Oxfordshire · England
Paella Catering in Dry Sandford
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Dry Sandford: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, in full view of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Community events and fairs
- Leaving dos and retirements
Planning an event in Dry Sandford?
Paella catering in Dry Sandford, made fresh on the day
Two or three pans side by side cover every guest: meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan paellas. Every pan is cooked on its own. We are frequently asked to cater milestone birthday parties and garden get-togethers, with chicken and chorizo paella, vegan paella and paella Valenciana.
Somewhere like Dry Sandford, a field or garden is frequently the perfect setting. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included, each in a separate pan.
- Area
- Dry Sandford (OX13)
- Area hub
- Oxfordshire
- Diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quote
- Contact us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
What’s in the pans
Paella Valenciana
In Valencia, the recipe is fiercely debated. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans.
Mixed paella
Mixed paella brings meat and seafood together.
Places near Dry Sandford
What else we do in Dry Sandford
Live paella in Dry Sandford: local details
Dry Sandford is about 2 miles north-west of Abingdon-on-Thames, in Oxfordshire. We bring paella catering to gardens, halls and venues around Dry Sandford and nearby villages. We cater in all 443 towns and villages across Oxfordshire.
For guests coming by train, Radley station is about 3.8 miles away. If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Helen, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
Here we cover the OX13 postcode area, so your event can be anywhere in it. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Cothill (1 mile south-west), Shippon (2 miles south-east), Frilford Heath (2 miles south-west), Tubney (2 miles south-west) and Marcham (2 miles south). Further out, we also cater in Oxford (5 miles north-east), Didcot (7 miles south-east), Witney (9 miles north-west), Carterton (12 miles west), Thame (15 miles east) and Wantage (9 miles south-west).
Nearby you’ll also find FitzHarris Castle (2.5 miles south-east) and Abingdon Community Hospital (2.3 miles south-east). Open spaces near Dry Sandford include Parsonage Moor and Cumnor Hill.
- Local schools include Larkmead School (1.9 miles south-east)
- Pubs nearby include Merry Miller pub (0.5 miles south-west)
Space, weather and the venue
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We need:
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly.
On the menu in Dry Sandford
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Paella Valenciana
Your questions about paella catering in Dry Sandford
Is Dry Sandford close to London?
Roughly 55 miles from the centre of London.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St Helen?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is normally elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
Can you feed plenty of people?
Yes, that is what it is made for. We size pans and serving points to your guest list.
What do you need at the venue?
Not a lot: a level spot clear of fences, hedges and branches, with room for a serving table. If in doubt, send a photo.
Which areas do you serve?
We cover London and the South East, Oxfordshire included. See all areas.
Do you cater for young children?
Children are welcome. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we will plan for them.
Which paellas do you recommend?
Two or three is usual: chicken or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. Our menu lists the options.
How much paella per person?
We size the pans for your numbers and the rest of the menu. Let us know about any other food. See how much paella per person.
Is live paella right for your event?
Plated meals need a kitchen and a bigger team. Live paella needs only a level, ventilated spot and permission to cook, and it’s entertaining too. Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so your choice of paellas affects the total. We will suggest options to suit your budget.
What you get with us
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
Take a look at Our prices page And Our guide to catering costs.
Should I cook it myself?
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
Who books paella catering in Dry Sandford?
There is no kitchen needed, so it’s at home in gardens, fields and marquees where plated meals are hard.
Live paella works for big and small events alike. Typical bookings include:
- Anniversary celebrations
- Milestone birthday parties
- Company summer parties
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
Historic houses near Dry Sandford include Appleton Manor (1.7 miles north-west). Historic venues often limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one.
Questions to ask before you book
- When final numbers are due
- Whether VAT is included
- How each diet is kept separate
- When payment is due
The process
Here’s how the day normally runs: we arrive, set up and start cooking, your guests watch the rice cook, and we serve straight from the pan when you are ready to eat. In Dry Sandford, the sun sets at about 9:25pm in late June and about 7:10pm in late September, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. In December it is dark by about 3:55pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- We start with a few details about your event.
- We suggest paellas and extras and send a clear quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- It’s served straight from the pan, and we clear our area afterwards.
Before we arrive
- Give us a contact for the day
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
Getting a price
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, plus any dietary needs, and you’ll get a menu idea and a price. To get started, fill in our quote form.
Planning help
Organising for someone else?
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we’ll keep you updated on timings and set-up.
Planning for every diet
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To make it work smoothly:
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Put allergy details in writing
Once the rice is in, it needs about 20 minutes, so we time it carefully. If timings shift, we adapt.
Tapas or canapés make a good start while the paella cooks.
- 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