Hampshire · England
Paella Catering for Chandler's Ford events
Planning paella catering in Chandler's Ford? We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook in front of your guests.
- Anniversary celebrations
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
Paella catering near Chandler's Ford
Your questions about paella catering in Chandler's Ford
Can you cook near the sea around Chandler's Ford?
Yes, with a sheltered cooking spot. Wind is the main issue on the coast, so we plan shelter.
Can you cater a reception after a service at St Boniface?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is usually elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
Do you provide plates and cutlery?
If you need them, yes. Crockery, cutlery and napkins, or good-quality disposables are available.
What space do you need to cook?
Level ground for the burners, pans and a table, in the open air or a ventilated covered area, plus the venue’s agreement to cooking.
Which paellas do you recommend?
Most events choose two or three: chicken or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. Our menu lists the options.
How long does the paella take?
We get there in good time to set up. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
Can you cook in the rain?
A covered, ventilated spot keeps us cooking in the rain. We’ll make a plan B with you.
Is paella enough as a main?
Yes. Paella with bread and salad makes a full main course, and tapas or dessert can be added.
Paella catering in Chandler's Ford, made fresh on the day
We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook the paella in front of your guests. Once it’s ready, we serve it hot from the pan. For fairs, fêtes and festivals and garden get-togethers, we can cook mixed paella, seafood paella and vegetable paella and more.
A town like Chandler's Ford gives you plenty of options: a garden, a club, a hall or a hired venue. We will check the cooking spot with you before the day. We plan the timings around your day, so the paella is ready when you want to eat.
Also near Chandler's Ford
More for events in Chandler's Ford
Prices and what affects them
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Travel, parking and access
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- How long we’re needed on site
The cost per head normally falls as numbers rise, since the set-up is much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
Getting an accurate quote
These details help us quote quickly:
- Where the event is
- Expected numbers
- A photo of the space, if you can
- Which courses you have in mind
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, plus any dietary needs, and we will reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, send us your details through our quote form.
Is live paella right for your event?
If you want something different from the usual buffet or roast, live paella adds colour, smell and theatre. Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. Ask us for a quote.
Why choose Love Paella in Chandler's Ford
- Sangria and bar staff available
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- A clear, itemised quote
Read Our prices page Or The cost guide.
Organising for someone else?
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Chandler's Ford? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Give us the details and we will suggest a plan.
If you are 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 keeps things simple.
How it works
The cooking is part of the entertainment. We start with the sofrito, add the stock and saffron, then spread the rice across the pan and leave it alone to cook while your guests chat. Evenings in Chandler's Ford stay light until about 9:25pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:10pm; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- We start with a few details 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.
Before we arrive
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
Getting a price
The quickest way to a quote is to use our quote form. Tell us about your event in Chandler's Ford, and we’ll suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Read more
Dietary needs and planning tips
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To make it work smoothly:
- Put allergy details in writing
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Ask for labels on each pan
A short rest after cooking helps, and that is when we invite guests up.
Finish with churros, crema catalana or tarta de Santiago, or serve your own cake.
Before you choose a spot
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so we need a suitable spot. Here’s what we look for:
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before booking.
Menu ideas
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
Paella catering around Chandler's Ford
Chandler's Ford is about 5 miles north of Southampton, in Hampshire. Anywhere in SO53, we’ll come to your venue or garden. Chandler's Ford is one of 683 places in Hampshire where we cook.
Historic houses near Chandler's Ford include South Stoneham House (3.4 miles south). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one. For guests coming by train, Chandler's Ford has its own station, Chandlers Ford station. Chandler's Ford is within about 6 miles of the sea, and seafood paella always feels right near the sea. Coastal wind means we plan a sheltered spot.
This part of Hampshire takes in SO53, SO51 and SO52, so your event can be anywhere in it. From Kerry Close, Prospect Place and Sutherlands Court or anywhere nearby, we will bring the pans to you. Chandler's Ford sits on or near the B3043, so getting the burners and pans to your event is simple. We also cook at events in Hiltingbury (1 mile north), Boyatt Wood (1 mile east), Allbrook (1 mile east), North Stoneham (2 miles south) and Eastleigh (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cater in Winchester (6 miles north-east), Fareham (12 miles south-east), Totton (7 miles south-west), Hedge End (6 miles south-east), Romsey (4 miles west) and Hythe (9 miles south).
Other landmarks nearby include Princess Anne Hospital (4 miles south-west) and Eastleigh Museum (1.9 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Flexford Nature Reserve.
- Schools near Chandler's Ford include Toynbee School (0.8 miles south-east) and Thornden School (1.2 miles north-east)
About the dishes
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea.
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. Shellfish goes in towards the end so it stays tender.
DIY paella versus live catering
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
Some hosts like to cook themselves. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
- 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