill in our quote form.
Dietary needs and planning tips
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. We suggest:
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Ensure each pan is labelled
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
Paella is best eaten as soon as it’s ready, so we serve when guests are ready.
Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana finish the meal.
Towns and villages near The Stocks
More for events in The Stocks
Live paella in The Stocks: local details
The Stocks is about 11 miles south-west of Ashford, in Kent. Wherever your event is in the TN30 area, we can bring the pans to you. We cover 922 places in Kent. We cook right across the region, from The Stocks to Canterbury (about 24 miles away).
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Wittersham Church of England Primary School, can book us as a food stall. Historic houses near The Stocks include Smallhythe Place (2 miles north-west) and Lamb House (4.4 miles south). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one. The coast is within about 5 miles of The Stocks, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Sea breezes can be strong, so we plan a sheltered cooking spot.
We cover events in every part of the TN30 postcode area. That could mean an event in a garden on Stocks Road, Budd's Lane and Wittersham Road or the roads around them. For events just outside The Stocks, we cover Acton (1 mile north), Wittersham (1 mile west), Stone Corner (1 mile north), Stone in Oxney (2 miles east) and Reading Street (2 miles north-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Ashford (11 miles north-east), Tenterden (4 miles north), Kennington (13 miles north-east), New Romney (10 miles east), Staplehurst (13 miles north-west) and Stanhope (10 miles north-east).
Other landmarks nearby include Smallhythe Place (2 miles north-west) and Ypres Tower (4.4 miles south). Not far away are Flatropers Wood.
- Pubs nearby include The Ewe And Lamb Inn (0.5 miles west)
- 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