Kent · England
Live paella catering in Upper Ifield, Kent
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Upper Ifield and the surrounding area.
- Naming days and family parties
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
Planning an event in Upper Ifield?
How our paella catering works in Upper Ifield
Paella was made for feeding a crowd: cooked outdoors in a wide, shallow pan and shared. That’s what we bring to events in Upper Ifield. Whether it’s milestone birthday parties and engagement and anniversary parties, we can cook seafood paella, black rice and vegetable paella.
In a small place like Upper Ifield, events are typically in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. Tell us about narrow lanes or long drives and we will plan for them, and cooking close to where we can park helps. We plan the timings around your day, whether that’s speeches, a lunch break or a festival schedule.
What affects the price in Upper Ifield
There are no hidden charges: the quote reflects:
- Travel, parking and access
- Guest numbers
- The length of service
- How many courses
Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. Ask us for a quote.
Details that help
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- What the venue already provides
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Your date and when you want to eat
- Where the event is
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. To send your details, fill in our quote form.
Working with your venue
If you’re organising for someone else, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we are happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It keeps things simple.
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Upper Ifield? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we’ll suggest a menu.
Upper Ifield questions
Is Upper Ifield 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.
Is Upper Ifield close to London?
Roughly 23 miles from the centre of London, and well within our area.
How many different paellas?
Most events have two or three: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We’ll suggest a split based on your guests.
Can paella be the only main course?
Yes. Paella with bread and salad makes a full main course.
Which paellas do you recommend?
Most events choose two or three: chicken or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. Our menu lists the options.
Can you supply plates?
If you need them, yes. Proper crockery or quality disposables can be added to your booking.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
Yes, on request. The rice is gluten-free, but stocks and chorizo can contain gluten, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
Do you do starters?
Yes, it’s the classic pairing. Tapas first, paella to follow.
DIY paella versus live catering
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. The usual problems are a pan too big for the burner, too much rice and stirring once the rice is in. If you’d rather be with your guests, we will do the cooking.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Where we can cook in Upper Ifield
Most outdoor spaces and many venues work for live paella, but a few things matter:
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think.
Menu ideas
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
How the day works
It is a relaxed, well-organised set-up. Arrival and serving times are agreed beforehand, set up our cooking area, and get on with cooking and serving. Around midsummer it stays light in Upper Ifield until about 9:20pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:00pm, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 3:50pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- Contact us 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.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
Preparing for the day
- Ensure the spot is clear of anything flammable
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Make sure we can park close by to unload
Get a quote
Every quote is put together for your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll check availability at the same time.
Read more
More for events in Upper Ifield
Paella compared with other options
Barbecues cook in batches, so food comes off in waves. Paella is cooked as one big dish and served together. Cost depends on guest numbers, the menu and the courses, along with staff, extras and travel. Every event gets its own quote.
Why Upper Ifield hosts choose us
- Sangria and bar staff available
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Events in Upper Ifield and across Kent
See Our pricing Or The cost guide.
What’s in the pans
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, 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 is the pan people photograph.
Paella catering around Upper Ifield
Upper Ifield is about 2 miles south-east of Gravesend, in Kent. For paella catering in Upper Ifield, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices in and around Upper Ifield. Upper Ifield is one of 922 places in Kent where we cook. You can also see our page for London, about 23 miles away.
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St Peter and St Paul, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Shorne Church of England Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
Paella catering in DA12 is planned around your venue. We also cook at events in Shorne (1 mile east), Shorne Ridgeway (1 mile south-east), Thong (1 mile west), Chalk (1 mile north) and Higham (2 miles east). Within a short drive, we also cover Maidstone (11 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (14 miles east), Dartford (9 miles west), Sevenoaks (14 miles south-west), Northfleet (3 miles north-west) and Swanley (11 miles west).
A little further out are Gravesham Community Hospital (3.1 miles north-west) and Gravesham Museum (3 miles north-west). Not far away are Sawyers Lake and Rede Common.
- Local schools include Thamesview School (1.2 miles north-west)
- Local pubs include The Rose and Crown pub (0.5 miles east)
Catering for every guest
A little planning makes sure everyone can eat. Try these:
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Mention any other courses or food
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
The rice takes about 20 minutes once it goes in, so we time it carefully. If plans change, tell us and we’ll adjust.
We can add sangria and bar staff for your own drinks.
- 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