Hampshire · England
Paella Catering for Appleshaw events
From the first sizzle of the sofrito to the last spoonful of crispy rice, live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event turns food into part of your event in Appleshaw.
- Anniversary celebrations
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Summer garden parties
Live paella catering in Appleshaw
DIY paella versus live catering
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but there’s shopping, prep and hours of cooking. A caterer handles all of that.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it is in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Paella catering in Appleshaw, made fresh on the day
Paella was made for feeding a crowd: cooked in the open in a big, shallow pan and shared straight from it. That’s what we bring to events in Appleshaw. Whether it is community events and fairs and garden get-togethers, we will put together a menu of black rice, chicken and chorizo paella and seafood paella.
In a small place like Appleshaw, events are usually in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and a firm spot near where we park makes set-up easier. You can add tapas, desserts, sangria, bar staff and waiting staff, so one booking can cover the whole menu.
Common questions in Appleshaw
Which station should guests use for Appleshaw?
Andover station, about 3.4 miles south-east of the centre.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St Peter in the Wood?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking normally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
Do you cater in Appleshaw?
We do. Appleshaw is one of the places we cover. Send us your date to check availability.
What is live paella catering?
We bring everything needed to cook on site, cook in front of your guests, and serve at the time you want.
How long does the paella take?
It depends on the menu and numbers. We’ll agree arrival, cooking and serving times with you so the paella is ready when you want it.
Can you cook halal paella?
Yes. We use halal chicken and leave out pork and alcohol, in its own pan.
What if the weather’s bad?
We cook under cover, like a gazebo or open-sided marquee. We plan for rain with you in advance.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Yes, children are easy to cater for. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we will plan a pan with them in mind.
Perfect for your event in Appleshaw
It is ideal for relaxed, sociable occasions, with guests mingling as it cooks before sitting down to eat.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. People in Appleshaw book us for occasions like:
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Summer garden parties
If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Appleshaw St Peter's CofE Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
What to look for in a quote
- Whether VAT is included
- When payment is due
- What the price includes, item by item
- The venue requirements
What paella catering costs
Your quote will be clear and itemised. The main things that affect it are:
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Guest numbers
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Travel, parking and access
Live paella often compares well with a sit-down meal, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. Ask us for a quote.
Details that help
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- The date and time of the event
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Which courses you have in mind
- A photo of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
To get a price, send us your details through our quote form. Tell us about your event in Appleshaw, and we’ll suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Step by step
We work to your timings. If speeches run late or the photos take longer, we hold the paella at the right stage so it is served at its best. Around midsummer it stays light in Appleshaw until about 9:25pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:10pm, so summer evening events are normally served in daylight. In December it is dark by about 4:00pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- Send us your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including every diet.
- We arrive early to set up the burners and pans.
- The sofrito, stock and rice go in, and guests gather to watch.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
Before we arrive
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Leave space around the cooking area
Get a quote
Every event is quoted individually, so the price fits what you actually want. To ask for one, send us your details through our quote form.
Planning help
Planning live paella in Appleshaw
Appleshaw is about 4 miles north-west of Andover, in Hampshire. We cater events at gardens, halls and venues around Appleshaw and nearby villages. We cook in all 683 towns and villages in Hampshire. Our nearest city page is Southampton, about 23 miles away.
For guests coming by train, Andover station is about 3.4 miles away. If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Peter in the Wood, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
This part of Hampshire takes in SP11. From Greensey and West Park or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Redenham (1 mile north-west), Clanville (1 mile north-east), Faberstown (1 mile west), Weyhill (1 mile south) and Fyfield (2 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Andover (4 miles south-east), Tidworth (4 miles west), Weeke (15 miles south-east), Ludgershall (3 miles north-west), Whitchurch (10 miles east) and East Anton (4 miles east).
A little further out are Andover War Memorial Hospital (3.2 miles south-east) and Ludgershall Castle (3.1 miles north-west). The countryside around Appleshaw includes Quarley Hill and Mill Lake.
- Pubs nearby include Walnut Tree Inn (less than half a mile north-west)
Catering for every guest
Nearly every event has some special diets. To cater well for them:
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
After service, we pack down our cooking area, quietly and quickly.
Add canapé tapas with the drinks or table tapas as a starter as the rice cooks.
Live paella or other catering?
A cold buffet is simple but has no theatre, and food can sit out for a while. Paella is cooked live and served hot. Extras such as tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are priced separately, so you can choose exactly what you need.
Why book with us
- Drinks service on request
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
Take a look at Our prices page And The cost guide.
Organising for someone else?
Venues often have their own rules about outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Tell us what your venue needs and we will work to it.
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Nearby places to Appleshaw
What else we do in Appleshaw
Dishes our guests love
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, not seafood. It’s a favourite with guests who do not eat fish.
Seafood paella
The secret is a well-made seafood stock. The shellfish is added late so it stays tender.
- 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