Reading · England
Paella Catering for Caversham events
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Caversham: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, in full view of your guests.
- Milestone birthday parties
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Family celebrations and christenings
Live paella catering in Caversham
For planners, venues and organisers
If you are organising for someone else, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we’ll work directly with you and the venue. It saves passing messages back and forth.
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we will keep you updated on timings and set-up.
How our paella catering works in Caversham
Watching it cook is part of the experience. People drift over as the sofrito sizzles and the rice turns gold, and the smell does the rest. On the menu are seafood paella, vegetable paella and black rice, and typical bookings are for naming days and family parties and engagement and anniversary parties.
In Caversham, 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. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, never made in advance and reheated, and served as soon as it is ready.
FAQs for Caversham
Which station should guests use for Caversham?
The closest is Reading station, roughly 1.3 miles away.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Grace Church?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking generally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
What is live paella catering?
We bring everything needed to cook on site, cook while everyone watches, and serve when you are ready to eat.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes, and meat eaters frequently go back for seconds. Each is cooked separately, with its own stock and utensils.
Is the paella cooked on site?
It is. We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook it there and then, then serve straight from the pan.
Do you do starters?
Yes, it’s the classic pairing. Tapas first, paella to follow.
Do you take everything away?
We clear our cooking area away when service is finished. Clearing guests’ plates and tables can be added with waiting staff.
Can you do sangria?
Sangria, yes. For other drinks, we can provide bar staff to serve what you buy.
Who books paella catering in Caversham?
Paella is one of the few dishes that handles mixed diets easily, because each version is cooked in its own pan. Everyone gets the same kind of meal.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. People in Caversham book us for occasions like:
- Garden get-togethers
- Big birthdays
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Grace Church, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
What your quote should include
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- The deadline for final numbers
- Whether VAT is included
- Staff numbers and hours
Catering for every guest
We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests. To get it right:
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Ask for labels on each pan
On the day, you shouldn’t have to think about the food. We arrive in good time, set up, cook and serve, and stay in touch with your venue about timings.
We can add sangria and bar staff for your own drinks.
Planning live paella in Caversham
Caversham is about 2 miles north of Reading, in Reading. Give us the address of your event in Caversham, and we’ll plan access and set-up. We cook in 34 places in Reading, from the larger towns to small villages.
Historic houses near Caversham include Mapledurham House (3 miles west) and Greys Court (4.7 miles north). Historic venues often limit cooking, so ask early if you are booking one. Thinking of a picnic-style party in Eldon Square? Public parks generally need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first.
Wherever your event is in RG4, we can bring paella catering to you, from busy streets to quiet lanes. We can cater an event on streets such as Marshland Square, Church Road and Buckingham Gate. Main roads around Caversham include the B3345, so getting the burners and pans to your event is simple. We also cook at events in Emmer Green (1 mile north-east), Caversham Park Village (1 mile north-east), Lower Caversham (1 mile south), Caversham Heights (1 mile west) and Littlestead Green (1 mile north-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Norcot (3 miles south-west), Tilehurst Within (3 miles south-west), Shinfield (5 miles south), Arborfield Garrison (7 miles south-east), Horncastle (3 miles south-west) and Whitley Wood (4 miles south). As one of the bigger places in Reading, Caversham has lots of places to hold an event.
Nearby you’ll also find Royal Berkshire Hospital (1.9 miles south) and Broad Street Mall (1.6 miles south). Green spaces nearby include South Lake and Sonning Hill.
- Schools near Caversham include Chiltern Nursery Nurse Training School (less than half a mile south) and Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre (0.5 miles north-west)
- Pubs nearby include The White Horse pub (under half a mile north)
DIY paella versus live catering
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather be with your guests, we’ll do the cooking.
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and do not stir once the rice goes in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Nearby places to Caversham
Also in Caversham
Before you choose a spot
If a space is not suitable, we’ll tell you. The main points are:
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before booking.
Popular choices
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
Prices and what affects them
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Parking and unloading
- Guest numbers
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we’ll suggest a menu to match. A simple menu can still feel generous.
What to tell us
The more we know about your event, the better we can plan. Try to include:
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
Every quote is put together for your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we’ll check availability at the same time.
The menu, dish by dish
Black rice
Black rice gets its colour from squid ink, and is typically served with alioli. It makes a dramatic second seafood pan.
Mixed paella
Mixed paella brings meat and seafood together.
The process
It is a relaxed, well-organised set-up. Arrival and serving times are agreed beforehand, set up the pans and burners, and get on with cooking and serving. In Caversham, the sun sets at about 9:25pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 3:55pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- You share your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including every diet.
- We arrive early to set up the burners and pans.
- The sofrito, stock and rice go in, and guests gather to watch.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
Getting ready for the day
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
- Plan cover in case of rain
Ask for a quote
It’s easy to get a price: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We will come back with a clear quote.
Read more
- 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