Kent · England
Wedding paella catering in Crayford, Kent
We cook paella catering for weddings, from canapés to the wedding breakfast and evening food across Crayford and Kent, catering for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests.
- Food for evening guests
- Weddings with a Spanish theme
- Weddings in a marquee or garden
Live wedding paella catering in Crayford
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and handles separate pans for each diet.
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
How our wedding paella catering works in Crayford
At a wedding, paella is both the meal and a bit of a show. Guests wander over to watch while the photos are taken, and the meal arrives hot and generous. We are often asked to cater farm and barn venues and vow renewals and civil ceremonies, serving canapé tapas, evening paella and a paella wedding breakfast.
For a smaller place like Crayford, a garden or farm wedding is often the dream. We’ll need a level spot and a way to reach it. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
Also near Crayford
More for events in Crayford
Planners, venues and businesses
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Send us your venue’s requirements and we’ll follow them.
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Planning for every diet
With a little notice, every diet is easy. Our advice:
- Send us the running order and speech times
- Choose pan-side or table service
- Put us in touch with your venue
- Ask whether your venue allows outside caterers
Fresh pans can be cooked for evening guests, timed for after the first dance.
A table tapas starter gets everyone sharing.
What affects the price in Crayford
Every event is priced individually, and the price depends on a few things:
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- How many guests are eating
- How long we’re needed on site
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
Getting an accurate quote
When you contact us, it helps to tell us:
- A picture of the space, if you can
- The courses you’d like
- The venue or postcode
- The date and rough timings
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. To send your details, use our quote form.
Crayford weddings: local tips
Crayford is about 2 miles west of Dartford, in Kent. We cook at weddings in homes, gardens and venues in Crayford and the surrounding area. We cook in all 922 towns and villages in Kent. We cook right across the region, from Crayford to London (12 miles away).
For guests travelling by train, Crayford has its own station, Crayford station. If you are hoping for photos in Braeburn Park, check whether the park needs permission for photography or gatherings.
Anywhere in DA1, DA5 and DA7, we can cook for your guests, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Local streets include Swan Lane, Dale Road and Ross Road; a wedding at home on any of them works well with live paella. Other places close to Crayford for wedding paella catering include Bowmans (1 mile south), Barnes Cray (1 mile north-east), Barnehurst (1 mile north-west), Coldblow (1 mile south-west) and Wilmington (1 mile south). Larger places within reach include Sevenoaks (12 miles south), Gravesend (9 miles east), Northfleet (7 miles east), Swanley (4 miles south), Swanscombe (5 miles east) and Windmill Hill (8 miles east).
Nearby you will also find West Hill Hospital (1.3 miles east) and Stone Castle (4.2 miles east). Open spaces near Crayford include Wansunt Pit.
- Nearby schools include Haberdashers' Aske's Crayford Academy (0.6 miles north-east) and St Catherine's Catholic School (1.1 miles west)
- Nearby, you will find The Bear and Ragged Staff pub (less than half a mile north-west)
- Parks and local facilities nearby include Colyers (1.6 miles north)
Where we can cook in Crayford
We will be honest if a space will not work, and help find another spot. The main points are:
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before booking.
On the menu in Crayford
- Dessert
- Evening paella
- Table tapas
- Canapé tapas
- Sangria & bar staff
- Paella wedding breakfast
The process
We arrive in good time before you want to eat, unload, set up the burners and prepare the stock. Your guests are welcome to watch while it cooks. Golden-hour photos in Crayford at midsummer come around 9:20pm, so we can time the evening paella around your photos. Sunset is around 8:50pm in late May and 7:05pm in late September.
- We start with your date, venue, numbers and ideas.
- We plan a menu with you, course by course, and confirm a quote.
- We agree timings with you and your venue, including speeches and photos.
- On the day we set up, cook live and serve each course as planned.
- Afterwards we clear our area; any staff you’ve booked stay as planned.
Getting ready for the day
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Have a level space ready for the pans
Getting a price
The quickest way to a quote is to send us your details through our quote form. Give us the details of your wedding, and we’ll put together a menu and price.
Planning help
A closer look at the menu
Desserts
Churros with chocolate, crema catalana or tarta de Santiago.
Evening paella
Fresh pans for evening guests, served quickly so the party keeps going.
Questions from Crayford
We’re having a ceremony at Church of St Paulinus: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is normally elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
Which station should guests use for Crayford?
Crayford station, in Crayford itself.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Of course. We cook vegetarian and vegan paellas in their own pans, alongside the meat and seafood pans.
How many paellas should we have?
Two or three is usual: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We’ll suggest a split based on your guests.
Do you cater in Crayford?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, and Crayford is within our area and the rest of Kent. For a quote, send us your details through our quote form.
When do you arrive?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. The rice itself takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
Will there be enough food?
Pans are sized to your numbers and other courses. Tell us what else is being served. Our guide to portions explains more.
Can you provide dessert?
We do. Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana, or you can serve your own cake.
Why choose wedding paella catering in Crayford?
Couples choose paella because it feels relaxed and generous, and because guests remember it.
We’re booked for all kinds of occasions in Crayford and nearby. Popular bookings include:
- Wedding receptions after a small ceremony
- Weddings with lots of dietary needs
- Food for evening guests
- Garden and marquee weddings
Couples marrying at local churches such as Church of St Paulinus often hold the reception nearby: the paella can be cooking while you have photos taken, so it’s ready as guests arrive.
Questions to ask before you book
- What the price includes, item by item
- Whether travel is included
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- If the price includes VAT
- 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