Greater London · England
Paella Party Catering in Shirley Oaks
Planning paella party catering in Shirley Oaks? We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook in front of your guests.
- Garden get-togethers
- Family reunions
- Celebrations of life
Live paella party catering in Shirley Oaks
Paella party catering in Shirley Oaks, cooked live
Paella is relaxed food: it is served from the pan and shared, without any fuss. Typical bookings include big family gatherings and neighbourhood celebrations, serving tapas, mixed paella and churros.
Planning a London party in Shirley Oaks? Live paella keeps you out of the kitchen, in a garden, on a patio or at a venue. Mention any parking permits. Everything is cooked from scratch at your party, never made in advance and reheated, and served the moment it is ready.
- Where
- Shirley Oaks (CR0, SE25, CR9)
- Region
- Greater London
- Special diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quote
- Quoted for your event
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Your questions about paella party catering in Shirley Oaks
Can you cater a reception after a service at Shirley Methodist Church?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is typically elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
Which station should guests use for Shirley Oaks?
The closest is Elmers End station, roughly 1.2 miles away.
When should we book?
The sooner the better. Peak dates go quickly, so it pays to ask early.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Yes. A simple chicken paella is usually popular with children. Include children in your numbers.
Do you do starters?
Yes. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, served while the paella cooks.
Can you cook in the rain?
A covered, ventilated spot keeps us cooking in the rain. We’ll talk it through before the day.
Do you cook it at the event?
It is. We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook on the day, serving it hot from the pan.
Can you cook in my back garden?
Frequently, yes, if there’s a level spot clear of fences and trees. Send us a picture of the space.
Prices and what affects them
There is nothing hidden: the quote reflects:
- The paellas you choose
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- How long we’re needed on site
- Starters, canapés and desserts
When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
Getting an accurate quote
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- Anything your venue supplies
- The date and time of the event
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- Diets and allergies you know about
Getting a quote is simple: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We’ll come back with a clear quote and a suggested menu.
Planning for every diet
Allergies and diets are taken seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Keep children and pets away from the burners
- Have bins ready
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Give the neighbours a heads-up
We’re set up before guests arrive.
Sangria sets the mood.
Organising for someone else?
Events in public spaces, like parks, usually need permission. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
If you’re booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will talk you through the process. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Home-made buffets take ages and sit out for hours. Paella is cooked fresh and served hot. Got a budget? Let us know, and we’ll put together a menu that fits. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Why Shirley Oaks hosts choose us
- Sangria and bar staff available
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- A quote that spells everything out
Read Our prices page And What paella catering costs.
What happens on the day
When we arrive, we set up our cooking area, light the burners and start the sofrito. The rice goes in about 20 minutes before serving, so the timing is planned around your event. At midsummer, it’s light in Shirley Oaks until about 9:20pm, which gives a garden party a long evening. In late September it’s dark by about 7:05pm; add lights for the evening.
- First, we check the date and the space.
- You choose your paellas and any extras.
- We set up the burners and start the sofrito.
- In goes the rice, and guests gather.
- We serve hot and tidy our area afterwards.
Before we arrive
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Share the running order, including any speeches
Ask for a quote
Send us the date, your venue or CR0 postcode and guest numbers, plus any dietary needs, and you’ll get a menu idea and a price. Just fill in our quote form.
Planning help
Occasions we cook for in Shirley Oaks
It’s the easiest way to feed a party without being stuck in the kitchen, and guests love it.
Here are some of the events we cook for:
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Baby celebrations
- Big family gatherings
- Birthday parties
Nearby historic houses include Addington Palace (1.8 miles south-east) and Kingswood House (3.6 miles north). Grand settings like these often have strict catering rules, so for most parties a garden or hired hall is simpler.
Questions to ask before booking
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- Allergen information for each dish
- When payment is due
- If the price includes VAT
What we need at the venue
We’ll be honest if a space will not work. The main points are:
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
- A quick photo of the spot helps us plan
As a London location, Shirley Oaks is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: let us know about permits, bays or off-street parking.
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we will tell you honestly before you book.
What we offer
- Tapas
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Churros
Parties in Shirley Oaks: gardens, venues and local tips
Shirley Oaks is about 2 miles north-east of Croydon, in Greater London. For paella party catering in Shirley Oaks, we plan around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. We cover 764 places across Greater London. Our events stretch from Shirley Oaks to London (about 8 miles away).
After a christening at a church like Shirley Methodist Church, a paella lunch is an easy way to feed family and friends. For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Elmers End station, about 1.2 miles north.
We cater parties across CR0, SE25 and CR9. From Poppy Lane, Baring Road and Craven Road or a nearby road, we can cook there. Shirley Oaks is on the A232, so it is easy for us to reach with the van and pans. For parties just outside Shirley Oaks, we cover Shirley (1 mile east), Monks Orchard (1 mile east), Addiscombe (1 mile west), Ashburton (1 mile north-west) and Woodside (1 mile north-west). We also cook in nearby towns such as London (8 miles north), City of Westminster (10 miles north-west), Marylebone (10 miles north), Kensington (10 miles north-west), St Pancras (10 miles north) and Shoreditch (10 miles north).
Nearby you’ll also find National Psychosis Unit (1.1 miles east) and St George's Walk (1.9 miles west). Green spaces nearby include Bramley Bank and Duppas Hill.
- Schools near Shirley Oaks include St. John's Church of England Primary School (0.7 miles south)
- Local pubs include The Cricketers pub (less than half a mile west)
- Local facilities include Addiscombe (1 mile west)
Also near Shirley Oaks
Also in Shirley Oaks
Should I cook it myself?
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
Some hosts like to cook themselves. 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’ll do the cooking.
- 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