Zaiqa Catering

The warmth of Kabul,
at your table.

Slow-braised lamb, saffron palaw and open-flame kabab, an Afghan feast staged like a cinematic evening, brought to your table.

Plan your eventExplore the menu
Rated 5.0 across 1,200+ weddings, dinners & events
skewered and seared over open coals, the Afghan way

Charcoal

skewered and seared over open coals, the Afghan way

A taste of Afghanistan

The flavours, flowing.

From slow-braised lamb to saffron sweets, a living showcase of the dishes Afghanistan is famous for.

Qabuli Palaw

Qabili Palaw

Qabuli Palaw

Mantu

Mantoo

Mantu

Ashak

Aushak

Ashak

Chapli Kebab

Chapli Kabab

Chapli Kebab

Chicken Kebab

Murgh Kabab

Chicken Kebab

Lamb Kebab

Kabab-e Barg

Lamb Kebab

Borani Banjan

Borani Banjan

Borani Banjan

Firni

Firni

Firni

Sheer Khurma

Sheer Khurma

Sheer Khurma

Qabuli Palaw

Qabili Palaw

Qabuli Palaw

Mantu

Mantoo

Mantu

Ashak

Aushak

Ashak

Chapli Kebab

Chapli Kabab

Chapli Kebab

Chicken Kebab

Murgh Kabab

Chicken Kebab

Lamb Kebab

Kabab-e Barg

Lamb Kebab

Borani Banjan

Borani Banjan

Borani Banjan

Firni

Firni

Firni

Sheer Khurma

Sheer Khurma

Sheer Khurma

Sheer Khurma

Sheer Khurma

Sheer Khurma

Firni

Firni

Firni

Borani Banjan

Borani Banjan

Borani Banjan

Lamb Kebab

Kabab-e Barg

Lamb Kebab

Chicken Kebab

Murgh Kabab

Chicken Kebab

Chapli Kebab

Chapli Kabab

Chapli Kebab

Ashak

Aushak

Ashak

Mantu

Mantoo

Mantu

Qabuli Palaw

Qabili Palaw

Qabuli Palaw

Sheer Khurma

Sheer Khurma

Sheer Khurma

Firni

Firni

Firni

Borani Banjan

Borani Banjan

Borani Banjan

Lamb Kebab

Kabab-e Barg

Lamb Kebab

Chicken Kebab

Murgh Kabab

Chicken Kebab

Chapli Kebab

Chapli Kabab

Chapli Kebab

Ashak

Aushak

Ashak

Mantu

Mantoo

Mantu

Qabuli Palaw

Qabili Palaw

Qabuli Palaw

A generous Afghan spread of grilled meats, bread and sides laid out to share

12 hrs

over low coals, until the lamb gives way on its own

Our story

A table set in Kabul, carried across the world.

Zaiqa began in a family kitchen where the rice was rinsed seven times and the saffron came wrapped in cloth. Three generations later, we cook the same way, slowly, generously, and with the belief that a meal is the warmest thing one person can give another.

Today we bring that table to weddings, private dinners and events, staged with the precision of a fine-dining kitchen and the soul of a home.

Mehman-nawazi

the Afghan art of honouring a guest

Mohammad Ali Paiman

Mohammad Ali Paiman

Founder & Head Chef

30+

years at the stove

Meet the chef

The hands behind the feast.

Mohammad Ali Paiman learned to cook at his mother’s side in Kabul, where a pot of palaw fed twenty and no guest ever left hungry. He carried those recipes, and that generosity, across the world.

Three decades on, he still rinses the rice by hand, sources saffron from the same valley, and tastes every qorma before it leaves the kitchen. For him, catering is not a business, it is hospitality, cooked at scale.

“If a guest leaves remembering the meal, I have done my job.”
Mohammad Ali Paiman
Why Zaiqa

Catering you can trust, taste you’ll remember.

100% Halal

Every dish is fully halal, from certified suppliers, no exceptions, ever.

Fresh, made to order

Cooked the same day on site or in our kitchen, never frozen, never reheated.

Family recipes

Three generations of Kabul home cooking, measured by hand and memory.

