Hampshire · England
Live paella catering in Ashley, Hampshire
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 makes the food a highlight of your event in Ashley.
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
Book paella catering in Ashley
Step by step
When we arrive, we set up the burners and pans and start cooking the sofrito and stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, so we time everything to your schedule. Around midsummer it stays light in Ashley until about 9:25pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:10pm, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. In December it is dark by about 4:05pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- Start with the date, the place and the numbers.
- We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
- 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.
Getting ready for the day
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Check the venue allows live cooking
Get a quote
We quote for each event separately, so the price fits what you actually want. To ask for one, send us your details through our quote form.
Planning help
Paella catering in Ashley, cooked live
There’s something generous about paella: big pans, bright colours and a crispy base everyone wants a spoonful of. It makes the food an event in itself. Typical bookings include naming days and family parties and big birthdays, with seafood paella, vegan paella and mixed paella.
For a place the size of Ashley, your own garden is frequently the best venue: no hire fees, and live paella feeds everyone without anyone stuck in the kitchen. Let us know about access to the house. You can add tapas, desserts, sangria, bar staff and waiting staff, so one booking can cover the whole menu.
Places near Ashley
What else we do in Ashley
Common questions in Ashley
Which station should guests use for Ashley?
The closest is New Milton station, roughly 0.7 miles away.
Can you cook at venues in the New Forest National Park?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We’ll follow the site rules.
Do you take everything away?
Our cooking area is packed away and left clean. Ask us about table clearing if you need it.
What is live paella catering?
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.
What seafood can we have?
Seafood choices are agreed when we plan the menu, including premium options if you want them.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Yes, and meat eaters often go back for seconds. They have their own pans, stock and spoons.
How much does paella catering cost in Ashley?
It depends on guest numbers, the menu, the courses, staff and travel. Tell us about your event and we’ll send a quote.
How much paella per person?
We size the pans for your numbers and the rest of the menu. Let us know about any other food. Our guide to portions explains more.
Dishes our guests love
Vegetable and vegan paella
The vegetable pan is a dish in its own right: artichokes, beans, peppers and saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The classic version is chicken, green beans and butter beans with saffron, and it is a crowd-pleaser.
Catering an event in Ashley
Ashley is about 4 miles west of Lymington, in Hampshire. Give us the address of your event in Ashley, and we will plan the journey and set-up. We cater in all 683 towns and villages in Hampshire. Our events stretch from Ashley to Southampton (15 miles away).
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is New Milton station, about 0.7 miles south-west. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Ashley Junior School, can book us as a food stall. The New Forest National Park is within about 5 miles of Ashley. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking. The coast is within about 5 miles of Ashley, and seafood paella always feels right near the sea. Sea breezes can be strong, so we plan a sheltered cooking spot.
We cover events in every part of the BH25 and SO41 postcode area. Local streets include Franklin Road, Miller Close and Manor Road; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Close by, we cover events in New Milton (1 mile south-west), Hordle (1 mile east), Bashley (1 mile north-west), Tiptoe (1 mile north-east) and Barton on Sea (2 miles south-west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Totton (12 miles north-east), Lymington (4 miles east), Hythe (13 miles north-east), Ringwood (8 miles north-west), Dibden Purlieu (12 miles north-east) and Marchwood (12 miles north-east).
Other landmarks nearby include Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum (1.4 miles west) and Lymington New Forest Hospital (4.3 miles east). The countryside around Ashley includes Milford on Sea LNR.
- Schools near Ashley include Ballard School (0.7 miles west) and The Arnewood School (1.1 miles south-west)
- Pubs nearby include The Plough Public House (0.9 miles north)
Why choose live paella in Ashley?
A plated meal needs a kitchen, more staff and usually costs more per head. Live paella needs a level, ventilated spot and the venue’s permission to cook, and it is entertaining too. The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, along with staff, extras and travel. We quote for each event individually.
What you get with us
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
Read Our pricing And The cost guide.
Diets, allergies and planning
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. Our advice:
- Put allergy details in writing
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
- Ensure each pan is labelled
Paella is best eaten as soon as it’s ready, so we plan service for when guests are ready to eat.
Sangria and bar staff can be added for your own drinks.
Why choose paella catering in Ashley?
There’s no kitchen needed, so it’s at home in gardens, fields and marquees where plated meals are hard.
Live paella suits almost any gathering. In Ashley, people book us for occasions like:
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Summer garden parties
For a christening or wedding at a church such as St. Peter's Church, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
What to look for in a quote
- Travel and parking costs
- How long the team stays
- VAT, if it applies
- Space, access and power needs
Before you choose a spot
Every venue is different, so we ask about the space when you contact us. Generally, we look for:
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before you book.
On the menu in Ashley
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegan paella
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
DIY paella versus live catering
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.
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and handles separate pans for each diet.
Prices and what affects them
Your quote will be clear and itemised. The main things that affect it are:
- Guest numbers
- The paellas you choose
- How many staff you need
- Whether you need crockery
There’s no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. We itemise everything in your quote.
Getting an accurate quote
To check availability and price, we need:
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
Getting a quote is simple: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We’ll come back with a clear quote and a suggested menu.
- 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