Surrey · England
Festival & event paella in Abbotswood, Surrey
Paella street food for festivals, fairs, markets and community events in Abbotswood: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, right in front of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Community events and open days
- Charity and school events
- Farmers’ and Christmas markets
Festival paella catering for Abbotswood events
Planning for every diet
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. We suggest:
- Send traders one clear trader pack
- Ensure the line-up includes vegan and gluten-free options
- Make allergen information visible at every stall
- Book crew catering in advance
We arrive at the agreed time and set up our pitch, following your trader pack.
A vegan pan alongside the meat and seafood pans.
How our festival paella catering works in Abbotswood
Festivals, fairs, markets and community events are all on our list in and around Abbotswood. We’re often asked to cater agricultural and county shows and school fairs and fundraisers, with chicken and chorizo paella, seafood paella and churros.
Events near Abbotswood are often volunteer-run, so a self-sufficient trader makes life easier. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
Nearby places to Abbotswood
Other catering in Abbotswood
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. 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.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and do not stir once the rice goes in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Fairs, fêtes and events in Abbotswood
Abbotswood is about 1 mile south-east of Guildford, in Surrey. Wherever your event is in the GU1 area, we can bring the pans to you. Abbotswood is one of 395 places in Surrey we cover.
If your event is in Stoke Park, the organiser will need the landowner’s permission; we will supply our paperwork. Running a fête for a church like Christ Church? A paella pan draws people in. Within about 5 miles is the Surrey Hills National Landscape, where events may have extra rules on vehicles and waste; we’ll follow the site’s requirements.
We cover events in every part of the GU1 postcode area and the streets around it. That could mean an event in a garden on York Road, Stoke Road and Maori Road or the roads around them. Abbotswood sits on or near the A246 and A3100, so getting the burners and pans to your event is simple. For events just outside Abbotswood, we cover Guildford (1 mile north-west), Burpham (1 mile north-east), Bellfields (1 mile north-west), Merrow (1 mile east) and East Shalford (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Woking (5 miles north), Camberley (10 miles north-west), Epsom (14 miles north-east), Farnham (10 miles west), Ewell (15 miles north-east) and Egham (13 miles north).
Other landmarks nearby include St. Luke’s Hospital (under half a mile south) and Guildford Castle (0.7 miles south-west). Not far away are Silent Pool and Pewley Down.
- Schools near Abbotswood include Guildford High School (under half a mile north-west) and Holy Trinity (0.5 miles south)
- Pubs nearby include The Rats Castle pub (within half a mile south-west)
What’s in the pans
Chicken & chorizo paella
A hearty, smoky pan, popular with families.
Giant paella pans
The huge pan is the star.
Step by step
When we arrive, we set up our cooking area, light the burners and start the sofrito. The rice goes in about 20 minutes before serving, so we time everything to your schedule. At midsummer, events in Abbotswood stay light until about 9:20pm, so evening trading generally finishes in daylight in high summer. Winter markets, dark by about 3:55pm, need a well-lit pitch.
- You send us the event, dates and pitch details.
- We confirm what we’ll serve, our pitch needs and any paperwork.
- We arrive at the agreed time to set up the pitch.
- We cook in front of the crowd and serve from the pan all event.
- We pack down and leave the pitch tidy.
Preparing for the day
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
How to get a price
Each quote is tailored to your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we will confirm whether we are available that day.
Planning help
Planners, venues and businesses
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
If you are organising for someone else, whether you’re a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we’ll work directly with you and the venue. It saves passing messages back and forth.
Why choose festival paella catering in Abbotswood?
It handles peak times well, thanks to big-batch cooking.
If you are planning any of these, we can help:
- Open days
- Seasonal markets
- School fairs and fundraisers
- County and country shows
School fairs, for a school like Lanesborough School, are a natural fit for a paella stall.
Comparing caterers
- Whether travel is included
- How bad weather is handled
- The deposit and payment dates
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
What festival paella catering costs
Each event is quoted on its own, and the price depends on a few things:
- Waiting and bar staff
- Timings and hours
- How many guests are eating
- Starters, canapés and desserts
Live paella frequently compares well with a sit-down meal, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. We will send you a quote.
What to tell us
Good planning starts with a few facts. Please include:
- The courses you’d like
- A picture of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- Where the event is
Still deciding on the menu? That is fine: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll make suggestions. To start, send us your details through our quote form.
Paella compared with other options
Hot-cabinet food lacks theatre. A giant pan cooking in view sells itself. The cost per head generally falls as numbers rise, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
Why us?
- Drinks service on request
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Served hot, straight from the pan
See Our pricing And What paella catering costs.
Questions from Abbotswood
Could we have live paella in Stoke Park?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, normally the council. Check with them, and we’ll provide our paperwork.
Do you cater in the Surrey Hills National Landscape?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We’ll follow the site rules.
Will you have a stall at our event?
Send us the event details, dates and pitch information, and we will let you know if we are available.
How much space do you need?
Less than you might think: a flat spot away from anything flammable, with space to serve. If in doubt, send a photo.
Do you provide plates and cutlery?
Yes, if you need them. Let us know what you have, and we will quote for the rest.
Will there be long queues?
It is one of the quickest hot foods to serve, which suits busy periods.
What areas do you cover?
We cover London and the South East, Surrey included. Find your area.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes, and they’re popular with everyone. They have their own pans, stock and spoons.
- 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