Surrey · England
Live paella catering in Charlwood, Surrey
Love Paella cooks live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event across Charlwood and Surrey, catering for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests.
- Retirement celebrations
- Birthday celebrations
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
Paella catering in Charlwood
Planning live paella in Charlwood
Charlwood is about 3 miles south-west of Horley, in Surrey. We bring paella catering to gardens, halls and venues around Charlwood. We cover all 395 towns and villages across Surrey, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is Guildford, about 16 miles away.
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Charlwood Village Primary School, can book us as a food stall. If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Nicholas, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. The Surrey Hills National Landscape is within about 7 miles of Charlwood, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
Paella catering in RH6 is planned around your venue and timings. Local streets include The Street, Yew Tree Road and Rectory Lane; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. For events just outside Charlwood, we cover Russ Hill (1 mile south-west), Norwood Hill (2 miles north), Cudworth (2 miles west), Ifieldwood (2 miles south) and Ifield (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include Epsom (13 miles north), Horley (3 miles north-east), Redhill (6 miles north-east), Ewell (14 miles north), Reigate (6 miles north) and Caterham (11 miles north-east).
A little further out are Crawley Museum (3.1 miles south-east) and County Mall (3.4 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Tilgate Lake.
- Pubs nearby include The Half Moon pub (within half a mile north-west)
Paella catering in Charlwood, cooked live
Almost any venue with a level, ventilated spot will do: a garden, marquee, barn, courtyard or field in and around Charlwood. Typical bookings include summer garden parties and birthday celebrations, serving paella Valenciana, black rice and mixed paella.
Somewhere as small as Charlwood, a garden or field is often 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. You can add tapas, desserts, sangria, bar staff and waiting staff, so the whole menu comes from one caterer.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. The usual problems are a pan too big for the burner, too much rice and stirring once the rice is in. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
Not sure whether to cook yourself or book a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. We’re happy to give you a quote to compare.
What paella catering costs
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, because of:
- Waiting and bar staff
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- The paellas you choose
- The length of service
Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so the menu you choose affects the price. Tell us your budget and we will suggest a menu.
What to tell us
To speed things up, tell us:
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- The venue or postcode
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Anything your venue supplies
Send us the date, your venue or RH6 postcode and guest numbers, along with any dietary needs, and you will get a menu idea and a price. To get started, send us your details through our quote form.
Step by step
We take care of the food from set-up to service, so you are free to enjoy your event. If you’ve chosen tapas or canapés, they go out first while the paella cooks. Planning an evening event in Charlwood? 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.
- 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.
Preparing for the day
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
- Plan cover in case of rain
How to get a price
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, fill in our quote form.
Read more
Why choose paella catering in Charlwood?
Paella is one of the few dishes that handles mixed diets easily, thanks to separate pans for each version. Nobody gets a token ‘special meal’.
Live paella works for big and small events alike. Common bookings include:
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Naming days and family parties
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Company summer parties
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Ifield station, about 2.8 miles south.
What your quote should include
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- Payment terms and deposit
- How each diet is kept separate
- Travel and parking costs
Your questions about paella catering in Charlwood
Can you cook at venues in the Surrey Hills National Landscape?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We’ll follow the site rules.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St Nicholas?
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.
Does paella work for big events?
Very much so. We size pans and serving points to your guest list.
Can you serve drinks?
Sangria, yes. For other drinks, we can provide bar staff to serve what you buy.
Can paella be the only main course?
It’s a full meal on its own. Tapas and desserts can be added if you like.
Which paellas do you recommend?
Most events choose two or three: a mixed or chicken paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. Our menu lists the options.
Can we choose the seafood?
We’ll talk through seafood options when we plan your menu, including premium options if you want them.
How many different paellas?
Most events have two or three: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We will suggest a split based on your guests.
Planning for every diet
Allergies and diets are taken seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Give us separate numbers for children
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Put allergy details in writing
Paella is at its best straight from the pan, so we serve when guests are ready.
Bread, salad and lemon go well alongside.
Paella compared with other options
For something a little different, live paella brings colour, aroma and a touch of Spain. Got a budget? Let us know, and we’ll suggest a menu to match. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Why choose Love Paella in Charlwood
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Drinks service on request
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
Read Our pricing And What paella catering costs.
Organising for someone else?
Hosting a party at home? Send a photo of the space and tell us about parking, and we will let you know if live paella is a good fit.
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so everyone eats promptly. Tell us how long you have for food.
Where we can cook in Charlwood
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We look for:
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think before you book.
Menu ideas
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Nearby places to Charlwood
Also in Charlwood
- 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