Isle of Wight · England
Festival & event paella in Northwood, Isle of Wight
Something for every guest: meat, seafood, vegetarian and vegan pans side by side. Paella street food for festivals, fairs, markets and community events for events in Northwood.
- Music and food festivals
- VIP and hospitality areas
- Summer fairs and fêtes
Festival paella catering in Northwood
About our festival paella catering in Northwood
We bring the pans and burners and work to your site rules, from arrival times to waste. We cook vegan paella, chicken and chorizo paella and seafood paella, and we’re regularly asked to cater charity and school events and race days and sports events.
Near Northwood, events may be far from shops and cafés, so a hot-food stall is a big help. We serve straight from the pan, so it’s hot and generous, and service is quick once it’s ready.
- Location
- Northwood (PO31)
- Area hub
- Isle of Wight
- Dietary options
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Also available
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quote
- Ask us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Common questions in Northwood
Can you cook near the sea around Northwood?
Yes, as long as we can shelter from the wind. Sea breezes cool the pan, so a windbreak, building or gazebo helps.
Is Northwood too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Which areas do you serve?
We cater across London and the South East, including the Isle of Wight. See all areas.
Do you provide drinks?
We can make sangria, and provide bar staff to serve drinks you supply.
Will you have a stall at our event?
Tell us about the event, dates and pitch, and we will check availability.
Can you provide dessert?
Yes, Spanish desserts can be added. Tell us what you have in mind when you ask for a quote.
How do you work out quantities?
Pans are sized to your numbers and other courses. Let us know about any other food. See how much paella per person.
Who clears up?
We pack down our cooking area after service. Clearing guests’ plates and tables can be added with waiting staff.
How it works
On the day, we set up our cooking area, light the burners and start the sofrito. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, so we time everything to your schedule. Summer events in Northwood have daylight until about 9:20pm at midsummer and about 7:10pm by late September, so evening trading generally finishes in daylight in high summer. For winter markets, dark by about 4:00pm, the pitch needs lighting.
- Send us your event details and pitch information.
- We send our menu, needs and paperwork.
- We set up on time.
- We cook in full view and serve all event.
- We pack down and tidy the pitch.
Before we arrive
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Let us know the timings for the day
Getting a price
We quote for each event separately, so you only pay for what you need. To ask for one, use our quote form.
Planning help
Planning for every diet
With a little notice, every diet is easy. We suggest:
- Schedule crew meals
- Check allergen info is on display
- Ask traders about serving speed at peak times
- Send traders one clear trader pack
Crew meals are served at set times.
Vegan paella alongside the rest.
Prices and what affects them
These are the factors that matter most:
- Distance and access to the venue
- Whether you need crockery
- Waiting and bar staff
- The number of people
Got a budget? Let us know, and we will suggest a menu to match. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Getting an accurate quote
Good planning starts with a few facts. Please include:
- Anything your venue supplies
- The address or venue name
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
Send us the date, your venue or PO31 postcode and guest numbers, along with any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, use our quote form.
For event organisers in Northwood
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we’ll keep everyone informed on the day.
If you are planning an event on someone’s behalf, whether you are a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we’re happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It keeps things simple.
Also near Northwood
More for events in Northwood
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it is in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but there is shopping, prep and hours of cooking. A caterer handles all of that.
Where we can cook in Northwood
Before the day, we will agree where we cook. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- Details of power, water and waste arrangements
- Vehicle access to the pitch at set-up and break-down
- Clearance from tents and gazebos
For somewhere as remote as Northwood, early notice helps us plan the trip.
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think before you book.
On the menu in Northwood
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Tapas
- Seafood paella
- Churros
- Vegan paella
- Giant paella pans
A closer look at the menu
Giant paella pans
Huge pans of golden rice, cooking in full view.
Chicken & chorizo paella
A crowd-pleaser for meat eaters.
Northwood events: pitches and permissions
Northwood is about 1 mile south of Cowes, in the Isle of Wight. Whether your event is in the middle of Northwood or on the outskirts, we offer the same service: paella cooked live, every diet catered for and a clear quote. We cook in all 125 towns and villages across the Isle of Wight. Our nearest city page is Southampton, about 13 miles away.
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. The coast is within about 2 miles of Northwood, so for seaside events we plan a sheltered pitch, and seafood paella sells well by the sea.
We cook at events all over PO31. That could mean an event in a garden on Nodes Road, Wyatts Lane and Uplands Road. For events just outside Northwood, we cover Rew Street (1 mile west), Gurnard (1 mile north), Cowes (1 mile north), Noke Common (2 miles south) and Parkhurst (2 miles south). We also cook in nearby towns such as Newport (3 miles south), Ryde (7 miles east), Sandown (9 miles south-east), Shanklin (10 miles south-east), Ventnor (11 miles south-east) and Oakfield (7 miles east). If your event is somewhere remote, let us know early and we will plan the trip.
Other landmarks nearby include Isle of Wight Natural History Centre (0.5 miles north) and West Cowes Castle (1.7 miles north). The countryside around Northwood includes Mill Hill and Briddlesford Nature Reserve.
- Schools near Northwood include Cowes Enterprise College (1.4 miles north)
- Pubs nearby include The Travellers Joy pub (within half a mile south-west)
Why choose festival paella catering in Northwood?
It brings theatre to the food court.
Live paella suits almost any gathering. People in Northwood book us for occasions like:
- Open days
- Seasonal markets
- Sports clubs and race days
- School fairs and fundraisers
School fairs, for a school like Northwood Primary School, are a natural fit for a paella stall.
Questions to ask before you book
- When payment is due
- Whether travel is included
- The venue requirements
- When final numbers are due
- 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