Kent · England
Wedding Paella Catering in Ruckinge
Paella catering for weddings, from canapés to the wedding breakfast and evening food in Ruckinge: paella cooked from scratch in giant pans, in full view of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Relaxed sharing-style wedding breakfasts
- Barn and farm weddings
- Big weddings with every diet
Book wedding paella catering in Ruckinge
Wedding paella catering for your wedding in Ruckinge
Evening paella is a favourite: hot, filling and served quickly from the pan, so evening guests are fed and the dancing carries on. On the menu are evening paella, a paella wedding breakfast and canapé tapas, and we’re regularly asked to cater weddings with a Spanish theme and barn and farm weddings.
A wedding in a small place like Ruckinge often means a field, a barn or a family garden. That is exactly where live paella shines: no kitchen needed, just a level, sheltered spot. Let us know about access and ground. Every pan is cooked in front of your guests, so the food is hot, fresh and part of the occasion.
Live paella or other catering?
Compared with formal catering, live paella is relaxed and sociable, but with canapés, table tapas and good crockery, it still feels special. Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so your choice of paellas affects the total. Tell us your budget and we will suggest a menu.
Why book with us
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
- A clear, itemised quote
- Drinks service on request
Catering for every guest
With a little notice, every diet is easy. Our advice:
- Introduce us to your venue coordinator
- Include any suppliers you’re feeding
- Book early for summer Saturdays
- Ask whether your venue allows outside caterers
Fresh pans can be cooked for evening guests, normally timed after the first dance.
Table tapas make a sociable starter.
Ruckinge: your questions answered
Is Ruckinge too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Is Ruckinge close to London?
Roughly 52 miles from the centre of London.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Yes. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, while the rice is cooking.
How much space do you need?
Less than you might think: a level spot clear of fences, hedges and branches, with room for a serving table. Send us a picture if you’re not sure.
How long do you need on site?
That depends on your menu and numbers. We agree the timings in advance so the paella is ready when you want it.
How do you work out quantities?
Quantities depend on numbers, timing and courses, with a sensible margin. Accurate numbers help.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We pack down our cooking area after service. Waiting staff can clear tables if you book them.
Can you cater the whole day?
Any part of the day, or all of it, from canapés to evening food.
Wedding venues and ceremonies near Ruckinge
Ruckinge is about 5 miles south of Ashford, in Kent. For wedding paella catering in Ruckinge, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices. Ruckinge is one of 922 places in Kent we cover. Our events stretch from Ruckinge to Canterbury (about 17 miles away).
Couples marrying at local churches such as Church of St Mary Magdalene frequently hold the reception nearby: the paella can be cooking while you have photos taken, so the meal is ready when you arrive. Orlestone Forest nearby makes a lovely backdrop for photos.
Wherever your wedding is in TN26, we can cook for your guests. Whether your wedding is on Oak Ridge and Hamstreet Road or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. Other places close to Ruckinge for wedding paella catering include Hamstreet (1 mile west), Stone Cross (2 miles north), Orlestone (2 miles north-west), Bromley Green (3 miles north-west) and Kenardington (3 miles west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Ashford (5 miles north), Folkestone (12 miles east), Hythe (8 miles east), Hawkinge (12 miles east), Tenterden (9 miles west) and Cheriton (11 miles east).
Other landmarks nearby include William Harvey Hospital (5.3 miles north). Not far away are Orlestone Forest.
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. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Some hosts like to cook themselves. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather be with your guests, we’ll do the cooking.
How it works
The paella is cooked in giant, shallow pans over gas burners. We need a level, ventilated spot, which we agree with you beforehand. At midsummer, sunset in Ruckinge is about 9:15pm, which helps us time evening food around your photos. In late May, sunset is about 8:45pm, and in late September about 7:00pm.
- First, we check your date.
- You pick the courses and dishes.
- We confirm the plan with your coordinator.
- Guests watch the paella cook during the reception.
- We serve and clear our cooking area.
Before we arrive
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Ensure we can park close by to unload
Ask for a quote
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. When you are ready, use our quote form.
Planning help
What affects the price in Ruckinge
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Timings and hours
- Distance and access to the venue
- Guest numbers
There is no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. We itemise everything in your quote.
What we need to know
To speed things up, tell us:
- The date and time of the event
- Where the event is
- Which courses you have in mind
- A picture of where we’d cook
Every quote is put together for your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll check availability at the same time.
Nearby places to Ruckinge
What else we do in Ruckinge
Working with your venue
If you are organising for someone else, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we are happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It saves passing messages back and forth.
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we’ll keep you updated on timings and set-up.
What’s in the pans
Table tapas
Sharing tapas breaks the ice before the paella arrives.
Evening paella
Fresh pans for evening guests, quick to serve and filling.
Occasions we cook for in Ruckinge
It’s a natural fit for barns, marquees and gardens, where plated meals are harder.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. In Ruckinge, people book us for occasions like:
- Food for evening guests
- Weddings with lots of dietary needs
- Civil partnerships and vow renewals
- Marquee and garden weddings
For guests travelling by train, Ham Street station is about 1.5 miles away.
Questions to ask before you book
- The deadline for final numbers
- Travel and parking costs
- What happens if it rains
- Staff numbers and hours
- 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