Fully-staffed service

Chefs, servers and clear-down included, you host, we handle the rest.

Quality you can taste

Premium cuts, saffron and spice from houses we trust, every plate held to a fine-dining standard.

Mehman-nawazi

The Afghan art of honouring a guest, generosity is built into every menu.

Our cuisines

Two kitchens, one table.

From an Afghan feast of saffron palaw and open-flame kabab to a traditional Norwegian table for Christmas, Easter and every celebration in between, we cater both, beautifully.

Afghan Catering

Saffron palaw, slow-braised lamb and open-flame kabab, a cinematic Afghan feast.

  • Qabuli palaw & kabab
  • Halal, made fresh
  • Weddings & nikah
Explore Afghan menu

Norwegian Catering

Ribbe, pinnekjøtt and the full koldtbord, traditional Norwegian fare for the seasons.

  • Julebord & påske
  • 17th of May spreads
  • Everyday classics
Explore Norwegian menu
What we do

From an intimate eight to a thousand.

Weddings & Nikah

Multi-course banquets for 100-1,000 guests, with palaw stations, live kabab grills and a sweet table styled to your colours.

100-1,000 guests

Private Dinners

Intimate chef’s-table evenings in your home, plated and paced like a tasting menu with a story behind every dish.

8-40 guests

Corporate & Events

Launches, conferences and Eid gatherings catered end-to-end, grazing tables, service staff and full clear-down included.

30-600 guests

Quality You Can Taste

Premium cuts, saffron and basmati sourced from houses we have trusted for years, cooked fresh and held to a fine-dining standard on every plate.

Any size

The Zaiqa experience

Four steps to a table no one wants to leave.

01

The Conversation

We begin with your story, the occasion, the guests, the flavours that mean home. Nothing on our menu is fixed.

02

The Menu

Our head chef designs a bespoke progression, sourcing saffron, basmati and spice from the same houses we have used for years.

03

The Table

Styling, service and timing rehearsed to the minute, so the evening unfolds like a single, unhurried breath.

04

The Feast

We arrive, we cook, we serve, we vanish, leaving only the memory of a table no one wanted to leave.

0+

Events catered

0yrs

Of family recipes

0k

Guests served

0.0

Average rating

Kind words

What our guests remember.

“The lamb was so tender it gave way at the touch of a fork. Three hundred guests went silent at the first bite, I have never seen that before.”
Soraya & DanielSoraya & DanielWedding, The Orangery
“Zaiqa turned our product launch into something people still talk about. The live kabab station was pure theatre.”
Marcus LindqvistMarcus LindqvistHead of Brand, Nordia
“Every detail, from the saffron firni to the gold leaf, felt considered. It tasted like a memory of my grandmother’s kitchen.”
Yalda RahimiYalda RahimiEid Banquet, Private Residence
FAQ

Questions, answered.

Everything you need to know before we begin. Can’t find your question?

Ask us directly

  • Yes. Every dish we cook is fully halal, prepared with meat from trusted, certified suppliers.

  • Absolutely. Every menu is bespoke, we build it around your guests, your occasion and the flavours that mean home to you. The packages are simply a starting point.

  • Yes. Let us know about any allergies or dietary requirements when you enquire and we will adapt the menu, including vegetarian and nut-free options, with clear labelling on the day.

  • We recommend booking 2-6 weeks ahead for most events, and as early as possible for weddings and large gatherings, as peak dates fill quickly.

  • Yes. Professional service staff are included with our Gold and Custom Catering packages, and available as an add-on for any event, from plating to full clear-down.

  • We cater across London and the South East, including Surrey, Kent, Essex, Hertfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, and travel further afield for weddings and larger events by arrangement.

Booking

Check your date.

Pick the day of your event below and send it with your enquiry, we confirm availability within 24 hours. We recommend booking at least two weeks ahead.

 

Mon
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Fri
Sat
Sun
Open to bookShort notice (under 2 weeks)

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Enquire

Let’s set your table.

Tell us about your occasion and we’ll design a menu around it. We reply to every enquiry within 24 hours, usually with a few questions and a craving.

Email
hello@zaiqacatering.com
Phone
+44 (0) 20 7946 0820
Serving
London & the South East