Hampshire · England
Live paella catering in Awbridge, Hampshire
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Awbridge and across Hampshire.
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Festivals, fairs and school events
Live paella catering in Awbridge
Live paella or other catering?
Plated meals need a kitchen and a bigger team. Live paella needs only a level, ventilated spot and permission to cook, and it is entertaining too. 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.
Why Awbridge hosts choose us
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Sangria and bar staff available
- A clear, itemised quote
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
Read Our pricing And What paella catering costs.
Paella catering for your event in Awbridge
Paella was made for feeding a crowd: cooked outdoors in a wide, shallow pan and shared. That’s what we bring to events in Awbridge. Popular choices include paella Valenciana, black rice and mixed paella, and typical bookings are for anniversary celebrations and garden parties and summer barbecues.
In a rural place like Awbridge, the setting does a lot of the work: a giant pan in a garden or field fits perfectly. Tell us about access and the ground. We plan the timings around your day, whether that is speeches, a lunch break or a festival schedule.
How the day works
It is a relaxed, well-organised set-up. Arrival and serving times are agreed beforehand, set up the pans and burners, and get on with cooking and serving. Planning an evening event in Awbridge? Sunset is around 8:55pm in late May, 9:25pm at midsummer and 7:10pm in late September; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- You share your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan a menu that covers every diet.
- We arrive in good time to set up.
- 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 a contact for the day
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
How to get a price
Every quote is put together for your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we will check availability at the same time.
Planning help
Why choose paella catering in Awbridge?
Live paella is food and a show in one. The cooking becomes the centre of the event, and the food itself is hot and plentiful.
Whatever you’re celebrating in Awbridge, live paella can be the centrepiece. We often cook for:
- Anniversary celebrations
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Birthday celebrations
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Awbridge Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
Comparing caterers
- VAT, if it applies
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- How each diet is kept separate
Awbridge questions
Do you come out to small places like Awbridge?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Let us know about access and parking.
What’s the nearest station to Awbridge for guests?
Mottisfont & Dunbridge station, about 1.5 miles north of the centre.
Is the paella gluten-free?
We can, if you tell us in advance. The rice is gluten-free, but stocks and chorizo can contain gluten, so we cook a gluten-free paella separately.
What happens if it rains?
We cook under cover, like a gazebo or open-sided marquee. We’ll agree a wet-weather plan with you.
Is it really cooked live?
Yes. We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook it there and then, then serve straight from the pan.
Can you feed a lot of people?
Yes, that is what it is made for. We size pans and serving points to your guest list.
Do you cook inside?
Indoors only where ventilation and the venue allow it. Courtyards, doorways and terraces often work.
Can we add tapas or canapés?
Yes, it’s the classic pairing. Tapas go out first, then the paella.
Planning live paella in Awbridge
Awbridge is about 3 miles north-west of Romsey, in Hampshire. For an event in Awbridge, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices in and around Awbridge. We cater in all 683 towns and villages in Hampshire, from the larger towns to small villages. We cook right across the region, from Awbridge to Southampton (about 9 miles away).
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of All Saints, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Mottisfont & Dunbridge station, about 1.5 miles north.
This part of Hampshire takes in SO51, so your event can be anywhere in it. Local streets include Romsey Road, Spring Field and Danes Road; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. If your venue is just outside Awbridge, we also cover Carter's Clay (1 mile north-west), Kimbridge (1 mile north-east), Dunbridge (1 mile north), Timsbury (2 miles north-east) and Mottisfont (2 miles north). We also cook in nearby towns such as Winchester (10 miles east), Eastleigh (9 miles east), Andover (14 miles north), Totton (7 miles south), Chandler's Ford (7 miles east) and Hedge End (12 miles south-east).
Well-known places in the area include Romsey Community Hospital (3 miles south-east) and King Johns House (2.4 miles south-east). Not far away are Emer Bog and Baddesley Common.
- Local schools include Stanbridge Earls School (1 mile south-east) and Embley (1.9 miles south)
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Some hosts like to cook themselves. 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 be with your guests, we will do the cooking.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Diets, allergies and planning
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because every paella has its own pan. A few tips:
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Make sure most guests can sit to eat
- Put allergy details in writing
- Request clear labels at the serving table
On the day, you shouldn’t have to think about the food. We arrive in good time, set up, cook and serve, and keep in touch with you or your venue about timings.
Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana finish the meal.
The menu, dish by dish
Black rice
Arroz negro is coloured and flavoured with squid ink, and is typically served with alioli. It is a striking addition to a seafood menu.
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. The shellfish is added late so it stays tender.
Working with your venue
Events in public spaces, like parks, typically need permission. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Awbridge? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Give us the details and we will suggest a plan.
Nearby places to Awbridge
More for events in Awbridge
Prices and what affects them
There are no hidden charges: the price is based on:
- Waiting and bar staff
- Whether you need crockery
- How many courses
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
What to tell us
Good planning starts with a few facts. Try to include:
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- Diets and allergies you know about
- A picture of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
- Where the event is
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, plus any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. Just send us your details through our quote form.
- 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