Kent · England
Paella Party Catering for Hicks Forstal events
Paella catering for birthday parties, garden parties and private events in Hicks Forstal: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, right in front of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Street parties and neighbourhood get-togethers
- Retirement celebrations
- Naming days and christenings
Book paella party catering in Hicks Forstal
How our paella party catering works in Hicks Forstal
A paella party works in most gardens, if there is a level spot away from fences and trees. Send us a photo if you are unsure. Popular choices include tapas, chicken and chorizo paella and seafood paella, and typical bookings are for naming days and christenings and family reunions.
Near Hicks Forstal, parties are frequently in gardens or fields. Tell us about lanes and parking, and we’ll plan the set-up. All the cooking equipment comes with us, and we clear our cooking area away afterwards.
Diets, allergies and planning
Most events have a mix of diets. To plan for them:
- Ensure children stay back from the pans
- Plan where rubbish goes
- Collect dietary needs with your invites
- Plan seats for most guests
When you’re ready to eat, we serve straight from the pan, while you enjoy your guests.
Add bread, salad and lemon.
The process
When the rice goes in, it’s left alone. That is what gives paella its separate grains and crispy base. Your guests will smell it before they see it. Sunset in Hicks Forstal is about 8:45pm in late May and 9:15pm in late June. After dark, the cooking area needs good lighting.
- Send us the date, the address, numbers and diets.
- We suggest a menu and confirm a quote.
- We arrive, set up in your garden or venue and start the sofrito.
- Your guests watch the paella cook, with tapas first if you’ve chosen them.
- We serve it hot from the pan, then pack down.
Getting ready for the day
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
Ask for a quote
The quickest way to a quote is to use our quote form. Give us the details of your party, and we’ll suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Planning help
Your questions about paella party catering in Hicks Forstal
Which station should guests use for Hicks Forstal?
The closest is Sturry station, roughly 2.2 miles away.
Can you cook in Curtis Wood?
Only if the landowner, typically the council, allows it. Ask them first, and we’ll send any information they need.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
We can cook a gluten-free paella in its own pan. Let us know about coeliac guests in advance so we take the right care.
Do you cater in Hicks Forstal?
Yes, we do. We cook at events in Hicks Forstal and across Kent. Send us your date to check availability.
Is it really cooked live?
Yes. We arrive with everything we need and cook it there and then, 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.
How much space do you need?
Level ground for the burners, pans and a table, in the open air or a ventilated covered area, plus the venue’s agreement to cooking.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Yes, and they’re popular with everyone. Each is cooked separately, with its own stock and utensils.
For planners, venues and organisers
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we will talk you through the process. We are happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so everyone eats promptly. Tell us how long you have for food.
Occasions we cook for in Hicks Forstal
It feels like a holiday in your own garden.
Here are some of the events we cook for:
- Street and neighbourhood parties
- Birthday parties
- Summer garden parties
- Wakes and celebrations of life
Parks such as Curtis Wood normally need permission for cooking, so a garden or hired venue is often easier.
What to look for in a quote
- The wet-weather plan
- Whether travel is included
- When final numbers are due
- Whether VAT is included
Dishes our guests love
Vegetable paella
Vegetable paella in its own right, with peppers, beans and artichokes.
Tapas
Bravas, tortilla, croquetas and more while the paella cooks.
Space, weather and the venue
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We look for:
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- A photo of the garden helps us check the space
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise.
On the menu in Hicks Forstal
- Tapas
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Churros
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
Also near Hicks Forstal
Other catering in Hicks Forstal
Prices and what affects them
We will give you a clear, itemised quote. What affects it most:
- How many guests are eating
- The paellas you choose
- Whether you need crockery
- How many courses
The cost per head normally falls as numbers rise, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
What we need to know
The more we know about your party, the better we can plan. Try to include:
- A picture of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
- The venue or postcode
- The courses you’d like
- The date and rough timings
We need only a few details to quote: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. You can fill in our quote form.
Party venues around Hicks Forstal
Hicks Forstal is about 2 miles south of Herne Bay, in Kent. Give us the address of your party in Hicks Forstal, and we’ll plan the journey and set-up. Hicks Forstal is one of 922 places in Kent we cover.
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Sturry station, about 2.2 miles south. Near the coast, within about 3 miles, seafood paella is a natural choice, and we always plan for wind.
Wherever your party is in CT3, we can cook for your guests. Close by, we cover parties in Calcott (1 mile south-west), Herne Common (1 mile north), Knave's Ash (1 mile east), Herne (1 mile north) and Bullockstone (1 mile north-west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Canterbury (4 miles south-west), Margate (12 miles east), Dover (15 miles south-east), Ramsgate (12 miles east), Broadstairs (13 miles east) and Whitstable (4 miles west).
Nearby you’ll also find St Martins Hospital (3.9 miles south) and Canterbury Castle (4.6 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include West Blean and Thornden Woods.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and handles separate pans for each diet.
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 at scale is tricky. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
- 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