Surrey · England
Live paella catering in Capel, Surrey
From the first sizzle of the sofrito to the last spoonful of crispy rice, live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event makes the food a highlight of your event in Capel.
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
Book paella catering in Capel
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
How our paella catering works in Capel
Almost any venue with a level, ventilated spot will do: a garden, marquee, barn, courtyard or field in and around Capel. Popular choices include seafood paella, vegetable paella and chicken and chorizo paella, and we’re often booked for festivals, fairs and school events and birthday celebrations.
Somewhere as small as Capel, a garden or field is frequently the venue. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and a firm spot near where we park makes set-up easier. Every pan is cooked in front of your guests, so the food is hot, fresh and part of the occasion.
How we price paella catering
Every event is priced individually, based on a few main things:
- Guest numbers
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- How many staff you need
- Travel, parking and access
Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. We’ll send you a quote.
Getting an accurate quote
These details help us quote quickly:
- Roughly how many adults and children
- A photo of the space, if you can
- Anything your venue supplies
- Diets and allergies you know about
Each quote is tailored to your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll check availability at the same time.
Catering for every guest
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because every paella has its own pan. A few tips:
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Ensure each pan is labelled
- Give us separate numbers for children
Paella is at its best straight from the pan, so we serve when guests are ready.
Sangria and bar staff can be added to serve drinks you provide.
Planning live paella in Capel
Capel is about 5 miles south of Dorking, in Surrey. For an event in Capel, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices in and around Capel. We cook in all 395 towns and villages across Surrey, from the larger towns to small villages. Our events stretch from Capel to Guildford (13 miles away).
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Scott Broadwood CofE Infant School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. For guests coming by train, Ockley station is about 0.6 miles away. The Surrey Hills National Landscape is within about 3 miles of Capel. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
We cook at events all over RH5. Local streets include The Street, Laundry Way and Bakers Way; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. If your venue is just outside Capel, we also cover Ockley (2 miles west), Beare Green (2 miles north), Paynes Green (2 miles south-west), Kingsfold (2 miles south) and Holmwood Corner (3 miles north). We also cook in nearby towns such as Guildford (13 miles north-west), Epsom (13 miles north), Horley (7 miles east), Redhill (9 miles north-east), Ewell (14 miles north) and Reigate (8 miles north-east).
Nearby you’ll also find Horsham Hospital (5.6 miles south). Not far away are Leith Hill and Warnham LNR.
Towns and villages near Capel
More for events in Capel
Dishes our guests love
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. The shellfish is added late so it stays tender.
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.
Common questions in Capel
What’s the nearest station to Capel for guests?
The closest is Ockley station, roughly 0.6 miles away.
Do you come out to small places like Capel?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Can you cater for children?
Of course. A simple chicken paella is typically popular with children. Tell us how many are coming.
Is the paella gluten-free?
A gluten-free pan is no problem. Tell us about any coeliac guests when you book so we take the right care.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes, we do. Halal paella is cooked with halal chicken and no pork or alcohol, in its own pan.
Which paellas suit our guests?
It depends on your guests. Chicken and mixed paellas tend to go first, with seafood and vegetable pans alongside.
Can you serve drinks?
Sangria can be added, and provide bar staff to serve drinks you supply.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We take our equipment and leave the cooking area tidy. Ask us about table clearing if you need it.
Planning the cooking area
We’ll be honest if a space will not work. The main points are:
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we will tell you honestly before booking.
Popular choices
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
Who books paella catering in Capel?
People book live paella because it is food and entertainment at once. The pans become a focal point, and the food itself is hot and plentiful.
Big or small, live paella works well. Common bookings include:
- Community events and fairs
- Anniversary celebrations
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Milestone birthday parties
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St John the Baptist, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Before booking anyone
- Travel and parking costs
- Staff numbers and hours
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- How late numbers can change
What happens on the day
We get there well before serving, set up the cooking area and get the stock going. Guests normally gather round to watch while it cooks. In Capel, 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. For winter events, when it’s dark by about 3:55pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- Get in touch with the basics: when, where and how many.
- Expect a menu idea and a clear, itemised price.
- A week or so before, we confirm the plan.
- We set up, cook from scratch and keep an eye on your timings.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
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
Getting a price
Planning paella catering in Capel? Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll reply with a menu and a clear price. To get in touch, fill in our quote form.
Read more
Organising for someone else?
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Capel? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Give us the details and we’ll suggest a plan.
Throwing a party at home? Send a photo of the space and tell us about parking, and we will tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
- 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