Southampton · England
Festival & event paella in St Mary's, Southampton
From the first sizzle in the pan to the last crispy spoonful, paella street food for festivals, fairs, markets and community events makes the food a highlight of your event in St Mary's.
- Food and music festivals
- Christmas and farmers’ markets
- Open days and community events
Festival paella catering for St Mary's events
What we need at the venue
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so we need a suitable spot. These are the things we check:
- Your arrangements for power, water and waste
- The event’s site rules and timings
- Firm, level ground
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we will say what we think before you book.
Menu ideas
- Vegan paella
- Seafood paella
- Giant paella pans
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Churros
- Tapas
Festival paella catering for your event in St Mary's
The cooking is part of the show. Visitors stop to watch, take photos and come back for lunch. For VIP and hospitality areas and community events and open days, we’ll put together a menu of chicken and chorizo paella, vegan paella and churros for your guests.
In St Mary's, one trader covering most diets keeps it simple. Paella does exactly that. Everything is cooked from scratch at your event, not reheated.
- Area
- St Mary's (SO14, SO15, SO18)
- Area hub
- Southampton
- Diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Extras
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quotes
- Quoted for your event
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
St Mary's questions
How far is St Mary's from London?
Roughly 70 miles from the centre of London, and we cover it as standard.
Do you trade at school fairs around St Mary's?
Yes, with the school’s permission. Tell us the date and pitch details.
When do you arrive?
We get there in good time to set up. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
Do you cover St Mary's?
Yes, we do. We cook at events in St Mary's and across Southampton. Tell us your date and we’ll check availability.
Do you offer halal options?
We can. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and it’s cooked separately.
Can you do sangria?
Yes, sangria. For other drinks, we can provide bar staff to serve what you buy.
How much space do you need?
Level ground for the burners, pans and a table, outdoors or in a marquee or well-ventilated area, and the venue’s permission for live cooking.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Of course. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, while the rice is cooking.
Prices and what affects them
There are no hidden charges: the price is based on:
- Travel, parking and access
- The number of people
- How many staff you need
- How long we are needed on site
Live paella pricing depends on the event. 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
To speed things up, tell us:
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- A photo of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
- The venue or postcode
- Roughly how many adults and children
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. To send your details, send us your details through our quote form.
For planners, venues and organisers
Throwing a party at home? Send a photo of the space and tell us about parking, and we’ll let you know if live paella is a good fit.
Organising a club, school or community event in St Mary's? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we’ll suggest a menu.
About the dishes
Vegan paella
Vegans get a hot, filling dish.
Seafood paella
A seafood pan with prawns and mussels for fish lovers.
Community events around St Mary's
St Mary's is about 1 mile south of Southampton, in Southampton. We cook at events in homes, gardens and venues in St Mary's. We cover all 40 towns and villages across Southampton, from the larger towns to small villages.
If you are organising a summer fair or fundraiser for a school such as Hope Community School Southampton, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. For visitors coming by rail, the nearest station is Southampton Central station, about 0.8 miles west. Within about 7 miles is the New Forest National Park, where events may have extra rules on vehicles and waste; we work to the site rules. With the sea within about a mile, we plan shelter from the wind for coastal events, and seafood paella sells well by the sea.
Wherever your event is in SO14, SO15 and SO18, we can bring festival paella catering to you. Streets in the area include New Road, Ogle Road and Marsh Lane, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Other places close to St Mary's for festival paella catering include Northam (1 mile north-east), Inner Avenue (1 mile north), Peartree Green (1 mile east), Southampton (1 mile north) and Bitterne Manor (1 mile north-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Chartwell Green (3 miles north-east), Harefield (3 miles east), Maybush (3 miles north-west), Coxford (3 miles north-west), Lordswood (3 miles north-west) and Eling (4 miles west).
Well-known places in the area include Netley Castle (2.5 miles south-east) and Bargate Guildhall Museum (under half a mile south-west). Open spaces near St Mary's include Netley Common.
- Nearby schools include Inspire Enterprise Academy (less than half a mile south-east) and Woolston School (1.4 miles south-east)
- Nearby, you will find The Joiners pub (less than half a mile south)
Live paella or other catering?
If you want a trader that adds atmosphere, paella is a strong choice. If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we will put together a menu that fits. A simple menu can still feel generous.
What you get with us
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Fast service from the pan
- Live cooking, not reheated food
Take a look at Our prices page And The cost guide.
DIY paella versus live catering
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.
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but you will still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. We take care of all of it.
How it works
From set-up to serving, we look after the food, so you can enjoy your event. Any tapas or canapés are served first while the paella cooks. Summer events in St Mary's have daylight until about 9:25pm at midsummer and about 7:10pm by late September, so evening trading normally finishes in daylight in high summer. Winter markets, dark by about 4:00pm, need a well-lit pitch.
- Tell us about the event, the crowd and the pitch.
- We reply with our menu, prices for visitors and requirements.
- We send the documents the event asks for.
- We time the first pans for the lunchtime rush.
- When trading ends, the pitch is cleared and left clean.
Before we arrive
- Ensure the spot is clear of anything flammable
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Have a level space ready for the pans
How to get a price
Still deciding on the menu? No problem: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we’ll suggest a menu. Start when you’re ready: send us your details through our quote form.
Planning help
Planning for every diet
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To get it right:
- Ask traders about packaging and waste
- Put picnic tables near the traders
- Book crew catering in advance
- Check how many portions traders can serve
We clear the pitch and leave it as we found it.
Vegan paella alongside the rest.
Also near St Mary's
What else we do in St Mary's
- 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