Wokingham · England
Live paella catering in California, Wokingham
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in California: paella cooked from scratch in huge pans, in full view of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Retirement celebrations
Paella catering in California
Paella compared with other options
A cold buffet is simple but has no theatre, and the food sits out. Paella is cooked in front of your guests and served hot. Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so it helps to tell us about your venue. Everything is confirmed in writing.
Why choose Love Paella in California
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
- Fast service from the pan
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Drinks service on request
Take a look at Our pricing And Our guide to catering costs.
About our paella catering in California
There’s something generous about paella: huge pans, saffron colour and a toasted crust that everyone fights over. It makes the food an event in itself. We cook chicken and chorizo paella, vegetable paella and paella Valenciana, and we’re frequently booked for garden get-togethers and christenings and family gatherings.
Somewhere like California, a field or garden is frequently the perfect setting. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. You will know exactly what’s included before you book: menu, staff, crockery and anything else you choose, with no surprises on the day.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. We are happy to give you a quote to compare.
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
Dietary needs and planning tips
With a little notice, every diet is easy. Our advice:
- Mention any other courses or food
- Count adults and children separately
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
After service, we pack down our cooking area.
Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana finish the meal.
Places near California
What else we do in California
Occasions we cook for in California
There is no kitchen needed, so it is at home in gardens, fields and marquees where plated meals are hard.
These are some of the occasions we cater in California and Wokingham:
- Milestone birthday parties
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St James, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Questions to ask before booking
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- Travel and parking costs
- When payment is due
- If the price includes VAT
Dishes our guests love
Vegetable and vegan paella
The vegetable pan is a dish in its own right: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Seafood paella
The secret is a well-made seafood stock. The shellfish is added late so it stays tender.
Planners, venues and businesses
If you’re planning an event on someone’s behalf, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we will work directly with you and the venue. It saves passing messages back and forth.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
FAQs for California
Which station should guests use for California?
Crowthorne station, about 2.4 miles east of the centre.
Could we have live paella in Shepperlands Farm Nature Reserve?
Only if the landowner, typically the council, allows it. Check with them, and we’ll provide our paperwork.
How many paellas should we have?
Two or three covers most guests. We will recommend a mix based on diets.
What areas do you cover?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including California.
Can you cook in the rain?
Rain does not stop us, as long as there is a ventilated cover. We’ll talk it through before the day.
Can you supply plates?
If you need them, yes. Proper crockery or quality disposables are available.
Do you do desserts?
Yes, Spanish desserts can be added. Tell us what you have in mind when you ask for a quote.
Can paella be the only main course?
It is a full meal on its own. Many hosts add tapas first or dessert after.
Step by step
It is a relaxed, well-organised set-up. Arrival and serving times are agreed beforehand, set up the pans and burners, and cook and serve without fuss. Evenings in California stay light until about 9:25pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:05pm; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- Get in touch with the basics: when, where and how many.
- We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
- A week or so before, we confirm the plan.
- We set up, cook from scratch and keep an eye on your timings.
- We serve, then leave our area tidy.
How to prepare
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Give us your final numbers and diets
How to get a price
Thinking about paella catering for your event in California? Send us the details and we’ll come back with ideas and a quote. Just fill in our quote form.
Read more
Planning live paella in California
California is about 3 miles south-west of Wokingham, in Wokingham. We cater events at gardens, halls and venues around California. We cater in all 35 towns and villages across Wokingham, from the larger towns to small villages. We cook right across the region, from California to Reading (about 7 miles away).
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Crowthorne station, about 2.4 miles east. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Gorse Ride Junior School, can book us as a food stall.
We cater events across the RG40 postcode area. Your event could be at a home on Warren Lane, White Horse Lane and Fernbank or the roads around them. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Arborfield Garrison (1 mile west), Finchampstead (1 mile south-east), Barkham (1 mile north), Langley Common (1 mile north-west) and Eversley (1 mile south-west). Larger places within reach include Reading (7 miles north-west), Wokingham (3 miles north-east), Woodley (5 miles north), Earley (5 miles north-west), Crowthorne (3 miles east) and Lower Earley (4 miles north-west).
Nearby you will also find Beaumys Castle (4.7 miles west) and Wokingham Hospital (2.6 miles north-east). The countryside around California includes Horseshoe Lake and Holt Copse & Joel Park.
- Schools near California include Bohunt School Wokingham (1 mile west)
- Local pubs include The Queen's Oak pub (0.7 miles south-east)
Planning the cooking area
Most outdoor spaces and many venues work for live paella, but there are a few things to check:
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise.
On the menu in California
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- 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