Love Paella
Live paella catering
Paella cooked from scratch in giant pans at your event, in front of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Birthday and anniversary parties
- Garden parties and barbecues
Live paella catering, the way it should be
Live paella catering means we bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients to your venue or garden and cook in front of your guests. The rice cooks slowly in a wide, shallow pan, the stock soaks in, and everyone can watch it happen. When it’s ready, we serve it straight from the pan.
It works for almost any event: a wedding breakfast or evening meal, a birthday in the garden, a staff lunch, or a stall at a fair. One cooking area can feed a crowd, there’s very little waste, and a couple of different pans covers meat eaters, fish lovers and vegetarians together.
Perfect for
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Birthday and anniversary parties
- Garden parties and barbecues
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Christenings and family gatherings
On the menu
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
See the full sample menu. We cook vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal options, each in its own pan.
- Covering
- London and the South East
- Diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Extras
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff, crockery
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
How it works
- You tell us the date, venue, guest numbers and any dietary needs.
- We suggest a menu and confirm a quote, including what’s included.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up the cooking area and start the stock.
- The paella cooks in front of your guests, with tapas or canapés first if you’ve chosen them.
- We serve from the pan, then clear our cooking area away before we leave.
What we need at the venue
Live paella is cooked over gas burners, so we need a level space, outdoors or in a well-ventilated area or marquee, and permission from the venue for open cooking. Tell us about the venue when you ask for a quote and we’ll check what’s needed.
Dietary needs
We can cook vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal paellas. Each is cooked in its own pan. Tell us about allergies when you book so we can plan the menu, and read our guide to dietary needs.
Live paella compared with other event catering
| Option | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Live paella | Cooked in front of guests; served hot from the pan; several pans cover different diets | Needs a level, ventilated cooking space |
| Hog roast | Popular for big outdoor events | Harder for vegetarian, vegan and halal guests; one main dish |
| Barbecue | Casual and familiar | Food comes off in batches, so queues build; weather-dependent |
| Cold buffet | Simple to serve; no cooking space needed | No theatre; food can sit out for a while |
| Plated meal | Formal and traditional | Needs a kitchen, more staff and usually costs more per head |
What your quote should include
- What’s included: paella only, or bread, salad and sides too
- How many staff, and how long they stay
- Crockery, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- Travel and parking costs
- Whether VAT is included
- What happens if the weather turns
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
Live paella catering: questions
How does live paella catering work?
We set up a cooking area at your venue, cook the paella from scratch in large pans while your guests watch, and serve it straight from the pan.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes. We cook vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal options, each in a separate pan.
How much does paella catering cost?
It depends on guest numbers, the menu, the number of courses, staffing and travel. Tell us about your event and we’ll send a quote.
Can you cook paella indoors?
Usually outdoors or in a marquee or well-ventilated area, because we cook over gas burners. Some venues have suitable spaces inside; we’ll check with you and the venue.
Where do you cater?
Across London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight. Find your area.
How do I get a quote?
Send us your date, venue or postcode, guest numbers and any dietary needs through our quote form, and we’ll reply with a menu and a price.
Towns we cover
- London
- Brighton
- Guildford
- Canterbury
- Maidstone
- Tunbridge Wells
- Oxford
- Reading
- Southampton
- Winchester
- Chichester
- Milton Keynes
- All areas
Find your county for every town and village we cover, from the big towns to the smallest villages.
Live paella catering for your event
- 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