Kent · England
Wedding Paella Catering in Ottinge
Paella catering for weddings, from canapés to the wedding breakfast and evening food in Ottinge: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, right in front of your guests.
- Informal wedding breakfasts
- Evening wedding food
- Blessings and vow renewals
Book wedding paella catering in Ottinge
How our wedding paella catering works in Ottinge
We can cater your whole wedding day or one part of it: canapé tapas with the drinks, table tapas, paella for the wedding breakfast, evening food and desserts. On the menu are canapé tapas, a paella wedding breakfast and evening paella, and we’re regularly asked to cater destination-style celebrations at home and evening wedding food.
There’s something special about a country wedding near Ottinge, and paella cooking in the open air adds to it. Plan for access and a wet-weather cover. Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included, each in a separate pan.
What’s in the pans
Desserts
A sweet finish: Spanish desserts or your own cake.
Evening paella
Fresh pans for evening guests, quick to serve and filling.
Prices and what affects them
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, because of:
- The length of service
- Parking and unloading
- Guest numbers
- Whether you need crockery
If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we’ll put together a menu that fits. A simple menu can still feel generous.
What to tell us
You don’t need everything decided to ask for a quote, but it helps to know:
- What the venue already provides
- Which courses you have in mind
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- Diets and allergies you know about
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, along with any dietary needs, and you will get a menu idea and a price. To get started, use our quote form.
Step by step
We arrive in good time before you want to eat, set up the cooking area and get the stock going. Your guests are welcome to watch while it cooks. In Ottinge, midsummer sunset is about 9:15pm, and by late September it is nearer 7:00pm, so an evening paella for evening guests is typically served in daylight in high summer. Later in the year, plan lighting: in December it’s dark by about 3:50pm.
- Tell us your 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
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
How to get a price
Every quote is put together for your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we will confirm whether we are available that day.
Related guides
Planning for every diet
With a little notice, every diet is easy. Our advice:
- Check the venue’s rules for outside caterers
- Add a dietary question to your RSVP cards
- Connect us with your coordinator
- Include any suppliers you’re feeding
The pans are often set up where guests can see them, which makes a lovely backdrop for photos.
Crockery, cutlery and waiting staff are available if your venue doesn’t.
Why choose wedding paella catering in Ottinge?
It fills the gap between ceremony and meal: watch the pans.
Live paella suits almost any gathering. People in Ottinge book us for events such as:
- Weddings with lots of dietary needs
- Weddings with a Spanish theme
- Civil partnerships and vow renewals
- Barn and farm weddings
Historic houses near Ottinge include Acrise Place (1.6 miles east) and Westenhanger Castle (4.2 miles south-west). Historic houses and estates frequently have their own rules on caterers and cooking, so check early if that’s your venue.
What your quote should include
- How bad weather is handled
- The venue requirements
- The deposit and payment dates
- The deadline for final numbers
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it is harder than it looks. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Ottinge questions
Do you cater in the Kent Downs National Landscape?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We’ll follow the site rules.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St Mary the Virgin?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking generally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
Can you do gluten-free paella?
We can, if you tell us in advance. The rice is gluten-free, but stocks and chorizo can contain gluten, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
Do you come to Ottinge?
Yes, we do. Ottinge is one of the places we cover. Tell us your date and we will check availability.
How many different paellas?
Two or three is usual: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We’ll help you decide the split.
When should we book?
As early as you can, especially for summer weekends. Ask about your date even if it is soon.
What areas do you cover?
We cover London and the South East, including Kent. Find your area.
Will you talk to our venue?
Yes. We are happy to talk to your venue about access, timings and requirements.
Places near Ottinge
More for events in Ottinge
Why choose live paella in Ottinge?
Food vans can create long queues. Paella pans serve many guests quickly. When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
Why choose Love Paella in Ottinge
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Drinks service on request
- Fast service from the pan
Planning the cooking area
Most outdoor spaces and many venues work for live paella, but a few things matter:
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think before you book.
Menu ideas
- Paella wedding breakfast
- Canapé tapas
- Evening paella
- Sangria & bar staff
- Table tapas
- Dessert
Wedding venues and ceremonies near Ottinge
Ottinge is about 5 miles north of Hythe, in Kent. We cater weddings at homes, gardens and venues in Ottinge and nearby villages. Ottinge is one of 922 towns and villages in Kent we cover. We cook right across the region, from Ottinge to Canterbury (about 10 miles away).
Cheriton Hill nearby makes a lovely backdrop for photos, and the countryside around Ottinge suits an outdoor reception. For guests travelling by train, Sandling station is about 3.7 miles away. With the Kent Downs National Landscape within about 2 miles, there are country venues, barns and gardens nearby. Check vehicle access and cooking rules with the venue. With the coast within about 6 miles, a seafood paella suits a seaside-style wedding. Coastal wind needs a sheltered cooking spot.
Here we cover the CT4 postcode area. Whether your wedding is on Canterbury Road, Boyke Lane and Shuttlesfield Lane or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. For weddings just outside Ottinge, we cover Lyminge (1 mile south-west), Rhodes Minnis (1 mile west), Woodland (1 mile west), Skeete (2 miles south-west) and Hemsted (2 miles west). Larger places within reach include Ashford (10 miles west), Canterbury (10 miles north), Dover (9 miles east), Folkestone (5 miles south-east), Whitstable (15 miles north) and Deal (14 miles east).
Nearby you’ll also find Elham Valley Countryside Centre And Railway Museum (3 miles south) and Folkestone Castle (4 miles south-east). Open spaces near Ottinge include Cheriton Hill.
- 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