Kent · England
Paella Catering for The Valley events
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 Valley.
- Garden get-togethers
- Anniversary celebrations
- Milestone birthday parties
Paella catering in The Valley
What happens on the day
The paella is cooked in giant, shallow pans over gas burners. We need a level, ventilated spot, which we agree with you beforehand. Around midsummer it stays light in The Valley until about 9:15pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:00pm, so summer evening events are typically served in daylight. For winter events, when it’s dark by about 3:50pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- Get in touch with the basics: when, where and how many.
- Expect a menu idea and a clear, itemised price.
- Closer to the day, we confirm timings and the cooking spot.
- On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
Getting ready for the day
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
Get a quote
To get a price, send us your details through our quote form. Tell us about your event in The Valley, and we’ll suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Planning help
About our paella catering in The Valley
Almost any venue with a level, ventilated spot will do: gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and festival fields in and around The Valley. On the menu are mixed paella, vegan paella and chicken and chorizo paella, and typical bookings are for weddings, from canapés to evening food and festivals, fairs and school events.
In a rural place like The Valley, the setting does plenty of the work: a huge pan in a garden or field fits perfectly. Tell us about access and the ground. Your quote spells out exactly what’s included: menu, staff, crockery and anything else you choose.
What paella catering costs
The price comes down to a few factors:
- Timings and hours
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- How many guests are eating
Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so the menu you choose affects the price. Tell us your budget and we’ll suggest a menu.
Details that help
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- Your date and when you want to eat
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- What the venue already provides
Send us the date, your venue or ME13 postcode and guest numbers, along with any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. Just send us your details through our quote form.
Places near The Valley
Other catering in The Valley
What’s in the pans
Mixed paella
Mixed paella brings meat and seafood together, and it is often the first pan to empty.
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. The shellfish is added late so it stays tender.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. Ask us for a quote and compare.
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but you’ll still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. A caterer handles all of that.
Occasions we cook for in The Valley
Paella is one of the few dishes that handles mixed diets easily, because each version is cooked in its own pan. Nobody gets a token ‘special meal’.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. In The Valley, people book us for occasions like:
- Garden get-togethers
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Charing station, about 3.2 miles south.
Before booking anyone
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- Space, access and power needs
- Whether travel is included
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
Dietary needs and planning tips
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because every paella has its own pan. Here are a few tips for planning:
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
Paella is best eaten as soon as it’s ready, so we serve when guests are ready.
Add canapé tapas with the drinks or table tapas as a starter while the paella cooks.
Questions from The Valley
We’re having a ceremony at Church of St Lawrence: 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.
Is The Valley too small for live paella?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Let us know about access and parking.
Do you offer halal options?
We can. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and we will cook a separate pan.
Should we have more than one paella?
Two or three is usual: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We’ll suggest a split based on your guests.
Is the paella cooked on site?
It is. We arrive with everything we need and cook on the day, serving it hot from the pan.
Do you take everything away?
Our cooking area is packed away and left clean. Ask us about table clearing if you need it.
Which paella is most popular?
Most events choose two or three: a mixed or chicken paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. See the sample menu.
Can you supply plates?
If you need them, yes. Proper crockery or quality disposables are available.
Paella compared with other options
Plated meals need a kitchen and a bigger team. Live paella needs a level, ventilated spot and the venue’s permission to cook, and gives guests something to watch. If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we will put together a menu that fits. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Why choose Love Paella in The Valley
- A clear, itemised quote
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Catering across Kent, including The Valley
Read Our prices page Or The cost guide.
Before you choose a spot
We cook in large pans over gas burners, so the cooking area needs a little planning. Here’s what we look for:
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly.
Menu ideas
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Live paella in The Valley: local details
The Valley is about 6 miles south-west of Faversham, in Kent. Across the ME13 area, we’ll come to your venue or garden. We cook in 922 places across Kent. Our events stretch from The Valley to Canterbury (about 12 miles away).
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Lawrence, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. Thinking of a picnic-style party in Spuckles and Kennelling Woods? Public parks normally need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first. The Kent Downs National Landscape is within about 8 miles of The Valley, 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 ME13, we can bring paella catering to you, from busy streets to quiet lanes. If your venue is just outside The Valley, we also cover Stalisfield Green (1 mile south), Stalisfield (1 mile south), Eastling (2 miles north), Throwley Forstal (2 miles east) and Throwley (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Maidstone (12 miles west), Ashford (8 miles south), Canterbury (12 miles east), Sittingbourne (7 miles north-west), Whitstable (12 miles north-east) and Faversham (6 miles north-east).
A little further out are Newnham Castle (2.3 miles north).
- Pubs nearby include The Plough Inn (0.8 miles south-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