Hampshire · England
Live paella catering in Ashurst Bridge, Hampshire
From the first sizzle in the pan to the last crispy spoonful, live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event makes the food a highlight of your event in Ashurst Bridge.
- Birthday celebrations
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Staff parties and work lunches
Planning an event in Ashurst Bridge?
Paella catering in Ashurst Bridge, cooked live
A couple of different pans covers everyone: meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan paellas. Every pan is cooked on its own, so diets are easy to manage. We cook mixed paella, paella Valenciana and vegetable paella, and we’re often booked for office lunches and staff parties and fairs, fêtes and festivals.
Somewhere like Ashurst Bridge, a field or garden is frequently the perfect setting. Mention gates and soft ground when you contact us. We serve straight from the pan, so it is hot and generous, and a queue moves quickly.
Catering for every guest
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. Our advice:
- Tell us what else is being served
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
- Make sure each pan is labelled
- Send allergies to us in writing
You shouldn’t have to worry about the food on the day. We arrive in good time, set up, cook and serve, and stay in touch with your venue about timings.
Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana finish the meal.
Also in Ashurst Bridge
How it works
We cook over gas burners in wide, shallow pans. It needs a level spot with some shelter and good ventilation, which we agree with you beforehand. In Ashurst Bridge, 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.
- First, tell us about your event.
- We suggest paellas and extras and send a clear quote.
- We agree timings, access and the cooking spot.
- On the day, we set up and cook in front of your guests.
- It is served straight from the pan, and we clear our area afterwards.
Getting ready for the day
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Make sure the spot is clear of anything flammable
Ask for a quote
Every quote is put together for your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we will check availability at the same time.
Related guides
Questions from Ashurst Bridge
Can you cook near the sea around Ashurst Bridge?
Yes, as long as we can shelter from the wind. Wind is the main issue on the coast, so we plan shelter.
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.
What happens with live paella?
We cook from scratch at your venue in big pans, in front of your guests, and serve straight from the pan.
Does paella work for big events?
Very much so. We size pans and serving points to your guest list.
Is paella enough as a main?
It can be. Paella with bread and salad makes a full main course, and tapas or dessert can be added.
Who clears up?
We clear our cooking area away when service is finished. Waiting staff can clear tables if you book them.
Can the paella be cooked in a hall?
Normally we cook outdoors or under a ventilated cover, because we use gas burners. We will check whether your venue has a suitable space.
Which areas do you serve?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
Working with your venue
If you’re organising for someone else, whether you are a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we will work directly with you and the venue. It saves passing messages back and forth.
Hosting a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we’ll tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
About the dishes
Paella Valenciana
The original paella from Valencia is a countryside dish of chicken and vegetables, rather than seafood. It’s often the most popular pan at an event.
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, cooked until the rice is golden. It’s the pan people photograph.
Planning live paella in Ashurst Bridge
Ashurst Bridge is about 1 mile south-west of Totton, in Hampshire. Wherever your event is in the SO40 area, we can cook for your guests. Ashurst Bridge is one of 683 places in Hampshire where we cook.
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Hazel Wood Infant School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Matthew, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. The New Forest National Park is within about 4 miles of Ashurst Bridge, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours. The coast is within about 6 miles of Ashurst Bridge, and seafood paella always feels right near the sea. Sea breezes can be strong, so we plan a sheltered cooking spot.
Wherever your event is in SO40, we can bring paella catering to you. Close by, we cover events in Netley Marsh (1 mile north-west), Totton (1 mile north-east), Hounsdown (1 mile south-east), Woodlands (1 mile south-west) and Winsor (2 miles north-west). Larger places within reach include Winchester (13 miles north-east), Eastleigh (8 miles north-east), Fareham (14 miles east), Chandler's Ford (8 miles north-east), Hedge End (9 miles east) and Lymington (11 miles south).
Nearby you will also find Ashurst Hospital (1.4 miles south) and National Dairy Museum (1.2 miles south). The countryside around Ashurst Bridge includes Testwood Lakes.
- Schools near Ashurst Bridge include Hounsdown School (1.1 miles south-east)
- Nearby, you’ll find The White Horse pub (0.7 miles north-west)
Planning the cooking area
Most outdoor spaces and many venues work for live paella, but there are a few things to check:
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly before booking.
On the menu in Ashurst Bridge
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
What affects the price in Ashurst Bridge
We’ll give you a clear, itemised quote. The main things that affect it are:
- The paellas you choose
- How many guests are eating
- The length of service
- Waiting and bar staff
Live paella often compares well with a sit-down meal, as there’s no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. Ask us for a quote.
Details that help
To check availability and price, we need:
- Expected numbers
- Anything your venue supplies
- A photo of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- The date and time of the event
Thinking about paella catering for your event in Ashurst Bridge? Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll reply with a menu and a clear price. To contact us, use our quote form.
Paella compared with other options
If you want something different from the usual buffet or roast, live paella brings colour, aroma and a touch of Spain. Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you can choose exactly what you need.
What you get with us
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- A quote that spells everything out
- Drinks service on request
Take a look at Our prices page And Our guide to catering costs.
Should I cook it myself?
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but there’s shopping, prep and hours of cooking. A caterer handles all of that.
- 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