Oxfordshire · England
Paella Catering in Fritwell
Bring the theatre of live paella to your event in Fritwell. Everything is cooked fresh on the day, and serve it straight from the pan.
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
Live paella catering in Fritwell
Paella catering for your event in Fritwell
Paella has always been food for a crowd: cooked outdoors in a wide, shallow pan and shared. That is exactly what we bring to your event in Fritwell. For weddings, from canapés to evening food and garden parties and summer barbecues, we can cook black rice, paella Valenciana and seafood paella.
In a small place like Fritwell, events are typically in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and cooking close to where we can park helps. We plan the timings around your day, so the paella is ready when you want to eat.
- Where
- Fritwell (OX27)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Diets
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Add-ons
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quotes
- Contact us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Where we can cook in Fritwell
If a space isn’t suitable, we’ll tell you, and help find another spot. The main points are:
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly before booking.
Menu ideas
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
DIY paella versus live catering
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it is harder than it looks. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Perfect for your event in Fritwell
It suits relaxed, sociable events, where guests can mingle while it cooks and then sit down to share.
Live paella works for big and small events alike. Typical bookings include:
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Community events and fairs
- Milestone birthday parties
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Heyford station, about 4 miles south-west.
What your quote should include
- The deadline for final numbers
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- How bad weather is handled
- If the price includes VAT
Paella compared with other options
Compared with a hog roast or barbecue, live paella is easier for vegetarian, vegan and halal guests, because each paella has its own pan. It’s served quickly from the pan, so queues move. There’s no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. Your quote spells it all out.
Why choose Love Paella in Fritwell
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Events in Fritwell and across Oxfordshire
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
What else we do in Fritwell
For planners, venues and organisers
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so everyone eats promptly. Tell us how long you have for food.
Paella catering around Fritwell
Fritwell is about 5 miles north-west of Bicester, in Oxfordshire. Events in Fritwell are planned around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. Fritwell is one of 443 towns and villages in Oxfordshire where we cook. Our nearest city page is Oxford, about 14 miles away.
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Fritwell Church of England Primary School, can book us as a food stall. For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St Olave, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Wherever your event is in OX27, we can cook for your guests, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Your event could be at a home on East Street, Fewcott Road and Hodgson Close or the roads around them. If your venue is just outside Fritwell, we also cover Fewcott (1 mile south-east), Souldern (1 mile north), Ardley (1 mile south-east), Somerton (2 miles west) and Upper Heyford (2 miles south-west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Oxford (14 miles south), Banbury (9 miles north-west), Bicester (5 miles south-east), Kidlington (10 miles south), Headington Quarry (14 miles south) and Bure Park (5 miles south-east).
A little further out are Ardley Castle (1.4 miles south-east) and Bicester Community Hospital (5.4 miles south-east).
- Nearby, you will find George and Dragon pub (less than half a mile north-east)
What happens on the day
We work to your timings. If speeches run late or the photos take longer, we adjust the cooking so it’s served at its best. Around midsummer it stays light in Fritwell until about 9:30pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:10pm, so summer evening events are normally served in daylight. For winter events, when it’s dark by about 3:55pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- You share your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including every diet.
- We arrive in good time to set up.
- The paella cooks as guests gather round.
- Service is straight from the pan, then we pack down.
Getting ready for the day
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
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, send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
About the dishes
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich fish stock, cooked until the rice is golden. It’s the pan people photograph.
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The classic version is chicken, green beans and butter beans with saffron.
Dietary needs and planning tips
Good planning keeps every guest safe and happy. Try these:
- Mention any other courses or food
- Send allergies to us in writing
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
If you’ve booked staff, they’ll serve, clear and help keep things moving, so you can enjoy your guests.
Tapas or canapés make a good start as the rice cooks.
Fritwell: your questions answered
We are having a ceremony at Church of St Olave: 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 usually elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
What’s the nearest station to Fritwell for guests?
Heyford station, about 4 miles south-west of the centre.
Is halal food available?
Yes, on request. Let us know your halal numbers, and it is cooked separately.
Can you do sangria?
We can make sangria, and we can staff a bar with your drinks.
Do we need to provide equipment?
We bring all the cooking equipment. Let us know what your venue has, like tables or crockery.
Is the paella gluten-free?
Yes, on request. Rice is naturally gluten-free, but stock and some ingredients may not be, so we cook a gluten-free paella separately.
Is live paella good for a large crowd?
Yes, that is what it’s made for. We plan the number of pans and serving points around your numbers.
What if the weather’s bad?
A covered, ventilated spot keeps us cooking in the rain. We will make a plan B with you.
- 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