Medway · England
Paella Catering in Upper Upnor
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Upper Upnor and across Medway.
- Company summer parties
- Milestone birthday parties
- Engagement and anniversary parties
Paella catering for Upper Upnor events
Working with your venue
If you are booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we’ll talk you through the process. We’re happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
Organising a club, school or community event in Upper Upnor? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Give us the details and we will suggest a plan.
Paella catering in Upper Upnor, cooked live
Everything is cooked from scratch on site, starting with a slow sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, then the stock, saffron and rice. We cook black rice, chicken and chorizo paella and mixed paella, and we are regularly asked to cater summer garden parties and retirement celebrations.
Somewhere as small as Upper Upnor, a garden or field is often the venue. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and cooking close to where we can park helps. Your quote spells out exactly what’s included: the menu, the staff and any extras, with no surprises on the day.
How we price paella catering
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- Your choice of paellas
- Travel, parking and access
- Timings and hours
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.
What we need to know
When you contact us, it helps to tell us:
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- Anything your venue supplies
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Which courses you have in mind
Each quote is tailored to your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll confirm whether we are available that day.
Dietary needs and planning tips
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. Our advice:
- Mention any other courses or food
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
A short rest after cooking helps, and that is when we invite guests up.
Tapas or canapés make a good start as the rice cooks.
Before you choose a spot
Most gardens and venues can host live paella, but there are a few things to check:
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think before you book.
What we offer
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
Events we cater in Upper Upnor
People book live paella because it’s food and entertainment at once. The cooking becomes the centre of the event, and the food is hot and generous.
Big or small, live paella works well. Typical bookings include:
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Birthday celebrations
- Retirement celebrations
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like St Philip & St James, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
Questions to ask before you book
- The venue requirements
- What the price includes, item by item
- The wet-weather plan
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
Step by step
Here’s how the day usually runs: we arrive, set up and start cooking, the rice cooks in front of your guests, and it’s served hot from the pan at the agreed time. Evenings in Upper Upnor stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:00pm; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- First, tell us about your event.
- We suggest paellas and extras and send a clear quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
Getting ready for the day
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Let us know the timings for the day
Get a quote
Planning paella catering in Upper Upnor? Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll reply with a menu and a clear price. To get in touch, fill in our quote form.
Related guides
What’s in the pans
Vegetable and vegan paella
The vegetable pan is a dish in its own right: artichokes, beans, peppers and saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Mixed paella
Mixed paella brings meat and seafood together, and it is frequently the first pan to empty.
Also near Upper Upnor
More for events in Upper Upnor
Planning live paella in Upper Upnor
Upper Upnor is about 2 miles north-east of Rochester, in Medway. For an event in Upper Upnor, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices. Upper Upnor is one of 68 places in Medway we cover. You can also see our page for Canterbury, about 26 miles away.
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Strood station, about 1.2 miles south-west. Parks such as Lower Lines Park typically need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there.
We cook at events all over ME2. That could mean an event in a garden on High Street, Upnor Road and Castle Street or the roads around them. Other places close to Upper Upnor for paella catering include Lower Upnor (1 mile north-east), Wainscott (1 mile north-west), Chattenden (1 mile north), Hoo St Werburgh (2 miles north-east) and Cooling Street (3 miles north). Larger places within reach include Gillingham (3 miles south-east), Chatham (3 miles south), Rainham (5 miles south-east), Luton (3 miles south), Park Wood (5 miles south-east) and Lordswood (5 miles south).
Other landmarks nearby include Pentagon Shopping Centre (1.6 miles south) and City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1.4 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include Gad's Hill and Rede Common.
- Local schools include Waterfront UTC (1.3 miles south-east) and Waterfront University Technical College (1.3 miles south-east)
- Local pubs include The Kings Arms (within half a mile east)
- Parks and local facilities nearby include Former Ordnance Store At Chatham Gun Wharf (1.4 miles south)
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Some hosts like to cook themselves. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather be with your guests, we will do the cooking.
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and handles separate pans for each diet.
Upper Upnor: your questions answered
Do you come out to small places like Upper Upnor?
No, we cook in small places too. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Could we have live paella in Lower Lines Park?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, typically the council. Ask them first, and we’ll send any information they need.
Do we need to provide equipment?
We bring all the cooking equipment. Let us know what your venue has, like tables or crockery.
Is it really cooked live?
It is. We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook on the day, serving it hot from the pan.
Is paella enough as a main?
It is a full meal on its own. Many hosts add tapas first or dessert after.
Can you provide dessert?
Yes. Churros, crema catalana and tarta de Santiago are popular choices, or you can serve your own cake.
How much paella per person?
We plan quantities from your guest numbers, timings and other courses, with a little extra built in. Accurate numbers help.
How does live paella catering work?
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.
- 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