Isle of Wight · England
Festival & event paella in Freshwater, Isle of Wight
Love Paella cooks paella street food for festivals, fairs, markets and community events across Freshwater and the Isle of Wight, catering for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests.
- Festivals
- Charity and school events
- Agricultural and county shows
Live festival paella catering in Freshwater
Dietary needs and planning tips
With a little notice, every diet is easy. Our advice:
- Put picnic tables near the traders
- Check every diet is covered by the line-up
- Agree waste arrangements with traders
- Check how many portions traders can serve
Our pitch is kept tidy and safe.
Bowl food for easy eating on the move.
How our festival paella catering works in Freshwater
A paella stall covers several diets at once: separate meat, seafood and vegan pans. That makes life easier for organisers. We’re frequently asked to cater community events and open days and sports club events, with chicken and chorizo paella, churros and vegan paella.
In Freshwater, one trader covering most diets keeps it simple. A paella stall does that. Timings are planned around your event, so the paella is ready when you want to eat.
- Area
- Freshwater (PO40)
- Area hub
- Isle of Wight
- Dietary options
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quotes
- Contact us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
For planners, venues and organisers
If you’re booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will talk you through the process. We are happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
DIY paella versus live catering
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 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.
What affects the price in Freshwater
The price comes down to a few factors:
- Whether you need crockery
- Timings and hours
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- How many staff you need
Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. We’ll send you a quote.
Getting an accurate quote
For a quote, it helps to have:
- A picture of where we’d cook
- The address or venue name
- The date and time of the event
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
Every quote is put together for your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we will confirm whether we are available that day.
The process
The cooking is part of the entertainment. We start with the sofrito, add the stock and saffron, then spread the rice across the pan and leave it alone to cook. Evening events in Freshwater have light until about 9:20pm at midsummer; after that, the pitch needs good lighting.
- Tell us about the event, the crowd and the pitch.
- We reply with our menu, prices for visitors and requirements.
- Paperwork goes over in good time.
- On the day, the pans are on before the busiest hours.
- At close, we pack down and tidy up.
Getting ready for the day
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Make sure we can park close by to unload
How to get a price
Every event is quoted individually, so the price fits what you actually want. To ask for one, fill in our quote form.
Planning help
Also near Freshwater
More for events in Freshwater
Common questions in Freshwater
Do you trade at school fairs around Freshwater?
Yes, with the school’s permission. Send us the date, pitch and expected numbers.
Can you cook near the sea around Freshwater?
Yes, as long as we can shelter from the wind. Sea breezes cool the pan, so a windbreak, building or gazebo helps.
Should we have more than one paella?
Most events have two or three: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We’ll suggest a split based on your guests.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
Yes, on request. Rice is naturally gluten-free, but stock and some ingredients may not be, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
Can vegans eat at your stall?
Yes, always. A vegan paella pan sits alongside the meat and seafood pans.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes, and meat eaters often go back for seconds. Each is cooked separately, with its own stock and utensils.
Do you cook it at the event?
Yes. Every paella is cooked from scratch on site, where your guests can watch.
Can you handle a lunchtime rush?
Paella is cooked in big batches and served from the pan, so service is quick.
Community events around Freshwater
Freshwater is about 5 miles south of Lymington, in the Isle of Wight. Tell us where your event in Freshwater will be, and we will plan access and set-up. Freshwater is one of 125 places in the Isle of Wight where we cook. Our nearest city page is Southampton, about 17 miles away.
School fairs, for a school like All Saints Church of England Primary School, are a natural fit for a paella stall. With the sea within about a mile, we plan shelter from the wind for coastal events.
This part of the Isle of Wight takes in PO40, and we can cater your event anywhere in it. Streets in the area include Dall Square, High Street and The Square, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Close by, we cover events in Easton (1 mile south-east), Colwell (1 mile north-west), Norton Green (1 mile north), Afton (1 mile south-east) and Totland (1 mile west). Within a short drive, we also cover Newport (10 miles east), Cowes (11 miles north-east), Shanklin (15 miles east), Ventnor (15 miles south-east), East Cowes (12 miles north-east) and Barton (10 miles east). Some remote venues need extra planning, so contact us in good time.
A little further out are Yarmouth Castle (1.9 miles north-east) and Ferguson Family Museum (0.7 miles north-east). Not far away are Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes Nature Reserve and Afton Down.
- Nearby, you’ll find The Red Lion pub (0.5 miles east)
- Other local spots include Medina (0.8 miles west)
Paella compared with other options
Hot-cabinet food lacks theatre. A huge pan cooking in view sells itself. There is no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. Your quote spells it all out.
Why choose Love Paella in Freshwater
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Events in Freshwater and across the Isle of Wight
See How we price And What paella catering costs.
The menu, dish by dish
Giant paella pans
Huge pans of golden rice, cooking in full view.
Vegan paella
Vegan visitors get a real meal.
Perfect for your event in Freshwater
It adds theatre to a food line-up.
Here are some of the events we cook for:
- Community events and open days
- Agricultural and county shows
- Crew, volunteer and VIP catering
- Farmers’ and Christmas markets
For a church fête or fundraiser, at a church such as All Saints' Church, a paella stall adds a hot meal to the cakes and tombola.
Comparing caterers
- When payment is due
- How long the team stays
- When final numbers are due
- 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