Surrey · England
Festival Paella Catering in Pains-Hill
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: paella street food for festivals, fairs, markets and community events in Pains-Hill and the surrounding area.
- Agricultural and county shows
- School and charity events
- Feeding crew and volunteers
Festival paella catering for Pains-Hill events
Festival paella catering in Pains-Hill, made fresh on the day
Big batches mean lunchtime rushes are easy. Each portion takes seconds to serve. We’re often asked to cater agricultural and county shows and village fêtes, serving chicken and chorizo paella, vegan paella and seafood paella.
Rural events near Pains-Hill can be a long way from food outlets, so a hot-food stall is a big help. The paella is served straight from the pan, so every plate is hot, and service is quick once it is ready.
How we price festival paella catering
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- The length of service
- Starters, canapés and desserts
Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so it helps to tell us about your venue. The full price is confirmed before booking.
Getting an accurate quote
For a quote, it helps to have:
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- Your date and when you want to eat
- The venue or postcode
We quote for each event separately, so you only pay for what you need. To ask for one, send us your details through our quote form.
Organising for someone else?
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so guests are fed quickly. Tell us how long you have for food.
If you’re planning an event on someone’s behalf, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we will work directly with you and the venue. It saves passing messages back and forth.
Catering for every guest
Nearly every event has some special diets. To plan for them:
- Provide seating near the food
- Send traders one clear trader pack
- Check traders’ packaging and waste plans
- Book crew catering in advance
We arrive at the agreed time and set up our pitch, following your trader pack.
A vegan pan alongside the meat and seafood pans.
Places near Pains-Hill
Other catering in Pains-Hill
The menu, dish by dish
Giant paella pans
Huge pans of golden rice, cooking in full view.
Seafood paella
The seafood pan is a festival favourite.
Pains-Hill: your questions answered
Do you come out to small places like Pains-Hill?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Let us know about access and parking.
What’s the nearest station to Pains-Hill for guests?
Hurst Green station, about 0.9 miles west of the centre.
How much is live paella catering?
It depends on guest numbers, the menu, the courses, staff and travel. Tell us about your event and we’ll send a quote.
Can you supply plates?
If you need them, yes. Proper crockery or quality disposables can be added to your booking.
What paperwork do you provide?
Send your requirements and we will include them with our application.
How soon do we need to book?
Early, particularly for summer Saturdays. Even if it is short notice, it is worth asking.
Can you cater for crew and volunteers?
We can. We can cook for crew, volunteers or a hospitality area as well as, or instead of, a public stall.
What space do you need to cook?
Less than you might think: a flat spot away from anything flammable, with space to serve. If in doubt, send a picture.
Running an event in Pains-Hill
Pains-Hill is about 6 miles south-east of Caterham, in Surrey. Whether your event is in the middle of Pains-Hill or on the outskirts, we offer the same service: live cooking, separate pans for every diet and a clear price. Pains-Hill is one of 395 towns and villages in Surrey where we cook. Our events stretch from Pains-Hill to London (about 18 miles away).
For visitors coming by rail, the nearest station is Hurst Green station, about 0.9 miles west. School fairs, for a school like Limpsfield CofE Infant School, are a natural fit for a paella stall.
This part of Surrey takes in RH8, so your event can be anywhere in it. From Pastens Road and Pains Hill or a nearby road, we will bring the pans to you. We also cook at events in The Chart (1 mile east), Limpsfield (1 mile north-west), Hurst Green (1 mile west), Oxted (1 mile west) and Moorhouse Bank (1 mile north-east). Further out, we also cater in Epsom (14 miles north-west), Horley (10 miles south-west), Redhill (8 miles west), Ewell (14 miles north-west), Reigate (10 miles west) and Caterham (6 miles north-west).
A little further out are Tandridge Priory (0.5 miles north) and Haxted Watermill Museum (3.9 miles south). The countryside around Pains-Hill includes Botley Hill and Bay Pond.
- Local schools include Hazelwood School (0.7 miles west) and Oxted School (1.4 miles north-west)
- Local pubs include Carpenters Arms (0.7 miles east)
What happens on the day
When we arrive, we set up the burners and pans and start cooking the sofrito and stock. The rice goes in about 20 minutes before serving, so the timing is planned around your event. At midsummer, events in Pains-Hill stay light until about 9:20pm, so evening trading normally finishes in daylight in high summer. For winter markets, dark by about 3:55pm, the pitch needs lighting.
- Tell us about the event and pitch.
- We confirm menu, pitch needs and documents.
- We arrive and set up at the agreed time.
- We cook and serve throughout.
- We clear and leave the pitch clean.
Before we arrive
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
- Let us know the timings for the day
Getting a price
Each quote is tailored to your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we will confirm whether we’re available that day.
Related guides
Occasions we cook for in Pains-Hill
It handles peak times well, because it’s served from big pans.
Live paella suits almost any gathering. In Pains-Hill, people book us for events such as:
- Country shows
- Seasonal markets
- Village fêtes and summer fairs
- Open days and community events
Running a fête for a church like St Andrew's? A paella pan draws people in.
What your quote should include
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- When final numbers are due
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- Whether VAT is included
Should I cook it myself?
Some hosts like to cook themselves. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
Before you choose a spot
Before the day, we will agree where we cook. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- Your trader pack and site rules
- Your arrangements for power, water and waste
- A pitch away from tents and structures
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think before booking.
Menu ideas
- Seafood paella
- Vegan paella
- Tapas
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Giant paella pans
- Churros
- 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