Hampshire · England
Paella Catering in Chithurst
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Chithurst: paella cooked from scratch in giant pans, right in front of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Milestone birthday parties
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Engagement and anniversary parties
Paella catering near Chithurst
Why choose paella catering in Chithurst?
Live paella is made for outdoor events: it is cooked in the open, served hot and eaten together.
These are some of the occasions we cater around Chithurst:
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Family celebrations and christenings
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Stedham Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
What to look for in a quote
- How long the team stays
- The deposit and payment dates
- How each diet is kept separate
- Whether VAT is included
Paella catering in Chithurst, made fresh on the day
The cooking is half the fun. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the aroma does the rest. Whether it is birthday celebrations and family celebrations and christenings, we can cook paella Valenciana, seafood paella and chicken and chorizo paella for your guests.
For a rural spot like Chithurst, the countryside is part of the appeal: a paella cooking in a garden or field feels right at home. Tell us about access and the ground. Timings are planned around your event, so the paella is ready when you want to eat.
Prices and what affects them
Each event is quoted on its own, based on a few main things:
- How many guests are eating
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- Whether you need crockery
- The length of service
Got a budget? Let us know, and we’ll put together a menu that fits. Even a simple menu can be a feast.
What to tell us
To speed things up, tell us:
- What the venue already provides
- Which courses you have in mind
- A picture of the space, if you can
- Any dietary needs and allergies
To get a price, send us your details through our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we will put together a menu and price.
The process
Watching it cook is half the fun. Onion, garlic, peppers and tomato go in first, then the stock and saffron, then the rice, which cooks without stirring. In Chithurst, 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. In December it is dark by about 4:00pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- First, tell us about your event.
- We suggest paellas and extras and send a clear quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
How to prepare
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
Get a quote
Send us the date, your venue or GU31 postcode and guest numbers, along with any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. Just send us your details through our quote form.
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Places near Chithurst
More for events in Chithurst
Working with your venue
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Chithurst? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we’ll suggest a menu.
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: where cooking is allowed, access times and the paperwork they need. Send us your venue’s requirements and we will follow them.
Questions from Chithurst
Is Chithurst too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
What’s the nearest station to Chithurst for guests?
Liphook station, about 4.9 miles north of the centre.
Which paellas suit our guests?
Two or three is usual: chicken or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. See the sample menu.
Should we have more than one paella?
Two or three is usual: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We’ll help you decide the split.
Do you clear up afterwards?
Our cooking area is packed away and left clean. Table clearing is available with waiting staff.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Of course. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, while the rice is cooking.
What happens with live paella?
We bring everything needed to cook on site, cook in front of your guests, and serve when you’re ready to eat.
Can the paella be cooked in a hall?
Indoors only where ventilation and the venue allow it. Most events have us cooking outside or in a doorway or courtyard.
Catering an event in Chithurst
Chithurst is about 6 miles east of Petersfield, in Hampshire. Events in Chithurst are planned around your venue and timings: a quote, a plan and live cooking on the day. Chithurst is one of 683 places in Hampshire where we cook. Our events stretch from Chithurst to Guildford (20 miles away).
If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like Chithurst Church, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. Historic houses near Chithurst include Cowdray House (3.1 miles east). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one. Chithurst is within about 3 miles of the South Downs National Park. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
This part of Hampshire takes in GU31. If your venue is just outside Chithurst, we also cover Trotton Marsh (1 mile north-west), Borden (1 mile north-west), Rogate (2 miles west), Milland (2 miles north) and Rake (4 miles north-west). Further out, we also cater in Havant (13 miles south-west), Horndean (11 miles south-west), Alton (13 miles north-west), Waterlooville (13 miles south-west), Petersfield (6 miles west) and Purbrook (14 miles south-west).
A little further out are Midhurst Museum (2.9 miles east) and Midhurst Community Hospital (2.9 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Wheeler's Down and Iping and Stedham Commons.
- Pubs nearby include The Keeper's Arms Public House (0.6 miles south-west)
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it is 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.
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.
A closer look at the menu
Mixed paella
Mixed paella brings meat and seafood together, and it’s frequently the first pan to empty.
Vegetable and vegan paella
The vegetable pan is a dish in its own right: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron.
Catering for every guest
Paella is one of the easiest dishes for mixed diets, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. A few tips:
- Ensure most guests can sit to eat
- Send allergies to us in writing
- Make sure each pan is labelled
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
A short rest after cooking helps, which is when we usually call guests over.
We can add sangria and bar staff for your own drinks.
Where we can cook in Chithurst
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We need:
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly before booking.
Menu ideas
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- 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