Hampshire · England
Paella Catering for Forestside events
Paella for every guest: meat, seafood, vegetarian and vegan pans side by side. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Forestside.
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
Paella catering for Forestside events
Paella catering in Forestside, made fresh on the day
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. For weddings, from canapés to evening food and office lunches and staff parties, we will put together a menu of mixed paella, seafood paella and chicken and chorizo paella and more.
Somewhere like Forestside, a field or garden is frequently the perfect setting. Mention gates and soft ground when you get in touch. The paella is served straight from the pan, so it’s hot and generous, and a queue moves quickly.
What affects the price in Forestside
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, depending on:
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- The length of service
- The number of people
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so tell us about the venue when you ask for a quote. The full price is confirmed before you book.
Details that help
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what’s useful:
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- A photo of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- Where the event is
We need only a few details to quote: date, location, guest numbers and diets. To send them, send us your details through our quote form.
Nearby places to Forestside
What else we do in Forestside
Questions from Forestside
Can you cook in Stansted Park?
Only if the landowner, generally the council, allows it. Check with them, and we’ll provide our paperwork.
Is Forestside too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
What seafood can we have?
We’ll suggest seafood to suit your menu and budget. Premium shellfish can be added.
Do you bring everything you need?
We bring the pans, burners and ingredients. You provide a suitable spot and access.
Can you cater for children?
Of course. A simple chicken paella is generally popular with children. Include children in your numbers.
What do you need at the venue?
Level ground for the burners, pans and a table, in the open air or a ventilated covered area, plus the venue’s agreement to cooking.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Of course. Vegetarian and vegan paellas are cooked in separate pans.
Which areas do you serve?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including Forestside.
The process
When the rice goes in, it is left alone. That is what gives paella its separate grains and crispy base. Your guests will smell it before they see it. In Forestside, the sun sets at about 9:20pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 4:00pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- It starts with your date, venue, numbers and any dietary needs.
- We suggest a menu and confirm a quote, including what’s included.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up and start the stock.
- The paella cooks in front of your guests, with tapas first if you’ve chosen them.
- We serve it hot from the pan and clear our area when service ends.
How to prepare
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Let us know the timings for the day
How to get a price
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. To send your details, use our quote form.
Related guides
The menu, dish by dish
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea, and is popular with adventurous guests.
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich fish stock, cooked until the rice is golden. It’s usually the most photographed pan.
Why choose live paella in Forestside?
Cold buffets are easy but forgettable, and the food sits out. Paella is cooked in front of your guests and served hot. When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
Why choose Love Paella in Forestside
- Events in Forestside and across Hampshire
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
Take a look at How we price And What paella catering costs.
Who books paella catering in Forestside?
Outdoor events and live paella go together: cooked outside, served hot and shared.
Live paella works for big and small events alike. Common bookings include:
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Retirement celebrations
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Christenings and family gatherings
Historic houses near Forestside include Uppark (3.2 miles north) and Warblington Castle (5 miles south-west). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
Questions to ask before booking
- How long the team stays
- If the price includes VAT
- The deposit and payment dates
- Exactly what’s included in the price
Live paella in Forestside: local details
Forestside is about 4 miles east of Horndean, in Hampshire. Tell us where your event in Forestside will be, and we’ll plan access and set-up before the day. We cover all 683 towns and villages across Hampshire, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is Southampton, about 21 miles away.
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Rowlands Castle station, about 2.2 miles south-west. If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Christ Church, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. The South Downs National Park is within about 5 miles of Forestside, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
Anywhere in PO9, we can bring paella catering to you. Local streets include Lodge Lane and Forestside; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. If your venue is just outside Forestside, we also cover West Marden (1 mile north-east), Chalton (3 miles north-west), Blendworth (3 miles west), Buriton (5 miles north) and Nursted (5 miles north). Larger places within reach include Gosport (13 miles south-west), Havant (5 miles south-west), Fareham (13 miles west), Horndean (4 miles west), Waterlooville (6 miles west) and Petersfield (7 miles north).
Nearby you will also find Clanfield Earthwork (4 miles north-west) and Havant War Memorial Hospital (5 miles south-west). Open spaces near Forestside include Compton Down and Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve.
Should I cook it 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 be with your guests, we will do the cooking.
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
Diets, allergies and planning
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To get it right:
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
- Confirm allergies by email
Once everyone is fed, we clear our cooking area.
Sangria and bar staff can be added for your own drinks.
Planners, venues and businesses
If you are planning an event on someone’s behalf, whether you are a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we’re happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It saves passing messages back and forth.
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so everyone eats promptly. Tell us how long you have for food.
- 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