Surrey · England
Live paella catering in Banstead, Surrey
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Banstead: paella cooked from scratch in giant pans, right in front of your guests.
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
Live paella catering in Banstead
How our paella catering works in Banstead
Paella is generous food: huge pans, saffron colour and a toasted crust that everyone fights over. It makes the food an event in itself. For christenings and family gatherings and fairs, fêtes and festivals, we can cook vegetable paella, black rice and mixed paella for your guests.
A place like Banstead frequently has a hall, a club or a pub garden nearby; any can work for paella, with permission and somewhere outside to cook. Everything is cooked from scratch at your event, never made in advance and reheated.
Why choose live paella in Banstead?
Compared with a hog roast or barbecue, live paella is easier for vegetarian, vegan and halal guests, because each paella has its own pan. Service from the pan keeps queues moving. Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so the menu you choose affects the price. We’ll suggest options to suit your budget.
Why us?
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
Also in Banstead
How the day works
Expect a friendly, organised team. We agree arrival and serving times in advance, set up our cooking area, and get on with cooking and serving. In Banstead, the sun sets at about 9:20pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. In December it is dark by about 3:55pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- You tell us the date, venue, guest numbers and any dietary needs.
- We put together a menu and a clear quote.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up and start the stock.
- The paella cooks in front of your guests, with tapas first if you’ve chosen them.
- We serve from the pan, then clear our cooking area away.
How to prepare
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Give us a contact for the day
How to get a price
Getting a quote is simple: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We will send a clear, itemised quote and a suggested menu.
Read more
FAQs for Banstead
We are having a ceremony at Church of All Saints: can you cater afterwards?
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. Send us the reception address.
Is Banstead close to London?
About 13 miles from central London, and well within our area.
Do you do starters?
Yes. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, served while the paella cooks.
What seafood can we have?
Tell us your preferences and we will suggest seafood options to suit your menu and budget. Premium options are available.
Do you come to Banstead?
Yes, we do. We cook at events in Banstead and across Surrey. Send us your date to check availability.
How far ahead should we book?
As soon as you have a date. Peak dates go quickly, so it pays to ask early.
Do you cook inside?
Normally we cook outdoors or under a ventilated cover, because we use gas burners. We’ll check whether your venue has a suitable space.
Do you take everything away?
We pack down our cooking area after service. Clearing guests’ plates and tables can be added with waiting staff.
Working with your venue
If you are booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we’ll explain how it works. We are happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
Throwing a party at home? Send a photo of the space and tell us about parking, and we will let you know if live paella is a good fit.
What paella catering costs
There’s nothing hidden: the price is based on:
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Parking and unloading
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- How many staff you need
Live paella pricing depends on the event. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. Your quote spells it all out.
What to tell us
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what to include:
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- The address or venue name
- The date and rough timings
Every quote is put together for your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll check availability at the same time.
What we need at the venue
We cook in large pans over gas burners, so we need a suitable spot. These are the things we check:
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before you book.
What we offer
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Why choose paella catering in Banstead?
Paella is quick to serve and suits mixed diets, so it suits all kinds of occasions. It also gives guests something to watch and talk about.
Live paella suits almost any gathering. People in Banstead book us for occasions like:
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Milestone birthday parties
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of All Saints, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Before booking anyone
- How late numbers can change
- The wet-weather plan
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- Whether VAT is included
Banstead: venues, travel and local tips
Banstead is about 3 miles west of Coulsdon, in Surrey. Whether your event is in the middle of Banstead or on the outskirts, paella catering works the same way: live cooking, separate pans for every diet and a clear price. Banstead is one of 395 places in Surrey where we cook. Our events stretch from Banstead to London (13 miles away).
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Banstead station, about 0.7 miles north-west. Thinking of a picnic-style party in Fames Rough? Public parks typically need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first. The Surrey Hills National Landscape is within about 7 miles of Banstead, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
Wherever your event is in SM7, we can cook for your guests. Streets in the area include High Street, Glenfield Road and Highview Path, and we can cook for an event on any of them. You will find Banstead on the A217 and A2022, which makes it straightforward to bring the equipment. For events just outside Banstead, we cover Woodmansterne (1 mile south-east), Shanklin Village (2 miles north), Chipstead (2 miles south-east), Little Woodcote (2 miles north-east) and Woodcote Green (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Epsom (3 miles west), Horley (10 miles south), Redhill (6 miles south), Ewell (3 miles north-west), Reigate (6 miles south) and Walton-on-Thames (10 miles north-west).
A little further out are Honeywood Museum (3.2 miles north-east) and Municipal Borough of Sutton and Cheam (2.5 miles north). Open spaces near Banstead include Colley Hill and Cuddington Meadows.
- Local schools include Priory Preparatory School (under half a mile west) and The Beacon School (0.9 miles south-west)
- Nearby, you’ll find The Woolpack pub (under half a mile east)
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but there’s shopping, prep and hours of cooking. A caterer handles all of that.
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and handles separate pans for each diet.
The menu, dish by dish
Vegetable and vegan paella
A slow sofrito, seasonal vegetables and a good vegetable stock make a proper main dish. Vegan versions use plant-based stock.
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans.
- 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