Surrey · England
Festival Paella Catering for Merle Common 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 Merle Common.
- Festivals
- Agricultural and county shows
- Community events and open days
Live festival paella catering in Merle Common
Merle Common events: pitches and permissions
Merle Common is about 6 miles south-east of Caterham, in Surrey. We cook at events in gardens, halls and venues around Merle Common. We cover all 395 towns and villages in Surrey. We cook right across the region, from Merle Common to London (19 miles away).
For visitors coming by rail, Hurst Green station is about 1.4 miles away.
For festival paella catering in RH8, we plan around your venue. Other places close to Merle Common for festival paella catering include Crowhurst (1 mile south-west), Troy Town (2 miles south-east), Hurst Green (2 miles north-west), Pains-Hill (2 miles north) and Crowhurst Lane End (2 miles south-west). Further out, we also cater in Epsom (14 miles north-west), Horley (8 miles west), Redhill (8 miles west), Ewell (15 miles north-west), Reigate (9 miles west) and Caterham (6 miles north-west).
Other landmarks nearby include Tandridge Priory (2.1 miles north) and Haxted Watermill Museum (2.5 miles south). Not far away are Botley Hill and Bay Pond.
- Local schools include Oxted School (2.4 miles north)
How our festival paella catering works in Merle Common
Crew and volunteer catering can be timed to your schedule, keeping your team fed. We’re often asked to cater race days and sports events and crew, volunteer and VIP catering, with giant-pan paella, churros and chicken and chorizo paella.
At a field event near Merle Common, power and water may be limited; let us know and we’ll plan for it. All the cooking equipment comes with us, and we clear our cooking area away afterwards.
Nearby places to Merle Common
More for events in Merle Common
What’s in the pans
Giant paella pans
It’s the huge pan people come to see.
Vegan paella
Vegan paella cooked separately.
Should I cook it myself?
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
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. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
Step by step
Your timings come first. If speeches run late or the photos take longer, we adjust the cooking so it’s still served fresh. For an evening event in Merle Common, sunset is about 8:50pm in late May and 9:20pm in late June; after that, the pitch needs good lighting.
- Tell us about the event, the crowd and the pitch.
- You get our stall menu and what we need on site.
- Paperwork goes over in good time.
- We time the first pans for the lunchtime rush.
- When trading ends, the pitch is cleared and left clean.
Before we arrive
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Name one person we can ask on the day
Get a quote
Thinking about festival paella catering for your event in Merle Common? Send us the details and we’ll come back with ideas and a quote. To get in touch, use our quote form.
Related guides
Catering for every guest
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. A few tips:
- Schedule crew meals
- Ask traders about packaging and waste
- Provide seating near the food
- Ask traders about serving speed at peak times
Allergen information is available at the stall.
A vegan pan alongside the meat and seafood pans.
Organising for someone else?
Venues often have their own rules about outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Tell us what your venue needs and we’ll work to it.
Wedding planners and venue coordinators are welcome to contact us directly, and we will keep everyone informed on the day.
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Food that sits in a hot cabinet is not much to look at. Paella cooking in full view sells itself. Extras such as tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are priced separately, so you can choose exactly what you need.
What you get with us
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Catering across Surrey, including Merle Common
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Real theatre, not just catering
FAQs for Merle Common
Do you trade at school fairs around Merle Common?
Yes, with the school’s permission. Send us the date, pitch and expected numbers.
What’s the nearest station to Merle Common for guests?
The closest is Hurst Green station, roughly 1.4 miles away.
Will you have a stall at our event?
Tell us about your event, and we’ll confirm availability and requirements.
What happens if it rains?
Rain doesn’t stop us, as long as there’s a ventilated cover. We will talk it through before the day.
How far ahead should we book?
The sooner the better. Peak dates go quickly, so it pays to ask early.
Can the paella be cooked in a hall?
Indoors only where ventilation and the venue allow it. Most events have us cooking outside or in a doorway or courtyard.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes, we do. Halal paella is cooked with halal chicken and no pork or alcohol, in its own pan.
Do you cater in Merle Common?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, including Merle Common. For a quote, fill in our quote form.
What affects the price in Merle Common
These are the factors that matter most:
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Travel, parking and access
- How many staff you need
- How many guests are eating
There’s 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. We itemise everything in your quote.
What to tell us
The more we know about your event, the better we can plan. Please include:
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- The address or venue name
- Expected numbers
Send us the date, your venue or RH8 postcode and guest numbers, plus any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, send us your details through our quote form.
Planning the cooking area
If a space isn’t suitable, we’ll tell you, and help find another spot. What matters most:
- Vehicle access to the pitch at set-up and break-down
- Pitch space for cooking and serving
- The event’s site rules and timings
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before you book.
Popular choices
- Seafood paella
- Giant paella pans
- Tapas
- Vegan paella
- Churros
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- 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