Hampshire · England
Paella Catering for Freefolk events
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Freefolk: paella cooked from scratch in giant pans, in full view of your guests.
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Garden get-togethers
Paella catering in Freefolk
For planners, venues and organisers
If you are planning an event on someone’s behalf, whether you’re a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we’ll work directly with you and the venue. It saves passing messages back and forth.
If you’re booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will explain how it works. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Paella catering in Freefolk, cooked live
A single cooking set-up can feed a crowd, there’s very little waste, and the food arrives hot. That’s why it works for so many events. We’re frequently asked to cater retirement celebrations and wedding breakfasts and evening food, serving black rice, mixed paella and paella Valenciana.
In a hamlet or village like Freefolk, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. We cook every pan in full view of your guests, so the food is hot, fresh and part of the occasion.
What happens on the day
From set-up to serving, we look after the food, so you can enjoy your event. If you’ve chosen tapas or canapés, they go out first as the rice is cooking. Evenings in Freefolk stay light until about 9:25pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:10pm; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- First, tell us about your event.
- We suggest paellas and extras and send a clear quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- On the day, we set up and cook in front of your guests.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
Before we arrive
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Let us know the timings for 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. To start, use our quote form.
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Nearby places to Freefolk
Also in Freefolk
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Barbecues cook in batches, so food comes off in waves. Paella is ready all at once, so everyone eats together. Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. Ask us for a quote.
Why choose Love Paella in Freefolk
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
Before you choose a spot
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We need:
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- 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 Freefolk
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
Prices and what affects them
Your quote will be clear and itemised. The main things that affect it are:
- The number of people
- How many courses
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- How long we are needed on site
Cost depends on guest numbers, the menu and the courses, along with staff, extras and travel. Every event gets its own quote.
Details that help
When you contact us, it helps to tell us:
- Where the event is
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- Roughly how many adults and children
We quote for each event separately, so you only pay for what you need. To ask for one, use our quote form.
Planning live paella in Freefolk
Freefolk is about 8 miles east of Andover, in Hampshire. For paella catering in Freefolk, we plan around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. We cover 683 places in Hampshire, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Reading, about 20 miles away.
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Testbourne Community School, can book us as a food stall. For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St Mary the Virgin, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Anywhere in RG28, we can bring paella catering to you. Local streets include London Road and Priory Lane; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. If your venue is just outside Freefolk, we also cover Wells-in-the-Field (1 mile west), Whitchurch (1 mile west), Cole Henley (2 miles north-west), Firgo (3 miles south-west) and Hurstbourne Priors (3 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Basingstoke (9 miles east), Winchester (12 miles south), Andover (8 miles west), Tadley (11 miles north-east), Hook (15 miles east) and Hyde (12 miles south).
Questions from Freefolk
Is Freefolk too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
How far is Freefolk from London?
About 55 miles from central London, and we cover it as standard.
Who clears up?
We pack down our cooking area after service. Waiting staff can clear tables if you book them.
Is paella a full meal?
It is a full meal on its own. Many hosts add tapas first or dessert after.
How many different paellas?
Generally two or three, so every guest has a choice. Tell us about your guests’ diets and we’ll suggest the mix.
Do you provide plates and cutlery?
Yes, on request. Proper crockery or quality disposables are available.
Do you do vegan paella?
Yes, and they’re popular with everyone. They have their own pans, stock and spoons.
What areas do you cover?
We cover London and the South East, Hampshire included. See all areas.
Catering for every guest
We take diets and allergies seriously. Here’s how you can help:
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Request clear labels at the serving table
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
The rice takes about 20 minutes once it goes in, so we time it carefully. If timings shift, we adapt.
Crockery, cutlery and waiting staff are available if your venue doesn’t provide them.
DIY paella versus live catering
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it is in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
Perfect for your event in Freefolk
Outdoor events and live paella go together: cooked outside, served hot and shared.
We can help if you are planning any of the following:
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Birthday celebrations
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Staff parties and work lunches
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Whitchurch (Hampshire) station, about 1.4 miles west.
Before you book anyone
- The deposit and payment dates
- How late numbers can change
- What the price includes, item by item
- How long the team stays
- 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