Surrey · England
Live paella catering in Dippenhall, Surrey
Looking for paella catering in Dippenhall? We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook while your guests watch.
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
Live paella catering in Dippenhall
Dippenhall: your questions answered
Could we have live paella in Underdown nature reserve?
Only if the landowner, typically the council, allows it. Ask them first, and we’ll send any information they need.
Can you cater a reception after a service at St Francis?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking usually happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
Can you cook indoors?
Mostly outside or under an open cover, since the burners are gas. Some venues have suitable spaces; we’ll check with you and the venue.
Is paella a full meal?
It can be. Paella with bread and salad makes a full main course.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
Yes, on request. Rice is naturally gluten-free, but stock and some ingredients may not be, so we cook a gluten-free paella separately.
Can you feed plenty of people?
Very much so. We size pans and serving points to your guest list.
How long does the paella take?
That depends on your menu and numbers. We’ll agree arrival, cooking and serving times with you so the paella is ready when you want it.
Do we need to provide equipment?
All cooking kit comes with us. Tell us what the venue provides, such as tables or crockery.
About our paella catering in Dippenhall
There’s something generous about paella: big pans, bright colours and a crispy base everyone wants a spoonful of. It turns a meal into an occasion. For weddings, from canapés to evening food and garden parties and summer barbecues, we’ll put together a menu of chicken and chorizo paella, black rice and seafood paella and more.
Somewhere like Dippenhall, a field or garden is frequently the perfect setting. Mention gates and soft ground when you get in touch. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
Catering for every guest
Good planning keeps every guest safe and happy. Try these:
- Ensure each pan is labelled
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
- Send allergies to us in writing
Paella is at its best straight from the pan, so we plan service for when guests are ready to eat.
Sangria and bar staff can be added for your own drinks.
Working with your venue
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we’ll talk you through the process. We’re happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so guests are fed quickly. Let us know how long the food break is.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Some hosts like to cook themselves. The usual problems are a pan too big for the burner, too much rice and stirring once the rice is in. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Events we cater in Dippenhall
It is ideal for relaxed, sociable occasions, with guests mingling as it cooks and then sit down to share.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. People in Dippenhall book us for events such as:
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Big birthdays
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Family celebrations and christenings
Parks such as Underdown nature reserve generally need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there.
What to look for in a quote
- How long the team stays
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- Whether travel is included
- VAT, if it applies
The process
It’s a relaxed, well-organised set-up. Arrival and serving times are agreed beforehand, set up the pans and burners, and cook and serve without fuss. Evenings in Dippenhall stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:05pm; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- 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.
How to prepare
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Name one person we can ask on the day
Get a quote
Still deciding on the menu? No problem: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we will suggest a menu. Start when you are ready: fill in our quote form.
Read more
Planning the cooking area
We cook in large pans over gas burners, so the cooking area needs a little planning. These are the things we check:
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we’ll say what we think before booking.
On the menu in Dippenhall
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
Places near Dippenhall
Also in Dippenhall
Live paella or other catering?
Next to 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. Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so tell us about the venue when you ask for a quote. Everything is confirmed in writing.
Why Dippenhall hosts choose us
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Drinks service on request
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
Take a look at How we price And The cost guide.
Live paella in Dippenhall: local details
Dippenhall is about 2 miles west of Farnham, in Surrey. For paella catering in Dippenhall, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices. We cover all 395 towns and villages across Surrey, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Guildford, about 11 miles away.
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Farnham station, about 1.8 miles east. If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Potters Gate CofE Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
Here we cover the GU10 postcode area, so your event can be anywhere in it. Close by, we cover events in Dora's Green (1 mile north), Warren Corner (2 miles north), Hog Hatch (2 miles north-east), Redlands (2 miles north-west) and Crondall (2 miles north-west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Guildford (11 miles east), Woking (13 miles north-east), Camberley (9 miles north-east), Frimley (8 miles north-east), Haslemere (10 miles south-east) and Ash (5 miles north-east).
Nearby you’ll also find Fleet Community Hospital (5.1 miles north) and Powderham Castle (0.8 miles west). Open spaces near Dippenhall include Farnham Park and Beacon Hill.
- Local schools include Weydon School (1.2 miles south-east) and Weydon School (1.2 miles south-east)
What affects the price in Dippenhall
We will give you a clear, itemised quote. The main things that affect it are:
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- How many guests are eating
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Timings and hours
When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
What we need to know
These details help us quote quickly:
- A photo of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- Diets and allergies you know about
- The date and rough timings
It’s easy to get a price: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We will come back with a clear quote.
- 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