Kent · England
Wedding Paella Catering in Dartford
Paella catering for weddings, from canapés to the wedding breakfast and evening food in Dartford: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, in full view of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Barn and farm weddings
- Garden and marquee weddings
- Vow renewals and civil ceremonies
Wedding paella catering in Dartford
How the day works
Once the rice is in, we don’t stir it. That’s what gives paella its separate grains and crispy base. The smell normally draws people over. For a summer wedding in Dartford, the sun sets at about 9:20pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, so an evening paella for evening guests is usually served in daylight in high summer. Later in the year, plan lighting: in December it is dark by about 3:50pm.
- Send us your wedding date, venue and numbers.
- Together we plan each course.
- Timings are agreed with your venue.
- We cook live on the day and serve each course.
- We pack down, and staff stay as agreed.
Preparing for the day
- Ensure we can park close by to unload
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
- Make sure the spot is clear of anything flammable
How to get a price
To get a price, use our quote form. Give us the details of your wedding, and we will put together a menu and price.
Planning help
Wedding paella catering in Dartford, cooked live
Mixed diets are easy at a paella wedding: every paella is cooked separately, so every guest gets a proper hot main. We’re often asked to cater civil partnerships and vow renewals and destination-style celebrations at home, serving table tapas, evening paella and canapé tapas.
For a wedding in Dartford, a marquee in a family garden or a hall with outside space keeps things personal. Live paella suits that kind of day. Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included, each in a separate pan.
What’s in the pans
Paella wedding breakfast
A choice of paellas, served at the pans or to the tables.
Desserts
A sweet finish: churros, crema catalana or your wedding cake.
What we need at the venue
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so we need a suitable spot. These are the things we check:
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- A separate open-sided gazebo if the meal is in a marquee
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before booking.
On the menu in Dartford
- Paella wedding breakfast
- Table tapas
- Evening paella
- Sangria & bar staff
- Dessert
- Canapé tapas
Live paella or other catering?
A buffet can leave food sitting out. Paella goes straight from pan to plate. Larger events generally cost less per head, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
Why book with us
- Drinks service on request
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- Fast service from the pan
- A quote that spells everything out
See Our prices page Or The cost guide.
What wedding paella catering costs
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, because of:
- Whether you need crockery
- Travel, parking and access
- The paellas you choose
- How many staff you need
Got a budget? Let us know, and we’ll put together a menu that fits. Even a simple menu can be a feast.
What we need to know
These details help us quote quickly:
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- Your date and when you want to eat
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- The courses you’d like
Thinking about wedding paella catering for your wedding in Dartford? Send us the details and we’ll come back with ideas and a quote. To contact us, use our quote form.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
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.
Diets, allergies and planning
Nearly every event has some special diets. To cater well for them:
- Share your running order, including speeches
- Choose pan-side or table service
- Collect dietary needs on the RSVP
- Connect us with your coordinator
After service, we pack down our cooking area; any staff stay as long as agreed.
Canapé tapas with the drinks reception keep guests going during photos.
Getting married in Dartford?
Dartford is about 14 miles east of London, in Kent. Give us the address of your wedding in Dartford, and we’ll plan access and set-up before the day. We cater in 922 places in Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. We cook right across the region, from Dartford to London (about 14 miles away).
Put the station on your invitation: Dartford has its own station, Dartford station. Wansunt Pit nearby makes a lovely backdrop for photos. With the Kent Downs National Landscape within about 8 miles, there are country venues, barns and gardens nearby. Check vehicle access and cooking rules with the venue.
Here we cover the DA1, DA2, DA5 and DA13 postcode area, so your wedding can be anywhere in it. Local streets include High Street, Market Street and Temple Hill Square; a wedding at home on any of them works well with live paella. Main roads around Dartford include the A2 and A206, which makes travel to your wedding easy. Close by, we cover weddings in Temple Hill (1 mile north), Hawley (1 mile south), Stone (2 miles east), Clement Street (2 miles south) and Darenth (2 miles south-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Sevenoaks (11 miles south), Gravesend (7 miles east), Northfleet (5 miles east), Swanley (4 miles south-west), Kings Hill (14 miles south-east) and Swanscombe (3 miles east). Dartford is one of the larger places we cover in Kent, with lots of choice for weddings.
A little further out are West Hill Hospital (0.6 miles west) and Stone Castle (2.3 miles east). Not far away are Wansunt Pit and Sawyers Lake.
- Local schools include Leigh Academy (0.7 miles south-east) and Stone Lodge School (1.1 miles east)
- Nearby, you will find The Rose pub (within half a mile north-west)
- Other local spots include Colyers (2.9 miles north-west)
Occasions we cook for in Dartford
Paella can work for the wedding breakfast, the evening, or both, so it is flexible.
Big or small, live paella works well. Common bookings include:
- Food for evening guests
- Farm and barn venues
- Garden and marquee weddings
- Informal wedding breakfasts
If you are marrying at a church near Dartford, such as Church of the Holy Trinity, a reception in a garden, marquee or hired venue nearby keeps the day flowing: the paella can be cooking while you have photos taken, so it’s ready as guests arrive.
Questions to ask before booking
- What happens if it rains
- If the price includes VAT
- Travel and parking costs
- The deposit and payment dates
Also near Dartford
Other catering in Dartford
Dartford: your questions answered
What’s the nearest station to Dartford for guests?
Dartford has its own station: Dartford station.
Can you cook at venues in the Kent Downs National Landscape?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We’ll work to whatever the site needs.
Can you cook halal paella?
Yes, we do. We use halal chicken and leave out pork and alcohol, in a separate pan.
Which areas do you serve?
We cater across London and the South East, Kent included. Find your area.
How soon do we need to book?
As soon as you have a date. Popular dates book up first, so it pays to ask early.
What if the weather’s bad?
We need a covered spot, such as a gazebo, marquee or open-sided barn with good ventilation. We plan for rain with you in advance.
Can you serve drinks?
We can make sangria, and we can staff a bar with your drinks.
How long do you need on site?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. The rice itself takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
- 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