Isle of Wight · England
Paella Catering in Great Thorness
Looking for paella catering in Great Thorness? We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook while your guests watch.
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Festivals, fairs and school events
Live paella catering in Great Thorness
For event organisers in Great Thorness
Wedding planners and venue coordinators are welcome to contact us directly, and we will keep you updated on timings and set-up.
If you are booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will talk you through the process. We are happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
Paella catering in Great Thorness, cooked live
Almost any venue with a level, ventilated spot will do: gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and festival fields in and around Great Thorness. Whether it is fairs, fêtes and festivals and retirement celebrations, we can cook vegan paella, mixed paella and black rice.
In a rural place like Great Thorness, the setting does a lot of the work: a paella cooking in a garden or field feels right at home. Let us know about access and ground conditions. Your quote spells out exactly what’s included: the menu, the staff and any extras.
- Area
- Great Thorness (PO31)
- Area hub
- Isle of Wight
- Special diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Add-ons
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Barbecues cook in batches, so food comes off in waves. Paella is cooked as one big dish and served together. Live paella frequently compares well with a sit-down meal, as there’s no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. Ask us for a quote.
Why book with us
- Catering across the Isle of Wight, including Great Thorness
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
Read How we price And Our guide to catering costs.
Planning the cooking area
We cook in large pans over gas burners, so we need a suitable spot. These are the things we check:
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
Great Thorness is a more remote spot, so tell us early and we will plan the journey.
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise.
Menu ideas
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Nearby places to Great Thorness
Other catering in Great Thorness
What’s in the pans
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans, and it’s a crowd-pleaser.
Black rice
Arroz negro is coloured and flavoured with squid ink, traditionally with alioli. It makes a dramatic second seafood pan.
Great Thorness questions
Is Great Thorness too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Can you cook near the sea around Great Thorness?
Yes, with a sheltered cooking spot. Sea breezes cool the pan, so a windbreak, building or gazebo helps.
Does paella work for big events?
Yes. Big pans feed a lot of people, and service from the pan is quick.
Do you cater in Great Thorness?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, including Great Thorness. To check your date, send us your details through our quote form.
What if the weather’s bad?
Rain does not stop us, as long as there is a ventilated cover. We’ll talk it through before the day.
Where do you cater?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including Great Thorness.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We pack down our cooking area after service. Clearing guests’ plates and tables can be added with waiting staff.
How long does the paella take?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
Occasions we cook for in Great Thorness
Live paella is food and a show in one. The cooking becomes the centre of the event, and the food is hot and generous.
In Great Thorness and nearby, we cater all sorts of events. Popular bookings include:
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Big birthdays
- Retirement celebrations
- Community events and fairs
Historic houses near Great Thorness include Swainston Manor (3 miles south) and Carisbrooke Castle (3.5 miles south-east). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
Comparing caterers
- How long the team stays
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- If the price includes VAT
Dietary needs and planning tips
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. Our advice:
- Tell us what else is being served
- Ensure each pan is labelled
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
You shouldn’t have to worry about the food on the day. We arrive in good time, set up, cook and serve, and stay in touch with your venue about timings.
Need plates or staff? We can provide them.
Planning live paella in Great Thorness
Great Thorness is about 3 miles south-west of Cowes, in the Isle of Wight. Wherever your event is in the PO31 area, we can bring the pans to you. Great Thorness is one of 125 places in the Isle of Wight where we cook. Our events stretch from Great Thorness to Southampton (about 13 miles away).
The coast is within about 4 miles of Great Thorness, and seafood paella always feels right near the sea. Sea breezes can be strong, so we plan a sheltered cooking spot.
Anywhere in PO31, we can cook for your guests, from busy streets to quiet lanes. We also cook at events in Porchfield (1 mile south-west), Locksgreen (1 mile south-west), Rew Street (2 miles north-east), Newtown (2 miles south-west) and Northwood (2 miles north-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Newport (3 miles south-east), Ryde (9 miles east), Cowes (3 miles north-east), Sandown (10 miles south-east), Shanklin (10 miles south-east) and Ventnor (11 miles south-east). Some remote venues need extra planning, so contact us in good time.
Well-known places in the area include Carisbrooke Castle (3.5 miles south-east) and St Mary's Hospital (2.8 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Mill Hill.
- Pubs nearby include Sportsman's Rest pub (0.9 miles south-west)
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. 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 enjoy the party, let us cook.
How it works
Service is quick: we serve straight from the pan, so large groups are fed quickly. Afterwards we clear our cooking area away. Evenings in Great Thorness stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:10pm; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- First, you send us your date, venue, numbers and diets.
- We put together a menu and a clear quote.
- 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.
- It’s served straight from the pan, and we pack down afterwards.
Preparing for the day
- Ensure the spot is clear of anything flammable
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Give us a contact for the day
How to get a price
Send us the date, your venue or PO31 postcode and guest numbers, plus any dietary needs, and you’ll get a menu idea and a price. To get started, use our quote form.
Related guides
- 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