Kent · England
Wedding paella catering in Lilyvale, Kent
Something for every guest: meat, seafood, vegetarian and vegan pans side by side. Paella catering for weddings, from canapés to the wedding breakfast and evening food for events in Lilyvale.
- Marquee and garden weddings
- Rustic barn weddings
- Weddings with lots of dietary needs
Wedding paella catering in Lilyvale
Wedding paella catering in Lilyvale, made fresh on the day
We can add sangria, bar staff, crockery and waiting staff, so the catering fits the way you want your day to feel. Popular choices include a paella wedding breakfast, canapé tapas and table tapas, and we are often booked for weddings with a Spanish theme and relaxed sharing-style wedding breakfasts.
A wedding in a small place like Lilyvale often means a field, a barn or a family garden. That is exactly where live paella shines: no kitchen, just a level, sheltered spot. Tell us about lanes, gates and ground conditions. You will know exactly what’s included before booking: the menu, the staff and any extras, with no surprises on the day.
Lilyvale: your questions answered
Can you cook at venues in the Kent Downs National Landscape?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We will work to whatever the site needs.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St Mary?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking generally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
Do you do canapés and evening food too?
Any part of the day, or all of it, from the drinks reception to the evening.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes, we do. We use halal chicken and leave out pork and alcohol, in a separate pan.
How long does the paella take?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
Where do you cater?
London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
How many different paellas?
Most events have two or three: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We will suggest a split based on your guests.
Is the paella gluten-free?
Yes, on request. Rice is naturally gluten-free, but stock and some ingredients may not be, so we cook a gluten-free paella separately.
For planners, venues and organisers
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so guests are fed quickly. Tell us how long you have for food.
Organising a club, school or community event in Lilyvale? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Give us the details and we will suggest a plan.
Events we cater in Lilyvale
Couples choose paella because it feels relaxed and generous, and guests talk about it afterwards.
We’re booked for all kinds of occasions in Lilyvale and nearby. Popular bookings include:
- Relaxed sharing-style wedding breakfasts
- Evening food for extra guests
- Vow renewals and civil ceremonies
- Marquee and garden weddings
Nearby historic houses include Westenhanger Castle (2.7 miles south-east). If your reception is at a historic house or estate, ask early about its rules on caterers and live cooking.
What to look for in a quote
- Payment terms and deposit
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
Should I cook it myself?
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
Also near Lilyvale
More for events in Lilyvale
About the dishes
Table tapas
Sharing tapas breaks the ice.
Evening paella
Paella makes great evening food.
What we need at the venue
Every venue is different, so we ask about the space before we confirm. In general, we need:
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- A cooking spot outside the marquee, not inside it
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think.
Menu ideas
- Dessert
- Table tapas
- Sangria & bar staff
- Canapé tapas
- Evening paella
- Paella wedding breakfast
Diets, allergies and planning
Allergies and diets are taken seriously. Here’s how you can help:
- Add a dietary question to your RSVP cards
- Put us in touch with your venue
- Count day and evening guests separately
- Tell us when speeches will be
The pans are frequently set up where guests can see them, and it makes a great photo.
Canapé tapas with the drinks reception keep guests going during photos.
What wedding paella catering costs
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- How many courses
- How long we are needed on site
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
Got a budget? Let us know, and we’ll put together a menu that fits. A simple menu can still feel generous.
What to tell us
These details help us quote quickly:
- Your date and when you want to eat
- Expected numbers
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- Where the event is
Not sure what you need yet? No problem: give us the basics about your wedding, and we will make suggestions. Start when you are ready: send us your details through our quote form.
Step by step
When we arrive, we set up the burners and pans and start cooking the sofrito and stock. The rice goes in about 20 minutes before serving, so the timing is planned around your event. In Lilyvale, midsummer sunset is about 9:15pm, and by late September it is nearer 7:00pm, which means evening paella is usually served in daylight in June and July. For autumn and winter weddings, when it is dark by about 3:50pm in December, plan lighting for the cooking area.
- Send us your wedding date, venue and numbers.
- We plan your menu course by course.
- We agree timings with you and your venue.
- We cook live on the day and serve each course.
- We pack down, and staff stay as agreed.
Preparing for the day
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
- Give us a contact for the day
Get a quote
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. When you’re ready, fill in our quote form.
Related guides
Wedding venues and ceremonies near Lilyvale
Lilyvale is about 5 miles east of Ashford, in Kent. Whether your wedding is in the middle of Lilyvale or on the outskirts, we offer the same service: live cooking, separate pans for every diet and a clear price. We cook in 922 places in Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. We cook right across the region, from Lilyvale to Canterbury (12 miles away).
Hatch Park nearby makes a lovely backdrop for photos. If you are marrying at a church near Lilyvale, such as Church of St Mary, 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. With the Kent Downs National Landscape within about 5 miles, there are country venues, barns and gardens nearby. Check vehicle access and cooking rules with the venue. The sea is within about 6 miles, perfect for a seafood paella wedding. Coastal wind needs a sheltered cooking spot.
We cover weddings in every part of the TN25 postcode area. Close by, we cover weddings in Brabourne Lees (1 mile north-west), Stone Hill (1 mile south-east), Smeeth (1 mile north-west), Ridgeway (1 mile west) and Bircholt Forstal (1 mile north). We also cook in nearby towns such as Ashford (5 miles west), Canterbury (12 miles north), Dover (14 miles east), Folkestone (8 miles east), Faversham (14 miles north) and Hythe (5 miles south-east).
Nearby you will also find Lympne Castle (3.6 miles south-east) and William Harvey Hospital (3.4 miles north-west). The countryside around Lilyvale includes Tolsford Hill and Hatch Park.
- 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