Hampshire · England
Festival Paella Catering for Dibden events
From the first sizzle of the sofrito to the last spoonful of crispy rice, paella street food for festivals, fairs, markets and community events makes the food a highlight of your event in Dibden.
- Christmas and farmers’ markets
- Music and food festivals
- Crew, volunteer and VIP catering
Book festival paella catering in Dibden
Is live paella right for your event?
For crew catering, sandwiches are easy but uninspiring. A hot paella keeps crew going. Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you only pay for what you want.
Why Dibden hosts choose us
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Drinks service on request
How our festival paella catering works in Dibden
Paella in a bowl is perfect festival food, on the move or on a picnic rug. We are frequently asked to cater VIP and hospitality areas and farmers’ and Christmas markets, serving churros, seafood paella and giant-pan paella.
Village fêtes and summer fairs around Dibden are made for a paella stall. Send us the pitch and access details. You can add tapas, desserts, sangria, bar staff and waiting staff, so one booking can cover the whole menu.
What happens on the day
We take care of the food from set-up to service, so you are free to enjoy your event. If you’ve chosen tapas or canapés, they go out first as the rice is cooking. For an evening event in Dibden, sunset is about 8:55pm in late May and 9:25pm in late June; after dark, we need a lit pitch.
- First, we check the dates.
- We agree what we’ll serve and where.
- We set up our burners and pans.
- The first pans are ready as visitors arrive.
- We serve, then clear the pitch at the end.
How to prepare
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
Getting a price
Getting a quote is simple: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We will send a clear, itemised quote.
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Catering for every guest
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. Here are a few tips for planning:
- Make allergen information visible at every stall
- Send traders one clear trader pack
- Check traders’ packaging and waste plans
- Ask about peak-time capacity
At the end, we clear the pitch and leave it clean.
Churros and tapas can join the menu.
Planning the cooking area
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so we need a suitable spot. These are the things we check:
- Flat, firm ground
- Clear information on power, water and waste
- Your trader pack and site rules
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before you book.
Popular choices
- Tapas
- Churros
- Giant paella pans
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegan paella
Dibden questions
What’s the nearest station to Dibden for guests?
Southampton Town Quay station, about 2.2 miles north-east of the centre.
Can you cook at venues in the New Forest National Park?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We’ll follow the site rules.
What areas do you cover?
We cover London and the South East, Hampshire included. See all areas.
Can you provide dessert?
Yes. Churros, crema catalana and tarta de Santiago are popular choices, or you can serve your own cake.
Can you do gluten-free paella?
A gluten-free pan is no problem. Tell us about any coeliac guests when you book so we can plan it carefully.
Do you need power?
Let us know what the pitch has and we’ll confirm our needs.
What does festival paella catering cost?
Every event is quoted individually, based on what you actually want. Tell us your date and numbers for a clear quote.
Who clears up?
We pack down our cooking area after service. Waiting staff can clear tables if you book them.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Nearby places to Dibden
What else we do in Dibden
Dibden events: pitches and permissions
Dibden is about 1 mile west of Hythe, in Hampshire. We bring festival paella catering to homes, gardens and venues in Dibden and nearby villages. Dibden is one of 683 places in Hampshire where we cook.
For a church fête or fundraiser, at a church such as Church of All Saints, a paella stall adds a hot meal to the cakes and tombola. If you are organising a summer fair or fundraiser for a school such as Applemore College, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. Events in and around the New Forest National Park, within about 4 miles of Dibden, frequently have rules about vehicles, ground and waste; we’ll follow the site’s requirements. With the sea within about 3 miles, we plan shelter from the wind for coastal events, and seafood paella sells well by the sea.
For festival paella catering in SO45, we plan around your venue and timings. From Cavalier Close, Cathay Gardens and Canterbury Drive or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. Other places close to Dibden for festival paella catering include Dibden Purlieu (1 mile south-east), Hythe (1 mile east), Marchwood (2 miles north-west), Beaulieu (3 miles south) and The Hummicks (4 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Winchester (14 miles north), Gosport (13 miles east), Eastleigh (8 miles north-east), Fareham (10 miles east), Totton (5 miles north-west) and Chandler's Ford (8 miles north).
A little further out are Royal South Hants Hospital (3.5 miles north) and Westquay (2.8 miles north).
- Schools near Dibden include Testwood School (within half a mile south-west) and Orchard Junior School (0.6 miles south-east)
A closer look at the menu
Chicken & chorizo paella
A hearty, smoky pan.
Vegan paella
Vegan paella cooked separately.
Planners, venues and businesses
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Dibden? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Give us the details and we’ll suggest a plan.
Events in public spaces, like parks, generally need permission. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
Who books festival paella catering in Dibden?
It adds theatre to a food line-up.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. People in Dibden book us for events such as:
- Charity and school events
- Sports club events
- Christmas and farmers’ markets
- Village fêtes
For visitors coming by rail, the nearest station is Southampton Town Quay station, about 2.2 miles north-east.
Comparing caterers
- If the price includes VAT
- Space, access and power needs
- Payment terms and deposit
- The wet-weather plan
- 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