Surrey · England
Paella Catering for Caterham events
Paella for every guest: separate pans for meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan guests. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Caterham.
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Family celebrations and christenings
Planning an event in Caterham?
Paella catering in Caterham, cooked live
A couple of different pans covers everyone: meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan paellas. Each is cooked separately, so diets are easy to manage. We’re often asked to cater company summer parties and christenings and family gatherings, with vegetable paella, mixed paella and chicken and chorizo paella.
In Caterham, gardens come in all sizes, and most can host live paella with a little planning. A gazebo over the cooking spot covers you for rain. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
Questions from Caterham
How far is Caterham from London?
Roughly 15 miles from the centre of London, and we cover it as standard.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Sacred Heart Church?
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 typically elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
How long do you need on site?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
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, plus the venue’s agreement to cooking.
Do we need to provide equipment?
We bring all the cooking equipment. Tell us what the venue provides, such as tables or crockery.
Do you provide plates and cutlery?
Yes, on request. Proper crockery or quality disposables can be added to your booking.
Do you cook inside?
Usually we cook outdoors or under a ventilated cover, because we use gas burners. Some venues have suitable spaces; we will check with you and the venue.
Can you serve drinks?
Sangria can be added, and provide bar staff to serve drinks you supply.
Caterham: venues, travel and local tips
Caterham is about 11 miles south-west of Orpington, in Surrey. From the centre of Caterham to the outskirts, paella catering works the same way: paella cooked live, every diet catered for and a clear quote. We cater in 395 places in Surrey. We cook right across the region, from Caterham to London (15 miles away).
If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like Sacred Heart Church, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. For guests coming by train, Caterham station is about 0.7 miles away.
Here we cover the CR3 postcode area, and we can cater your event anywhere in it. From High Street, London Road and Park Road or a nearby road, we’ll bring the pans to you. Caterham sits on or near the B2030 and B2031, which makes travel to your event easy. For events just outside Caterham, we cover Woldingham Garden Village (2 miles east), Tyler's Green (2 miles south-east), Woldingham (3 miles east), Godstone (3 miles south) and Church Town (3 miles south-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Epsom (8 miles north-west), Horley (8 miles south-west), Redhill (5 miles south-west), Ewell (8 miles north-west), Reigate (6 miles south-west) and Walton-on-Thames (15 miles north-west).
A little further out are Bletchingley Castle (3.4 miles south) and East Surrey Museum (0.6 miles south-east). The countryside around Caterham includes South London Downs National Nature Reserve and Mercers Lake.
- Nearby schools include de Stafford School (0.5 miles north-east) and Sunnydown School (0.6 miles north-east)
- Pubs nearby include The King And Queen Public House (under half a mile south-east)
Catering for every guest
Nearly every event has some special diets. To plan for them:
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
- Confirm allergies by email
A short rest after cooking helps, and that is when we invite guests up.
Bread, salad and lemon go well alongside.
What’s in the pans
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. Shellfish goes in towards the end so it stays tender.
Mixed paella
Mixed paella brings meat and seafood together.
How it works
We work to your timings. If speeches run late or the photos take longer, we hold the paella at the right stage so it’s still served fresh. Planning an evening event in Caterham? Sunset is around 8:50pm in late May, 9:20pm at midsummer and 7:05pm in late September; once it’s dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- Start with the date, the place and the numbers.
- 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.
Before we arrive
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Leave space around the cooking area
Get a quote
We quote for each event separately, so the price fits what you actually want. To ask for one, use our quote form.
Read more
Who books paella catering in Caterham?
People book live paella because it is food and entertainment at once. The cooking becomes the centre of the event, and the food is hot and generous.
Here are some of the events we cook for in Caterham and Surrey:
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Engagement and anniversary parties
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Hillcroft Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
Questions to ask before booking
- How bad weather is handled
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- When payment is due
Space, weather and the venue
We’ll be honest if a space will not work, and suggest an alternative. The main points are:
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we will tell you honestly before booking.
On the menu in Caterham
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable paella
Organising for someone else?
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 can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can hold the date.
What paella catering costs
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- Travel, parking and access
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- How many guests are eating
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
Got a budget? Let us know, and we will suggest a menu to match. Even a simple menu can be a feast.
Details that help
To check availability and price, we need:
- The address or venue name
- A photo of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- Roughly how many adults and children
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. To send your details, use our quote form.
DIY paella versus live catering
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and don’t stir once the rice goes in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
Places near Caterham
Other catering in Caterham
- 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