Reading · England
Festival & event paella in Whitley, Reading
Treat your guests to live paella at your event in Whitley. Everything is cooked fresh on the day, and serve it straight from the pan.
- Festivals
- Community events and open days
- Agricultural and county shows
Festival paella catering near Whitley
Festival paella catering in Whitley, made fresh on the day
The cooking is part of the show. Visitors stop to watch, take photos and come back for lunch. Whether it is community events and open days and charity and school events, we can cook vegan paella, churros and chicken and chorizo paella for your guests.
Around Whitley, a fête or summer fair suits a huge paella pan. Tell us about the pitch, ground and access. We serve straight from the pan, so it is hot and generous, and service is quick once it’s ready.
What affects the price in Whitley
Your quote will be clear and itemised. What affects it most:
- Whether you need crockery
- Travel, parking and access
- Waiting and bar staff
- How many courses
The cost per head normally falls as numbers rise, since the set-up is much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
Details that help
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. Here’s what’s useful:
- Which courses you have in mind
- Anything your venue supplies
- The venue or postcode
- Your date and when you want to eat
Still deciding on the menu? No problem: give us the basics about your event, and we will suggest a menu. Start when you are ready: fill in our quote form.
What we need at the venue
We’ll agree the cooking spot with you before the day. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- Details of power, water and waste arrangements
- The event’s site rules and timings
- Access for unloading at set-up
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we will tell you honestly.
On the menu in Whitley
- Tapas
- Seafood paella
- Vegan paella
- Churros
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Giant paella pans
How the day works
It is a relaxed, well-organised set-up. Arrival and serving times are agreed beforehand, set up our cooking area, and cook and serve without fuss. At midsummer, events in Whitley stay light until about 9:25pm, so evening trading generally 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 send our menu, needs and paperwork.
- We set up on time.
- We cook and serve throughout.
- We pack down and tidy the pitch.
How to prepare
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
How to get a price
Send us the date, your venue or RG2 postcode and guest numbers, plus any dietary needs, and we will reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
Whitley questions
How far is Whitley from London?
Roughly 38 miles from the centre of London.
Can you cook in Pearman's Copse?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, typically the council. Check with them, and we’ll provide our paperwork.
Will you have a stall at our event?
Send us the event details, dates and pitch information, and we’ll let you know if we are available.
What does festival paella catering cost?
Every event is quoted individually, based on what you actually want. Give us your date, numbers and menu ideas for a clear quote.
Can you cook indoors?
Indoors only where ventilation and the venue allow it. Courtyards, doorways and terraces often work.
Do you do vegan paella?
Of course. We cook vegetarian and vegan paellas in their own pans.
How many paellas should we have?
Two or three covers most guests. We will recommend a mix based on diets.
Do you provide drinks?
Sangria can be added, and we can staff a bar with your drinks.
Planning for every diet
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To make it work smoothly:
- Make sure the line-up includes vegan and gluten-free options
- Make allergen information visible at every stall
- Put picnic tables near the traders
- Send traders one clear trader pack
We keep our pitch tidy and safe.
Tapas and churros can be added to a stall menu.
Towns and villages near Whitley
Also in Whitley
Working with your venue
Events in public spaces, like parks, usually need permission. We will provide any information the landowner or council asks for.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Whitley events: pitches and permissions
Whitley is about 1 mile west of Earley, in Reading. From the centre of Whitley to the outskirts, festival paella catering works the same way: paella cooked live, every diet catered for and a clear quote. Whitley is one of 34 towns and villages in Reading we cover.
School fairs, for a school like John Madejski Academy, are a natural fit for a paella stall. If your event is in Pearman's Copse, the organiser will need the landowner’s permission; we’ll supply our paperwork.
We cook at events all over RG2, RG1 and RG19. Local streets include Litton Road, Totnes Road and Winton Road; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. If your venue is just outside Whitley, we also cover Whitley Wood (1 mile south), Earley (1 mile east), Green Park (1 mile west), Great Lea Common (1 mile south-west) and Reading (2 miles north-west). Further out, we also cater in Caversham (3 miles north), Norcot (4 miles north-west), Tilehurst Within (4 miles north-west), Arborfield Garrison (4 miles south-east), Caversham Heights (4 miles north) and Horncastle (3 miles north-west).
Well-known places in the area include Royal Berkshire Hospital (1.6 miles north) and The Oracle (1.8 miles north). The countryside around Whitley includes Fobney Island Wetland Reserve and Sonning Hill.
- Nearby schools include Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School (less than half a mile north-west) and Crosfields School (0.7 miles south-east)
- Pubs nearby include World Turned Upside Down pub (under half a mile west)
- Local facilities include University of Reading library (1.1 miles north-east)
Occasions we cook for in Whitley
It suits outdoor events of all sizes.
In Whitley and nearby, we cater all sorts of events. Some of the most common are:
- Seasonal markets
- Feeding crew and volunteers
- Village fêtes
- School and charity events
For a church fête or fundraiser, at a church such as St Agnes, a paella stall adds a hot meal to the cakes and tombola.
Before booking anyone
- VAT, if it applies
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- How long the team stays
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
Paella compared with other options
Some traders struggle with vegan and gluten-free options. A vegan paella pan sits alongside the others. Extras such as tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are priced separately, so you can choose exactly what you need.
Why Whitley hosts choose us
- Fast service from the pan
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- No hidden extras in your quote
Take a look at How we price And The cost guide.
- 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