Reading · England
Live paella catering in Emmer Green, Reading
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 Emmer Green.
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Retirement celebrations
Paella catering in Emmer Green
How our paella catering works in Emmer Green
The cooking is half the fun. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the aroma does the rest. Typical bookings include anniversary celebrations and weddings, from canapés to evening food, serving paella Valenciana, black rice and seafood paella.
For a place the size of Emmer Green, your own garden is frequently the best venue: no venue hire, and nobody stuck cooking. Let us know about access to the house. Everything is cooked from scratch at your event, never made in advance and reheated, and served the moment it’s ready.
Diets, allergies and planning
We take diets and allergies seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Make sure each pan is labelled
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
Once the rice is in, it needs about 20 minutes, so we start it at the right moment for your event. If plans change, tell us and we will adjust.
Sangria and bar staff can be added to serve drinks you provide.
Is live paella right for your event?
For something a little different, live paella brings colour, aroma and a touch of Spain. When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
Why Emmer Green hosts choose us
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- A clear, itemised quote
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
Take a look at Our pricing Or The cost guide.
Events we cater in Emmer Green
People book live paella because it’s food and entertainment at once. The cooking becomes the centre of the event, and the food itself is hot and plentiful.
If you’re planning any of these, we can help:
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Anniversary celebrations
- Milestone birthday parties
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like St Barnabas Church Hall, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
Comparing caterers
- VAT, if it applies
- How each diet is kept separate
- Payment terms and deposit
- How long the team stays
What affects the price in Emmer Green
The price comes down to a few factors:
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- The length of service
- Waiting and bar staff
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you can choose exactly what you need.
Details that help
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- A photo of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
- The courses you’d like
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Your date and when you want to eat
Send us the date, your venue or RG4 postcode and guest numbers, plus any dietary needs, and you will get a menu idea and a price. Just send us your details through our quote form.
Your questions about paella catering in Emmer Green
Which station should guests use for Emmer Green?
Reading station, about 1.7 miles south of the centre.
We’re having a ceremony at St Barnabas Church Hall: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is generally elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
What does paella catering cost?
It depends on guest numbers, the menu, the courses, staff and travel. Tell us about your event and we will send a quote.
Do you do starters?
Yes, it’s the classic pairing. Tapas first, paella to follow.
Can paella be the only main course?
It is a full meal on its own. Tapas and desserts can be added if you like.
What seafood can we have?
Tell us your preferences and we’ll suggest seafood options to suit your menu and budget. Premium options are available.
What if the weather’s bad?
We cook under cover, such as a gazebo, marquee or open-sided barn with good ventilation. We’ll agree a wet-weather plan with you.
What is live paella catering?
We arrive with pans, burners and ingredients, cook in front of your guests, and serve when you are ready to eat.
Emmer Green: venues, travel and local tips
Emmer Green is about 1 mile north-east of Caversham, in Reading. Give us the address of your event in Emmer Green, and we will plan access and set-up. We cover all 34 towns and villages across Reading.
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as The Hill Primary School, can book us as a food stall. Nearby historic houses include Mapledurham House (3.2 miles west) and Greys Court (4.3 miles north). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
Here we cover the RG4 postcode area, and we can cater your event anywhere in it. Whether your event is on Kiln Road, Grove Road and Barnes Road or a nearby road, we can cook there. For events just outside Emmer Green, we cover Caversham (1 mile south-west), Caversham Park Village (1 mile east), Littlestead Green (1 mile north-east), Dunsden Green (1 mile north-east) and Chalkhouse Green (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Norcot (3 miles south-west), Tilehurst Within (4 miles south-west), Shinfield (5 miles south), Arborfield Garrison (7 miles south), Horncastle (4 miles south-west) and Whitley Wood (5 miles south).
Well-known places in the area include Broad Street Mall (2 miles south) and Royal Berkshire Hospital (2.2 miles south). Not far away are Sonning Hill and Fobney Island Wetland Reserve.
- Local schools include Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre (0.6 miles west) and Chiltern Nursery Nurse Training School (0.7 miles south)
- Pubs nearby include The White Horse pub (under half a mile west)
Dishes our guests love
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The classic version is chicken, green beans and butter beans with saffron.
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich fish stock, cooked until the rice is golden. It is the pan people photograph.
How the day works
Here’s how the day typically runs: we set up the pans and start the sofrito, your guests watch the rice cook, and it’s served hot from the pan when you are ready to eat. Evenings in Emmer Green stay light until about 9:25pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:05pm; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- First, you send us your date, venue, numbers and diets.
- We suggest a menu and confirm a quote, including what’s included.
- On the day, we set up the burners and pans and get the stock going.
- Your guests watch the paella cook, with any tapas served first.
- We serve it hot from the pan and clear our area when service ends.
Before we arrive
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Make sure the spot is clear of anything flammable
Get a quote
Each quote is tailored to your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we’ll confirm whether we are available that day.
Planning help
Also near Emmer Green
Also in Emmer Green
Organising for someone else?
Organising a club, school or community event in Emmer Green? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Give us the details and we will suggest a plan.
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We will provide any information the landowner or council asks for.
Planning the cooking area
Most gardens and venues can host live paella, but a few things matter:
- Somewhere close to park and unload
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we will say what we think.
On the menu in Emmer Green
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable paella
- 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