Kent · England
Paella Catering for Tovil events
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Tovil: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, in full view of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Retirement celebrations
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
Live paella catering in Tovil
Paella catering in Tovil, made fresh on the day
Watching it cook is part of the experience. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the aroma does the rest. We cook chicken and chorizo paella, seafood paella and paella Valenciana, and typical bookings are for office lunches and staff parties and garden get-togethers.
In and around Tovil, gardens and local halls are common choices. If access is tight, we’ll plan around it. Everything is cooked from scratch at your event, never made in advance and reheated, and served the moment it is ready.
What paella catering costs
Each event is quoted on its own, and the price depends on a few things:
- The number of people
- The paellas you choose
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Timings and hours
Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so tell us about the venue when you ask for a quote. Everything is confirmed in writing.
What to tell us
Good planning starts with a few facts. Please include:
- The date and rough timings
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Roughly how many adults and children
Planning paella catering in Tovil? Tell us what you have in mind and we will reply with a menu and a clear price. To contact us, fill in our quote form.
Towns and villages near Tovil
More for events in Tovil
Paella compared with other options
Vans serve one order at a time. A big pan serves many guests fast, which suits weddings and parties where everyone eats together. Larger events generally cost less per head, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
Why us?
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Catering across Kent, including Tovil
- No hidden extras in your quote
Take a look at How we price And The cost guide.
The menu, dish by dish
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. The shellfish is added late so it stays tender.
Mixed paella
A mix of chicken and seafood.
Events we cater in Tovil
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’.
Whatever the occasion, paella can be the star of the food. We regularly cater:
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Milestone birthday parties
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Christenings and family gatherings
For a christening or wedding at a church such as St Michael and All Angels Church, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Questions to ask before you book
- Travel and parking costs
- How each diet is kept separate
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- The wet-weather plan
Planning live paella in Tovil
Tovil is about 1 mile west of Maidstone, in Kent. We cater events at homes, gardens and venues in Tovil and nearby villages. Tovil is one of 922 places in Kent we cover. Our nearest city page is Canterbury, about 25 miles away.
For guests coming by train, Maidstone West station is about 0.5 miles away. Historic houses near Tovil include Stoneacre (3.1 miles east). Historic venues often limit cooking, so ask early if you are booking one. Tovil is within about 6 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
For paella catering in ME16 and ME15, we plan around your venue and timings. Streets in the area include Tovil Road, Wharf Road and Bower Lane, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Maidstone (1 mile east), Foley Park (2 miles north-east), Penenden Heath (2 miles north-east), Shepway (2 miles south-east) and Ringlestone (2 miles north). We also cook in nearby towns such as Sittingbourne (11 miles north-east), Sevenoaks (14 miles west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (14 miles south-west), Gravesend (13 miles north-west), Tonbridge (11 miles south-west) and Northfleet (14 miles north-west).
Nearby you will also find Kent Fire Brigade Museum (under half a mile south-east) and Allington Castle (2 miles north). The countryside around Tovil includes Boxley Hills and Burham Down.
- Nearby schools include Oakwood Park Grammar School (0.6 miles north-west) and St Augustine Academy (0.6 miles north-west)
- Local pubs include The White Horse Public House (0.7 miles north)
Working with your venue
If you are organising for someone else, whether you’re a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we’re happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It saves passing messages back and forth.
If you are booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will explain how it works. We’re happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
The process
The cooking is part of the entertainment. Onion, garlic, peppers and tomato go in first, then the stock and saffron, then the rice, which cooks without stirring while your guests chat. Around midsummer it stays light in Tovil 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.
- You tell us the date, venue, guest numbers and any dietary needs.
- You get a suggested menu and an itemised quote.
- We arrive early, set up the cooking area and start the stock.
- Your guests watch the paella cook, with any tapas served first.
- We serve it hot from the pan and clear our area when service ends.
Preparing for the day
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Check the venue allows live cooking
Getting a price
Most quotes start with a few simple details: date, location, guest numbers and diets. To send them, use our quote form.
Planning help
Catering for every guest
With a little notice, every diet is easy. Our advice:
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Make sure most guests can sit to eat
- Tell us how many children are coming
A short rest after cooking helps, which is when we generally call guests over.
Add canapé tapas with the drinks or table tapas as a starter while the paella cooks.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, 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.
Questions from Tovil
Which station should guests use for Tovil?
Maidstone West station, about 0.5 miles north-east of the centre.
Can you cater a reception after a service at St Michael and All Angels Church?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking typically happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
How much paella per person?
Quantities depend on numbers, timing and courses, with a little extra built in. Give us accurate numbers for the best result.
Does paella work for big events?
It is ideal. Large pans and fast service from the pan make it well suited to crowds.
What about pudding?
We can add a dessert. Let us know if you’d like one in your enquiry.
What is live paella catering?
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.
How long do you need on site?
It depends on the menu and numbers. We will agree arrival, cooking and serving times with you so the paella is ready when you want it.
Which paellas suit our guests?
It depends on your guests. A chicken or mixed paella is typically the most popular, alongside seafood and vegetable or vegan pans.
- 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