By Wayne Smith, live fire chef and founder of Daddy Bear Grills. Based at our private woodland in Kent.
TL;DR
BBQ catering in Kent means hiring a chef to cook a barbecue feast at your venue, home or event. Prices typically run from around £25 to £55 per head depending on the menu, guest numbers and travel. If you want more than sausages on a gas grill, look for a caterer who cooks over real fire (live fire or wood), builds a menu around your event, and handles setup and clear down for you. At Daddy Bear Grills we bring restaurant quality live fire cooking to weddings, private parties and corporate events across Kent. See our event catering options or get a quote.
What is BBQ catering and how does it work in Kent?
BBQ catering is when a professional chef and team cook a barbecue menu for your guests at a location of your choice. That could be a wedding venue, a village hall, your back garden, a corporate site or an open field. You agree the menu and guest numbers in advance, the caterer turns up with the equipment, food and fire, and they cook everything fresh on the day.
Good BBQ catering is a world away from a supermarket disposable grill. A proper caterer manages the whole process: sourcing produce, prepping, cooking to temperature, serving, and clearing away afterwards. You get to enjoy your own event instead of standing over a grill with a pair of tongs and a nervous smile.
In Kent you will find two broad styles. Hog roast caterers, who slow roast a whole pig on a machine, and live fire or barbecue caterers, who cook a wider spread of meats, fish and vegetables over open flame and wood. Both have their place. If you want variety, spectacle and a menu built around real fire, live fire catering is the one to look at.
What does live fire BBQ catering actually include?
Live fire cooking uses real flame and wood rather than gas burners. It is the oldest form of cooking there is, and it puts a depth of flavour into food that you simply cannot fake. When you book live fire BBQ catering with us, a typical event includes:
- A menu built around your event and dietary needs, not an off the shelf list
- Fresh, mostly local produce, prepped and cooked on the day
- Cooking over open fire and wood on proper fire pits and grills
- A chef and team who serve and manage the whole feast
- Full setup and clear down so you have nothing to tidy
- The theatre of watching flames, smoke and flavour come together in front of your guests
We cook at our private woodland in Kent for hands on experiences, and we travel to your venue or home for catering. If you want to understand why the wood matters so much to the flavour, our guide to the best wood for live fire cooking in the UK breaks it down.
How much does BBQ catering cost in Kent?
Cost is the first question most people ask, so let us be clear and honest about it. BBQ catering in Kent is usually priced per head, and the final figure depends on your menu, guest numbers, staffing and how far the team has to travel.
As a rough guide for 2026:
| Package type | Typical price per head | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Simple BBQ (burgers, sausages, salads) | £18 to £28 | Casual parties, larger crowds on a budget |
| Premium live fire menu (steaks, fish, slow cooked meats, sides) | £35 to £55 | Weddings, milestone celebrations, foodie crowds |
| Corporate event catering | £30 to £50 | Company days, client hospitality, team celebrations |
| VIP private dining | From £75 | Intimate high end dinners, special occasions |
These are general market ranges to help you plan, not a fixed quote, because every event is different. A 20 person garden party and a 150 person wedding are two very different jobs. The best way to get an accurate figure is to tell us your date, location, guest numbers and rough menu idea, and we will build a quote around it. Ask for a quote here.
What can you serve at a BBQ catered event?
This is where live fire really earns its keep. A good caterer does not just throw burgers on a grill. Expect a spread that might include:
- Slow cooked and smoked meats such as brisket, pulled pork and short rib
- Live fire steaks and chops cooked over flame
- Whole fish and seafood grilled over wood
- Flame roasted and charred seasonal vegetables
- Fresh flatbreads, salads and sharing sides
- Vegetarian and vegan dishes cooked with the same care, not an afterthought
We always plan menus around the season and the event. A summer wedding feast looks different to an autumn corporate day, and both should feel deliberate rather than generic. If you have vegetarians, vegans or allergies in the group, a proper caterer plans for them from the start.
BBQ catering for weddings in Kent
Barbecue weddings have exploded in popularity, and for good reason. They feel relaxed, sociable and personal in a way a formal sit down sometimes does not. A live fire feast gets guests talking, brings people to their feet, and gives you a genuine wow moment as the flames go up.
For weddings we can cater the wedding breakfast, an evening feast, or both. Sharing style feasting works brilliantly for the relaxed, everyone dig in feel that suits an outdoor or barn wedding. If you want something more intimate for a smaller celebration, our VIP private dining service brings the same live fire quality to a more exclusive setting.
BBQ catering for corporate events and team days
Fire brings people together, and that makes it a brilliant fit for corporate events. Whether you want catering for a company summer party, client hospitality, a product launch or a team celebration, a live fire feast turns a standard work do into something people actually remember.
If you want your team to get hands on rather than just eat, that is a slightly different thing. Our corporate team building days in Kent get colleagues cooking over fire together, which does more for team spirit than another escape room ever will. For pure catering where you just want brilliant food handled for you, our corporate event catering service is the one.
How do you choose a BBQ caterer in Kent?
Not all BBQ catering is equal, and the cheapest quote is rarely the best value. Here is what to check before you book anyone:
- How do they cook? Gas and disposable grills are convenient but flat on flavour. Real fire and wood deliver the taste and the theatre.
- Is the menu tailored? A caterer who builds around your event and dietary needs will always beat a fixed menu.
- Who is cooking? Ask about the chef and their experience. You want someone who lives and breathes fire cooking.
- What is included? Confirm setup, serving, clear down, staffing and travel so there are no surprises on the invoice.
- Can they show past work? Photos, reviews and real examples tell you far more than a price list.
At Daddy Bear Grills, live fire is not a gimmick we bolt on. It is the whole point. Every event is chef led, cooked over real flame, and built around what you actually want. If you are still weighing up the different ways to work with us, our guide to BBQ experiences in Kent lays out the full range from classes to catering.
Why live fire beats a standard BBQ
A standard barbecue feeds people. Live fire catering gives them an experience. The difference is in the flavour that only wood and flame can create, the spectacle of open fire cooking in front of your guests, and the care that goes into a menu made for your event. For a wedding, a big birthday or a corporate day you want to get right, that difference is exactly what people remember.
Ready to book BBQ catering in Kent?
If you are planning a wedding, party or corporate event in Kent and you want food people will still talk about months later, we would love to cook for you. Tell us your date, location and rough guest numbers, and we will put together a menu and quote.
Explore our event catering or get in touch for a quote. Flavour in every flame, memories in every meal.
Frequently asked questions
How much does BBQ catering cost per person in Kent? Most BBQ catering in Kent falls between roughly £18 and £55 per head. Simple menus sit at the lower end, while premium live fire feasts with steaks, fish and slow cooked meats sit higher. Guest numbers, travel and staffing all affect the final price, so the best move is to request a tailored quote.
Do you travel to my venue or home? Yes. We cook hands on experiences at our private woodland in Kent, and for catering we bring the fire, equipment and team to your venue, home or event location across Kent.
Can you cater for vegetarians, vegans and allergies? Absolutely. We plan menus around your guests from the start, with proper vegetarian and vegan dishes cooked with the same care as everything else, plus clear handling of allergies and dietary needs.
How far in advance should I book? For weddings and peak summer dates, book as early as you can, ideally several months ahead. For smaller events and corporate days we can sometimes work to shorter timelines, so it is always worth asking about your date.
What is the difference between a hog roast and live fire BBQ catering? A hog roast slow roasts a whole pig, usually on a machine, and centres the meal on that. Live fire BBQ catering cooks a wider spread of meats, fish and vegetables over open flame and wood, giving you more variety and a bigger sense of occasion.