Hampshire · England
Paella Catering in Colden Common
Something for every guest: meat, seafood, vegetarian and vegan pans side by side. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Colden Common.
- Anniversary celebrations
- Garden get-togethers
- Milestone birthday parties
Paella catering in Colden Common
How our paella catering works in Colden Common
Keep it simple, or go all out: just paella, or paella with tapas, desserts and drinks. We will suggest what suits your event. Typical bookings include community events and fairs and wedding breakfasts and evening food, with mixed paella, chicken and chorizo paella and vegetable paella.
In a smaller place like Colden Common, a garden party is frequently the simplest option: no venue hire, and nobody stuck cooking. Let us know about access to the house. We cook every pan in full view of your guests, so the food is hot, fresh and part of the occasion.
Space, weather and the venue
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We look for:
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Somewhere close to park and unload
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think.
Menu ideas
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Your questions about paella catering in Colden Common
How far is Colden Common from London?
About 63 miles from central London.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of the Holy Trinity?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking normally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
Is the paella cooked on site?
It is. We arrive with everything we need and cook it there and then, then serve straight from the pan.
What is live paella catering?
We bring everything needed to cook on site, cook in front of your guests, and serve when you are ready to eat.
How far ahead should we book?
Early, particularly for summer Saturdays. Ask about your date even if it’s soon.
Do you take everything away?
We pack down our cooking area after service. Waiting staff can clear tables if you book them.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes, and meat eaters often go back for seconds. Each is cooked separately, with its own stock and utensils.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Yes, children are easy to cater for. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we will plan for them.
Who books paella catering in Colden Common?
Live paella is food and a show in one. The cooking becomes the centre of the event, and the food itself is hot and plentiful.
We’re booked for all kinds of occasions in Colden Common and nearby. Some of the most common are:
- Big birthdays
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Summer garden parties
- Staff parties and work lunches
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of the Holy Trinity, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
Comparing caterers
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- The deadline for final numbers
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- What the caterer needs from your venue
The process
When we arrive, we set up our cooking area, light the burners and start the sofrito. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, so we time everything to your schedule. Evenings in Colden Common stay light until about 9:25pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:10pm; once it’s dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- Contact us with the basics: when, where and how many.
- 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.
- We serve, then leave our area tidy.
Getting ready for the day
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
Ask for a quote
Getting a quote is simple: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We’ll come back with a clear quote.
Related guides
Planning for every diet
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. Here are a few tips for planning:
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Count adults and children separately
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
You shouldn’t have to worry about the food on the day. We arrive in good time, set up, cook and serve, and stay in touch with your venue about timings.
Sangria and bar staff can be added for your own drinks.
Paella compared with other options
Next to a hog roast or barbecue, paella makes vegetarian, vegan and halal guests easier to cater for, because each paella has its own pan. It is served quickly from the pan, so queues move. When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
Why choose Love Paella in Colden Common
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
- Live cooking, not reheated food
Dishes our guests love
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea.
Mixed paella
Paella mixta combines meat and seafood in one pan.
Colden Common: venues, travel and local tips
Colden Common is about 2 miles north-east of Eastleigh, in Hampshire. From the centre of Colden Common to the outskirts, paella catering works the same way: paella cooked live, every diet catered for and a clear quote. We cater in all 683 towns and villages in Hampshire. You can also see our page for Southampton, about 6 miles away.
For guests coming by train, Shawford station is about 1.9 miles away. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Colden Common Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
Here we cover the SO21 and SO50 postcode area, and we can cater your event anywhere in it. Streets in the area include St Vigor Way, Ash Close and Birch Close, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Close by, we cover events in Brambridge (1 mile south-west), Nob's Crook (1 mile south-east), Lord's Wood (1 mile south-west), Highbridge (1 mile south-west) and Fisher's Pond (1 mile south-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Winchester (4 miles north), Gosport (15 miles south-east), Fareham (11 miles south-east), Horndean (15 miles south-east), Totton (10 miles south-west) and Chandler's Ford (3 miles west).
Other landmarks nearby include Wolvesey Castle (4.4 miles north) and Eastleigh Museum (2.4 miles south-west). Open spaces near Colden Common include Shawford Down and Twyford Down.
- Local schools include Thornden School (2 miles west)
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and handles separate pans for each diet.
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Places near Colden Common
What else we do in Colden Common
What paella catering costs
The price comes down to a few factors:
- How long we are needed on site
- Whether you need crockery
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- The paellas you choose
Extras such as tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are priced separately, so you only pay for what you want.
Getting an accurate quote
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. Here’s what to include:
- The date and time of the event
- Anything your venue supplies
- The address or venue name
- Diets and allergies you know about
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, along with any dietary needs, and we will reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. Just fill in our quote form.
- 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