Hampshire · England
Paella Catering in Clayhall
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Clayhall: paella cooked from scratch in giant pans, in full view of your guests.
- Big birthdays
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
Live paella catering in Clayhall
Dishes our guests love
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea.
Paella Valenciana
In Valencia, the recipe is fiercely debated. The classic version is chicken, green beans and butter beans with saffron, and it is a crowd-pleaser.
Paella catering for your event in Clayhall
One cooking area feeds plenty of people, very little goes to waste, and the food arrives hot. That’s why it works for so many events. We are often asked to cater community events and fairs and summer garden parties, with vegan paella, vegetable paella and mixed paella.
A place like Clayhall often has a hall, a club or a pub garden nearby; any can work for paella, with permission and somewhere outside to cook. Timings are planned around your event, so the paella is ready when you want to eat.
Towns and villages near Clayhall
Also in Clayhall
Why choose paella catering in Clayhall?
It needs no kitchen, so it works in gardens, fields and marquees where other catering struggles.
If you are planning any of these, we can help:
- Naming days and family parties
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Office lunches and staff parties
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Haselworth Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
Comparing caterers
- How bad weather is handled
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- Staff numbers and hours
- Any travel, parking or access charges
Common questions in Clayhall
Can you cook near the sea around Clayhall?
Yes, as long as we can shelter from the wind. Sea breezes cool the pan, so a windbreak, building or gazebo helps.
We are having a ceremony at St Francis: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking typically happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
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.
Can you supply plates?
Yes, if you need them. Tell us what your venue provides and we will include the rest in the quote.
What if the weather’s bad?
We cook under cover, like a gazebo or open-sided marquee. We will agree a wet-weather plan with you.
Who clears up?
We take our equipment and leave the cooking area tidy. Table clearing is available with waiting staff.
Do you cater in Clayhall?
We do. We cook at events in Clayhall and across Hampshire. Tell us your date and we will check availability.
Is paella a full meal?
It is a full meal on its own. Many hosts add tapas first or dessert after.
Live paella or other catering?
Compared with a hog roast or barbecue, live paella is easier for vegetarian, vegan and halal guests, thanks to separate pans. It is served quickly from the pan, so queues move. The cost per head normally falls as numbers rise, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Why book with us
- Drinks service on request
- We cover Clayhall and the whole of Hampshire
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Real theatre, not just catering
Read Our pricing Or The cost guide.
For event organisers in Clayhall
If you’re organising for someone else, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we are happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It keeps things simple.
Throwing a party at home? Send a picture of the space and tell us about parking, and we’ll tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
How it works
Once the rice is in, we do not stir it. That is what gives paella its separate grains and crispy base. The smell normally draws people over. Around midsummer it stays light in Clayhall until about 9:20pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:10pm, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. In December it’s dark by about 4:00pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- First, tell us about your event.
- You get a menu and an itemised quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- On the day, we set up and cook in front of your guests.
- It is served straight from the pan, and we clear our area afterwards.
Before we arrive
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Let us know the timings for the day
Ask for a quote
Send us the date, your venue or PO12 postcode and guest numbers, plus any dietary needs, and we will reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. Just use our quote form.
Read more
Live paella in Clayhall: local details
Clayhall is about 2 miles south-east of Gosport, in Hampshire. Anywhere in PO12, we will come to your venue or garden. We cater in all 683 towns and villages in Hampshire, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Southampton, about 15 miles away.
For a christening or wedding at a church such as St Francis, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Portsmouth Harbour station, about 1.4 miles north-east. Clayhall is within about 2 miles of the sea, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Coastal wind means we plan a sheltered spot.
Here we cover the PO12 postcode area. Whether your event is on The Lane, Old Road and Fort Road or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. For events just outside Clayhall, we cover Haslar (1 mile south-east), Alverstoke (1 mile west), Portsmouth Point (1 mile north-east), Privett (1 mile north-west) and Portsea (2 miles north-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Havant (8 miles north-east), Fareham (6 miles north-west), Horndean (10 miles north-east), Hedge End (12 miles north-west), Waterlooville (8 miles north-east) and Purbrook (7 miles north-east).
Other landmarks nearby include Tricorn Centre (2.3 miles north-east) and Gosport War Memorial Hospital (1 mile north-west). Not far away are West of the River Alver.
- Nearby schools include St Vincent College (1.2 miles north) and Bay House School (1.4 miles west)
- Local pubs include The Fighting Cocks pub (within half a mile west)
- Other local spots include Southsea (1.7 miles east)
What affects the price in Clayhall
Your quote will be clear and itemised. What affects it most:
- Guest numbers
- Travel, parking and access
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- The length of service
The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, plus any staff, crockery and travel. We quote for each event individually.
Details that help
You do not need every detail fixed to get a quote, but it helps to know:
- Anything your venue supplies
- The courses you’d like
- Where the event is
- Your date and when you want to eat
Every quote is put together for your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we’ll check availability at the same time.
DIY paella versus live catering
Some hosts like to cook themselves. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather be with your guests, we will do the cooking.
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 we need at the venue
Before the day, we’ll agree where we cook. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we will tell you honestly.
What we offer
- Vegan paella
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood 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