Oxfordshire · England
Paella Catering for Ashampstead events
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Ashampstead: paella cooked from scratch in giant pans, right in front of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Milestone birthday parties
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Retirement and leaving parties
Paella catering in Ashampstead
About our paella catering in Ashampstead
We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook the paella in front of your guests. Once it is ready, we serve it hot from the pan. Typical bookings include christenings and family gatherings and wedding breakfasts and evening food, serving black rice, paella Valenciana and vegan paella.
Somewhere as small as Ashampstead, a garden or field is often the venue. 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. Tapas, canapés, desserts, sangria and staff can all be added, so the whole menu comes from one caterer.
- Location
- Ashampstead (RG8)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Dietary options
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Extras
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quote
- Quoted for your event
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Space, weather and the venue
Before the day, we will agree where we cook. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we will tell you honestly.
What we offer
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. The usual problems are a pan too big for the burner, too much rice and stirring once the rice is in. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
Is live paella right for your event?
For something a little different, live paella brings colour, aroma and a touch of Spain to your event in Ashampstead. Compared with a plated meal, live paella is frequently good value, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. We will send you a quote.
Why choose Love Paella in Ashampstead
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- We cover Ashampstead and the whole of Oxfordshire
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Served hot, straight from the pan
See How we price And What paella catering costs.
Catering for every guest
We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests. To make it work smoothly:
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Send allergies to us in writing
- Make sure each pan is labelled
A short rest after cooking helps, and that is when we invite guests up.
Bread, salad and lemon go well alongside and suit guests who are not big rice eaters.
Dishes our guests love
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, finished with lemon wedges. It is the pan people photograph.
Paella Valenciana
The original paella from Valencia is a countryside dish of chicken and vegetables, not seafood. It is frequently the most popular pan at an event.
Prices and what affects them
These are the factors that matter most:
- How many courses
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Parking and unloading
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, along with staff, extras and travel. Every event gets its own quote.
Getting an accurate quote
To speed things up, tell us:
- Your date and when you want to eat
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- The venue or postcode
- A picture of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
Getting a quote is simple: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We’ll come back with a clear quote.
Ashampstead questions
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St Clement?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is normally elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
Do you cater in the North Wessex Downs National Landscape?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We will follow the site rules.
How do you work out quantities?
We plan quantities from your guest numbers, timings and other courses, with a little extra built in. Accurate numbers help.
Can you feed plenty of people?
Yes. Big pans feed plenty of people, and service from the pan is quick.
Can you cook indoors?
Usually we cook outdoors or under a ventilated cover, since the burners are gas. Some venues have suitable spaces; we’ll check with you and the venue.
What if the weather’s bad?
A covered, ventilated spot keeps us cooking in the rain. We’ll make a plan B with you.
Can you cater for children?
Children are welcome. Let us know numbers and ages, and we will plan a pan with them in mind.
Do you cater in Ashampstead?
Yes, we do. We cook at events in Ashampstead and across Oxfordshire. Tell us your date and we will check availability.
Places near Ashampstead
More for events in Ashampstead
How it works
We work to your timings. If speeches run late or the photos take longer, we hold the paella at the right stage so it’s served at its best. In Ashampstead, the sun sets at about 9:25pm in late June and about 7:10pm in late September, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. For winter events, when it’s dark by about 4:00pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- Start with the date, the place and the numbers.
- Expect a menu idea and a clear, itemised price.
- Closer to the day, we confirm timings and the cooking spot.
- We set up, cook from scratch and keep an eye on your timings.
- We serve, then leave our area tidy.
How to prepare
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
Ask for a quote
Thinking about paella catering for your event in Ashampstead? Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll come back with ideas and a quote. Just use our quote form.
Read more
Ashampstead: venues, travel and local tips
Ashampstead is about 7 miles north-east of Thatcham, in Oxfordshire. We cater events at gardens, halls and venues around Ashampstead. Ashampstead is one of 443 towns and villages in Oxfordshire where we cook. You can also see our page for Reading, about 10 miles away.
Nearby historic houses include Basildon Park (2.9 miles east). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. For guests coming by train, Goring & Streatley station is about 3.2 miles away. The North Wessex Downs National Landscape is within about 3 miles of Ashampstead. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
Here we cover the RG8 postcode area. Streets in the area include Chapel Lane, Noakes Hill and Church Lane, and we can cook for an event on any of them. We also cook at events in Ashampstead Green (1 mile north), Stubbles (1 mile south-east), Burnt Hill (2 miles south), Upper Basildon (2 miles east) and New Town (3 miles east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Didcot (9 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (14 miles north), Wantage (12 miles north-west), Henley-on-Thames (12 miles east), Grove (13 miles north-west) and Benson (10 miles north).
A little further out are Yattendon Castle (1.7 miles south-west). Not far away are Hartslock.
Who books paella catering in Ashampstead?
Paella is one of the few dishes that handles mixed diets easily, because each version is cooked in its own pan. Nobody gets a token ‘special meal’.
Live paella works for big and small events alike. Typical bookings include:
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Staff parties and work lunches
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St Clement, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
What to look for in a quote
- A clear list of what’s included
- Staff numbers and hours
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- When final numbers are due
- 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