Hampshire · England
Live paella catering in Compton, Hampshire
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Compton and the surrounding area.
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
Paella catering near Compton
How our paella catering works in Compton
We cook every paella from scratch on the day, beginning with a sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, followed by stock, saffron and rice. Whether it is garden parties and summer barbecues and staff parties and work lunches, we can cook seafood paella, vegan paella and vegetable paella.
In a rural place like Compton, the setting does plenty of the work: a giant pan in a garden or field fits perfectly. Let us know about access and ground conditions. We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in a separate pan and clearly labelled.
What we need at the venue
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so the cooking area needs a little planning. Here’s what we look for:
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before you book.
What we offer
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
How we price paella catering
We will give you a clear, itemised quote. The main things that affect it are:
- Your choice of paellas
- The length of service
- Waiting and bar staff
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so it helps to tell us about your venue. The full price is confirmed before booking.
What to tell us
To check availability and price, we need:
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- The address or venue name
Each quote is tailored to your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we will confirm whether we’re available that day.
Live paella or other catering?
With a barbecue, food comes in waves. Paella is ready all at once, so everyone eats together. Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so the menu you choose affects the price. We will suggest options to suit your budget.
Why book with us
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Catering across Hampshire, including Compton
- Fast service from the pan
Read Our pricing And What paella catering costs.
Compton: your questions answered
How far is Compton from London?
Roughly 63 miles from the centre of London.
Could we have live paella in St. Cross Park?
Only if the landowner, normally the council, allows it. Ask them first, and we’ll send any information they need.
How long does the paella take?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. The rice itself takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
Can you cater for children?
Yes. Children frequently love a simple chicken paella. Tell us how many are coming.
Which paellas do you recommend?
That depends on who’s coming. Chicken and mixed paellas tend to go first, with seafood and vegetable pans alongside.
What seafood can we have?
Seafood choices are agreed when we plan the menu.
Is it really cooked live?
It is. We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook on the day, serving it hot from the pan.
Should we have more than one paella?
Two or three covers most guests. We’ll recommend a mix based on diets.
Also in Compton
DIY paella versus live catering
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Why choose paella catering in Compton?
Few dishes cope with mixed diets like paella, thanks to separate pans for each version. Everyone gets the same kind of meal.
These are some of the occasions we cater in Compton and Hampshire:
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Community events and fairs
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Weddings and evening receptions
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Compton All Saints Church of England Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
Questions to ask before booking
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- If the price includes VAT
- Travel and parking costs
- Who provides the crockery
The menu, dish by dish
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich fish stock, finished with lemon wedges. It is the pan people photograph.
Black rice
Squid ink rice is bold and savoury, and is popular with adventurous guests.
Paella catering around Compton
Compton is about 3 miles south of Winchester, in Hampshire. For paella catering in Compton, we plan around your venue and timings: a quote, a plan and live cooking on the day. Compton is one of 683 towns and villages in Hampshire where we cook. You can also see our page for Southampton, about 8 miles away.
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of All Saints, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. Parks such as St. Cross Park normally need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there.
Paella catering in SO21 is planned around your venue. From Field Way, Clease Way and Cliff Way or a nearby road, we will bring the pans to you. Close by, we cover events in South Down (1 mile south), Shawford (1 mile east), Otterbourne (1 mile south), Twyford (1 mile east) and Oliver's Battery (2 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Winchester (3 miles north), Eastleigh (4 miles south), Fareham (13 miles south-east), Andover (14 miles north-west), Totton (10 miles south-west) and Chandler's Ford (3 miles south-west).
Well-known places in the area include Balfour Museum of Hampshire Red Cross History (2.4 miles north) and Royal Hampshire County Hospital (2.8 miles north). The countryside around Compton includes Shawford Down and Twyford Down.
- Schools near Compton include Thornden School (2.2 miles south-west)
- Nearby, you’ll find The Bridge Inn (0.5 miles east)
The process
It’s a relaxed, well-organised set-up. We agree arrival and serving times in advance, set up our cooking area, and cook and serve without fuss. Planning an evening event in Compton? Sunset is around 8:55pm in late May, 9:25pm at midsummer and 7:10pm in late September; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- Start with the date, the place and the numbers.
- We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
- A week or so before, we confirm the plan.
- On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
How to prepare
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
Getting a price
Not sure what you need yet? That’s fine: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll make suggestions. To start, use our quote form.
Planning help
Dietary needs and planning tips
Paella is one of the easiest dishes for mixed diets, because every paella has its own pan. Here are a few tips for planning:
- Tell us what else is being served
- Request clear labels at the serving table
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
On the day, you shouldn’t have to think about the food. We arrive in good time, set up, cook and serve, and keep in touch with you or your venue about timings.
Bread, salad and lemon go well alongside.
- 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