Hampshire · England
Live paella catering in Godshill, Hampshire
Planning paella catering in Godshill? We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook while your guests watch.
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Retirement and leaving parties
Paella catering near Godshill
About our paella catering in Godshill
Live paella catering means we bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients to your event and cook in front of your guests. Once it is ready, we serve it hot from the pan. On the menu are seafood paella, mixed paella and chicken and chorizo paella, and we’re regularly asked to cater retirement and leaving parties and summer garden parties.
In a small place like Godshill, events are generally in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and a firm spot near where we park makes set-up easier. All the cooking equipment comes with us, and we clear our cooking area away afterwards.
Godshill questions
Is Godshill too small for live paella?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Let us know about access and parking.
Can you cook at venues in the New Forest National Park?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We’ll follow the site rules.
Which paella is most popular?
Most events choose two or three: a mixed or chicken paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. Our menu lists the options.
Do you do starters?
Yes, and it’s a popular combination. Tapas first, paella to follow.
Do we need to provide equipment?
Pans, burners and ingredients all come with us. You provide a suitable spot and access.
Is it really cooked live?
Yes. We arrive with everything we need and cook it there and then, then serve straight from the pan.
What if the weather’s bad?
A covered, ventilated spot keeps us cooking in the rain. We will talk it through before the day.
Do you cater in Godshill?
Yes. We cater across London and the South East, including Godshill and the rest of Hampshire. For a quote, use our quote form.
Before you choose a spot
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We need:
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Somewhere close to park and unload
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before you book.
Popular choices
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
Working with your venue
If you are organising for someone else, whether you’re a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we’re happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It keeps things simple.
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.
Can I cook paella for a crowd 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. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and don’t stir once the rice goes in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Godshill: venues, travel and local tips
Godshill is in Hampshire. We cook at events in gardens, halls and venues around Godshill and nearby villages. We cook in all 683 towns and villages across Hampshire, from the larger towns to small villages. We cook right across the region, from Godshill to Southampton (16 miles away).
Historic houses near Godshill include Breamore House (2.9 miles north-west). Historic venues often limit cooking, so ask early if you are booking one. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as The Burgate School and Sixth Form, can book us as a food stall. Godshill is within about 8 miles of the New Forest National Park, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
Here we cover the SP6 postcode area, and we can cater your event anywhere in it. Local streets include Purlieu Lane, Southampton Road and Roger Penny Way; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. For events just outside Godshill, we cover Sandy Balls (1 mile south-west), Criddlestyle (1 mile south-west), Blissford (1 mile south), Frogham (1 mile south) and Stuckton (1 mile south-west). Further out, we also cater in Totton (11 miles east), Lymington (15 miles south-east), Romsey (12 miles east), New Milton (13 miles south), Ringwood (6 miles south) and Barton on Sea (14 miles south).
Well-known places in the area include Godshill Castle Hill (0.9 miles north-west) and Fordingbridge Doll Museum (1.7 miles west). Open spaces near Godshill include Blashford Lakes.
- Nearby, you will find The Fighting Cocks pub (within half a mile south)
Step by step
Once the rice is in, we don’t stir it. That is what gives paella its separate grains and crispy base. Your guests will smell it before they see it. Planning an evening event in Godshill? Sunset is around 8:55pm in late May, 9:25pm at midsummer and 7:10pm in late September; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- Start with the date, the place and the numbers.
- Expect a menu idea and a clear, itemised price.
- Closer to the day, we confirm timings and the cooking spot.
- On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
- We serve, then leave our area tidy.
Preparing for the day
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Give us a contact for the day
- Tell us when you want to eat
Getting a price
We need only a few details to quote: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. You can send us your details through our quote form.
Planning help
What affects the price in Godshill
The price comes down to a few factors:
- How many guests are eating
- Travel, parking and access
- How many staff you need
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
There is no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. We itemise everything in your quote.
What we need to know
These details help us quote quickly:
- The address or venue name
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- Which courses you have in mind
- A photo of the space, if you can
To get a price, use our quote form. Tell us about your event in Godshill, and we will put together a menu and price.
About the dishes
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, cooked until the rice is golden. It’s usually the most photographed pan.
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, not seafood. It’s often the most popular pan at an event.
Nearby places to Godshill
What else we do in Godshill
Events we cater in Godshill
Outdoor events and live paella go together: it is cooked in the open, served hot and eaten together.
Here are some of the events we cook for around Godshill:
- Garden get-togethers
- Company summer parties
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Retirement and leaving parties
If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like St Giles, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
Questions to ask before booking
- Staff numbers and hours
- The deadline for final numbers
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- Whether travel is included
Paella compared with other options
If you want something different from the usual buffet or roast, live paella brings colour, aroma and a touch of Spain. Compared with a plated meal, live paella is frequently good value, as there’s no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. Ask us for a quote.
Why Godshill hosts choose us
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- A quote that spells everything out
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- 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