England

Paella catering in Hampshire

We cook live paella at weddings, parties, corporate events and festivals in 683 towns and villages across Hampshire.

Catering in Hampshire

Pick a service to see all the towns we cover for it, or find your town in the A to Z below.

Largest places

Our paella catering in Hampshire

We cook every paella from scratch on the day, beginning with a sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, then the stock, saffron and rice. Popular choices include chicken and chorizo paella, vegetable paella and vegan paella, and typical bookings are for garden parties and summer barbecues and fairs, fêtes and festivals.

When we arrive, we set up our cooking area, light the burners and start the sofrito. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, so the timing is planned around your event.

Start with the date, the place and the numbers.
We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
A week or so before, we confirm the plan.
We set up, cook from scratch and keep an eye on your timings.
We serve, then leave our area tidy.

What it costs in Hampshire

The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, plus any staff, crockery and travel. We quote for each event individually.

Why choose Love Paella

Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
Drinks service on request
Real theatre, not just catering
Events across Hampshire

Ask for a quote

We need only a few details to quote: date, location, guest numbers and diets. To send them, send us your details through our quote form.

Around Basingstoke

We cook for events around King's Furlong Infant School and Nursery, Cranbourne and Eastrop Park, among other places. Other local landmarks include The Rising Sun pub (0.5 miles north-east), St Michael's Church (0.5 miles east) and The Costello School (1 mile east). The closest station to Basingstoke is Basingstoke station, about 0.6 miles east. Nearby you will also find Basing House (2.2 miles east) and The Malls (0.6 miles east). Not far away are Farleigh Hill and Daneshill Park Woods.

Catering events across Hampshire

Across Hampshire, we cook in 23 towns and 538 villages and hamlets, so the setting can be anything from Basingstoke, Winchester and Gosport to a quiet hamlet: a level, ventilated spot and a clear plan. The New Forest National Park, the South Downs National Park and the Surrey Hills National Landscape are within easy reach of places across Hampshire, where some venues have extra rules about vehicles and cooking. 143 of the places we cover in Hampshire are within about 6 miles of the sea, where we always plan shelter from the wind, and seafood paella is popular.

Basingstoke: For a christening or wedding at a church such as St Michael's Church, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. Historic houses near Basingstoke include The Vyne (2.9 miles north). Historic venues often limit cooking, so ask early if you are booking one. Planning an evening event in Basingstoke? Sunset is around 8:55pm in late May, 9:25pm at midsummer and 7:10pm in late September; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.

The menu, dish by dish

Black rice

Arroz negro is coloured and flavoured with squid ink, traditionally with alioli. It’s a striking addition to a seafood menu.

Vegetable and vegan paella

A slow sofrito, seasonal vegetables and a good vegetable stock make a proper main dish. For vegans, the stock is plant-based.

Live paella or other catering?

Next to a hog roast or barbecue, paella makes vegetarian, vegan and halal guests easier to cater for, because each paella has its own pan. It’s served quickly from the pan, so queues move.

Questions to ask before booking

How bad weather is handled
If the price includes VAT
Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
The venue requirements

Can I cook paella for a crowd 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.

You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but there is shopping, prep and hours of cooking. We take care of all of it.

Diets, allergies and planning

Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. We suggest:

Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
Mention any other courses or food
Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
Confirm allergies by email

If you’ve booked staff, they’ll serve, clear and help keep things moving, so you can relax.

Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana finish the meal.

Planners, venues and businesses

Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Hampshire? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we will suggest a menu.

For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so guests are fed quickly. Let us know how long the food break is.

Your questions about paella catering in Hampshire

How does live paella catering work?

We bring everything needed to cook on site, cook in front of your guests, and serve when you are ready to eat.

Should we have more than one paella?

Generally two or three, so every guest has a choice. Tell us about your guests’ diets and we will suggest the mix.

Do you offer halal options?

Yes. We use halal chicken and leave out pork and alcohol, in its own pan.

Can paella be the only main course?

Paella is a meal in itself. Tapas and desserts can be added if you like.

Do you do starters?

Yes, and it is a popular combination. Tapas first, paella to follow.

Can you do gluten-free paella?

A gluten-free pan is no problem. Let us know about coeliac guests in advance so we take the right care.

Can we choose the seafood?

We’ll talk through seafood options when we plan your menu, including premium options if you want them.