Hampshire · England
Paella Catering in Bidden
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Bidden and across Hampshire.
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Naming days and family parties
- Community events and fairs
Planning an event in Bidden?
The menu, dish by dish
Mixed paella
Paella mixta combines meat and seafood in one pan, and it’s frequently the first pan to empty.
Vegetable and vegan paella
Seasonal vegetables on a rich sofrito base make a paella that stands on its own. Vegan versions use plant-based stock.
How our paella catering works in Bidden
Paella is generous food: big pans, bright colours and a crispy base everyone wants a spoonful of. It makes the food an event in itself. For leaving dos and retirements and office lunches and staff parties, we’ll put together a menu of seafood paella, vegan paella and vegetable paella and more.
Somewhere as small as Bidden, a garden or field is often the venue. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and cooking close to where we can park helps. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, never made in advance and reheated.
Events we cater in Bidden
Paella is quick to serve and suits mixed diets, so it suits all kinds of occasions. It gives people something to gather round, too.
In Bidden and nearby, we cater all sorts of events. Popular bookings include:
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Company summer parties
- Weddings and evening receptions
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Robert May's School, can book us as a food stall.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether VAT is included
- What happens if it rains
- When final numbers are due
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
The process
On the day, we set up our cooking area, light the burners and start the sofrito. The rice goes in about 20 minutes before serving, so we time everything to your schedule. Around midsummer it stays light in Bidden until about 9:25pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:05pm, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. For winter events, when it is 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.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- On the day, we set up and cook in front of your guests.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
How to prepare
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Give us a contact for the day
- Share the running order, including any speeches
How to get a price
Send us the date, your venue or RG25 postcode and guest numbers, along with any dietary needs, and we will reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, fill in our quote form.
Read more
Live paella or other catering?
Food trucks and street-food vans serve one portion at a time. A paella pan serves many portions quickly, so everyone can eat at the same time. There is no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. Your quote spells it all out.
Why choose Love Paella in Bidden
- A clear, itemised quote
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Sangria and bar staff available
Take a look at How we price And The cost guide.
Catering for every guest
Good planning keeps every guest safe and happy. Here’s how:
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Put allergy details in writing
- Have seats for most of your guests
Paella is best eaten as soon as it is ready, so we serve when guests are ready.
Add canapé tapas with the drinks or table tapas as a starter while the paella cooks.
Prices and what affects them
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- The length of service
- How many courses
- Whether you need crockery
- Waiting and bar staff
The cost per head normally falls as numbers rise, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
What to tell us
You don’t need every detail fixed to get a quote, but it helps to know:
- Your date and when you want to eat
- A photo of the space, if you can
- Which courses you have in mind
- Anything your venue supplies
Most quotes start with a few simple details: date, location, guest numbers and diets. To send them, fill in our quote form.
Paella catering around Bidden
Bidden is about 4 miles south of Hook, in Hampshire. For paella catering in Bidden, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices. We cater in 683 places across Hampshire, from the larger towns to small villages. Our events stretch from Bidden to Reading (15 miles away).
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Hook station, about 3.6 miles north. For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St Mary, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Here we cover the RG25 postcode area. That could mean an event in a garden on Bidden Road, Elder Dell and Meadowside or the roads around them. Close by, we cover events in Little Hoddington (1 mile west), South Warnborough (1 mile south-east), Long Sutton (2 miles east), Greywell (2 miles north-east) and Up Nately (2 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Basingstoke (5 miles north-west), Farnborough (11 miles north-east), Fleet (7 miles north-east), Aldershot (10 miles east), Alton (6 miles south) and Yateley (10 miles north-east).
A little further out are Gliding Heritage Centre (3.4 miles south-west) and Odiham Castle (2.5 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include The Mill Field and Holybourne Hill.
- Nearby, you will find Hoddington Arms Public House (under half a mile west)
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but there is 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 keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
Nearby places to Bidden
Also in Bidden
Organising for someone else?
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so everyone eats promptly. Let us know how long the food break is.
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
Your questions about paella catering in Bidden
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St Mary?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking usually happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
What’s the nearest station to Bidden for guests?
The closest is Hook station, roughly 3.6 miles away.
Should we have more than one paella?
Most events have two or three: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We’ll help you decide the split.
Which paellas suit our guests?
Two or three is usual: a mixed or chicken paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. Our menu lists the options.
What happens with live paella?
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 space do you need to cook?
A level space for the pans, burners and a serving table, in the open air or a ventilated covered area, and the venue’s permission for live cooking.
When should we book?
The sooner the better. Popular dates book up first, so contact us early.
Can you provide dessert?
We can add a dessert. Tell us what you have in mind when you ask for a quote.
- 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