Southampton · England
Festival & event paella in Highfield, Southampton
Something for every guest: meat, seafood, vegetarian and vegan pans side by side. Paella street food for festivals, fairs, markets and community events in Highfield.
- Summer fairs and fêtes
- School and charity events
- Community events and open days
Festival paella catering near Highfield
Where we can cook in Highfield
We will be honest if a space won’t work, and suggest an alternative. What matters most:
- The event’s site rules and timings
- Spacing from tents and other structures
- Firm, level ground
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly.
Menu ideas
- Vegan paella
- Tapas
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Churros
- Seafood paella
- Giant paella pans
Festival paella catering in Highfield, made fresh on the day
Paella eats well from a bowl with a fork, on the move or on a picnic rug. We are frequently asked to cater village fêtes and feeding crew and volunteers, with chicken and chorizo paella, seafood paella and vegan paella.
For events in a place like Highfield, one hot-food trader that suits most diets makes life easy. Paella does exactly that. Every pan is cooked in front of your guests, so the food is hot, fresh and part of the occasion.
- Area
- Highfield (SO17, SO16, SO14)
- Region
- Southampton
- Diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Add-ons
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Nearby places to Highfield
What else we do in Highfield
Perfect for your event in Highfield
It works at small fêtes and big festivals.
We can help if you’re planning any of the following:
- Open days
- Christmas and farmers’ markets
- School fairs and fundraisers
- Race days and sports events
School fairs, for a school like Highfield Church of England Primary School, are a natural fit for a paella stall.
Questions to ask before you book
- How each diet is kept separate
- How late numbers can change
- VAT, if it applies
- What the caterer needs from your venue
Event catering near Highfield
Highfield is about 1 mile north of Southampton, in Southampton. Wherever your event is in the SO17 area, we can bring the pans to you. Highfield is one of 40 towns and villages in Southampton where we cook.
For a church fête or fundraiser, at a church such as Highfield Church, a paella stall adds a hot meal to the cakes and tombola. For visitors coming by rail, St Denys station is about 0.8 miles away. With the sea within about 3 miles, we plan shelter from the wind for coastal events, and seafood paella sells well by the sea.
We cover events in every part of SO17, SO16 and SO14. Local streets include Winn Road, Nile Road and The Avenue; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Highfield is on the A3035, so it’s easy for us to reach with the van and pans. Nearby, we also cater events in Bassett (1 mile north-west), Shirley (2 miles west), Lordswood (2 miles north-west), Freemantle (2 miles south-west) and Coxford (2 miles west). Further out, we also cater in Thornhill (3 miles south-east), Harefield (3 miles east), Sholing (3 miles south-east), Woolston (3 miles south), Eling (4 miles west) and Rownhams (3 miles north-west).
Nearby you will also find Royal South Hants Hospital (1.2 miles south) and Marlands Shopping Centre (1.7 miles south). Open spaces near Highfield include Netley Common.
- Schools near Highfield include Richard Taunton Sixth Form College (0.8 miles west) and Saint George Catholic Voluntary Aided College Southampton (1.4 miles north-east)
- Pubs nearby include The Cowherds Inn (0.5 miles south-west)
Diets, allergies and planning
Good planning keeps every guest safe and happy. Try these:
- Ask traders about packaging and waste
- Provide seating near the food
- Give traders a single information pack
- Ask for allergen information at each stall
Pans cook in full view, serving throughout the event.
Extra pans for busy periods.
Prices and what affects them
Every event is priced individually, and the price depends on a few things:
- The number of people
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- How long we are needed on site
Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you can choose exactly what you need.
What we need to know
You don’t need everything decided to ask for a quote, but it helps to know:
- What the venue already provides
- The courses you’d like
- The address or venue name
- Diets and allergies you know about
Every event is quoted individually, so you only pay for what you need. For a quote, send us your details through our quote form.
Highfield: your questions answered
What’s the nearest station to Highfield for guests?
St Denys station, about 0.8 miles south-east of the centre.
Can you cook near the sea around Highfield?
Yes, with a sheltered cooking spot. Wind is the main issue on the coast, so we plan shelter.
How many different paellas?
Two or three covers most guests. Tell us about your guests’ diets and we will suggest the mix.
Can you trade at our festival or fair?
Tell us about your event, and we’ll reply with our availability and what we need.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
We can, if you tell us in advance. The rice is gluten-free, but stocks and chorizo can contain gluten, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
Can you feed our volunteers?
Yes, timed to your schedule. Send us numbers and times.
Which areas do you serve?
We cover London and the South East, including Southampton. Find your area.
Do you need power?
We will confirm our needs once we know the pitch details.
Is live paella right for your event?
Food that sits in a hot cabinet isn’t much to look at. A giant pan cooking in view sells itself. Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
Why book with us
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
Take a look at How we price Or The cost guide.
The process
Once the rice is in, we don’t stir it. That’s what gives paella its separate grains and crispy base. Your guests will smell it before they see it. Summer events in Highfield have daylight until about 9:25pm at midsummer and about 7:10pm by late September, so evening trading usually finishes in daylight in high summer. For winter markets, dark by about 4:00pm, the pitch needs lighting.
- First, we check the dates.
- We agree menu and pitch.
- We set up our burners and pans.
- The first pans are ready as visitors arrive.
- We serve, then clear the pitch at the end.
Preparing for the day
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Let us know the timings for the day
Ask for a quote
Most quotes start with a few simple details: date, location, guest numbers and diets. To send them, fill in our quote form.
Planning help
About the dishes
Vegan paella
Vegan visitors get a real meal.
Chicken & chorizo paella
A hearty, smoky pan, popular with families.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Not sure whether to cook yourself or book a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. We’re happy to give you a quote to compare.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
- 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