Hampshire · England
Paella Catering for Colbury events
Love Paella cooks live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Colbury and nearby, with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal options.
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Retirement and leaving parties
Paella catering near Colbury
How our paella catering works in Colbury
One cooking area feeds plenty of people, there’s very little waste, and the food arrives hot. That’s why it works for so many events. For office lunches and staff parties and christenings and family gatherings, we’ll put together a menu of black rice, paella Valenciana and seafood paella and more.
In a hamlet or village like Colbury, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. Timings are planned around your event, whether that’s speeches, a lunch break or a festival schedule.
Live paella in Colbury: local details
Colbury is about 1 mile south of Totton, in Hampshire. For an event in Colbury, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices in and around Colbury. We cook in all 683 towns and villages across Hampshire, from the larger towns to small villages.
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Colbury Christ Church, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. Historic houses near Colbury include Southampton Tudor House and Garden (4.3 miles east) and Medieval Merchant's House (4.4 miles east). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. Colbury is within about 4 miles of the New Forest National Park. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours. The coast is within about 5 miles of Colbury, and seafood paella always feels right near the sea. Coastal wind means we plan a sheltered spot.
We cater events across SO40 and the streets around it. If your venue is just outside Colbury, we also cover Ashurst (1 mile west), Lyndhurst (4 miles south-west), Emery Down (4 miles south-west), Balmerlawn (6 miles south-west) and Brockenhurst (6 miles south-west). Further out, we also cater in Winchester (14 miles north-east), Eastleigh (8 miles north-east), Fareham (14 miles east), Chandler's Ford (8 miles north-east), Hedge End (9 miles east) and Lymington (10 miles south).
Other landmarks nearby include Ashurst Hospital (1 mile south-west) and National Dairy Museum (less than half a mile south). Not far away are Testwood Lakes.
- Local schools include Hounsdown School (0.7 miles north-east)
- Pubs nearby include The Forest Inn (within half a mile south-west)
Paella compared with other options
Barbecues cook in batches, so food comes off in waves. Paella is cooked as one big dish and served together. Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so your choice of paellas affects the total. We’ll suggest options to suit your budget.
Why us?
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
Dietary needs and planning tips
With a little notice, every diet is easy. We suggest:
- Make sure each pan is labelled
- Tell us what else is being served
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
If you’ve booked staff, they’ll serve, clear and help keep things moving, so you can enjoy your guests.
Need plates or staff? We can provide them.
Prices and what affects them
These are the factors that matter most:
- How many guests are eating
- Your choice of paellas
- How long we are needed on site
- Distance and access to the venue
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.
Details that help
When you contact us, it helps to tell us:
- The courses you’d like
- A picture of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- Anything your venue supplies
- The date and rough timings
Thinking about paella catering for your event in Colbury? Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll come back with ideas and a quote. To get in touch, use our quote form.
Planning the cooking area
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so we need a suitable spot. These are the things we check:
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Level ground for the pans and burners
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we will tell you honestly before booking.
Menu ideas
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
For event organisers in Colbury
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Events in public spaces, like parks, normally need permission. We will provide any information the landowner or council asks for.
Also near Colbury
Other catering in Colbury
The menu, dish by dish
Paella Valenciana
The original paella from Valencia is a countryside dish of chicken and vegetables, rather than seafood. It is a favourite with guests who don’t eat fish.
Vegetable and vegan paella
The vegetable pan is a dish in its own right: artichokes, beans, peppers and saffron.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Colbury questions
Can you cook at venues in the New Forest National Park?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We’ll follow the site rules.
Can you cook near the sea around Colbury?
Yes, as long as we can shelter from the wind. Wind is the main issue on the coast, so we plan shelter.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
Yes, on request. Rice is naturally gluten-free, but stock and some ingredients may not be, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
Do you do vegan paella?
Yes, and they’re popular with everyone. They have their own pans, stock and spoons.
How long do you need on site?
We get there in good time to set up. The rice itself takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
Which paellas do you recommend?
Two or three is usual: chicken or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. See the sample menu.
Who clears up?
Our cooking area is packed away and left clean. Table clearing is available with waiting staff.
Should we have more than one paella?
Most events have two or three: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We will help you decide the split.
The process
We arrive in good time before you want to eat, unload, set up the burners and prepare the stock. Your guests are welcome to watch while it cooks. In Colbury, the sun sets at about 9:25pm in late June and about 7:10pm in late September, so summer evening events are usually served in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 4:00pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- Start with the date, the place and the numbers.
- We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
- Closer to the day, we confirm timings and the cooking spot.
- On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
Preparing for the day
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Make sure we can park close by to unload
Getting a price
It is easy to get a price: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We’ll send a clear, itemised quote and a suggested menu.
Related guides
- Cooked live in giant pans at your event
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal options
- Paella, tapas, canapés and desserts
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