Greater London · England
Paella Catering in Hackbridge
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Hackbridge: paella cooked from scratch in giant pans, in full view of your guests.
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Naming days and family parties
- Retirement and leaving parties
Paella catering near Hackbridge
Paella catering in Hackbridge, made fresh on the day
A single cooking set-up can feed a crowd, there is very little waste, and the food arrives hot. It’s why live paella suits so many kinds of event. Whether it is weddings, from canapés to evening food and naming days and family parties, we’ll put together a menu of black rice, seafood paella and paella Valenciana and more.
London gardens are often long and narrow, which is fine for live paella as long as there’s a level spot clear of fences and trees. In Hackbridge, the bigger question is parking near the house or venue. Timings are planned around your event, whether that is speeches, a lunch break or a festival schedule.
- Location
- Hackbridge (CR4, SW16, SM4)
- Region
- Greater London
- Special diets
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Extras
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Paella compared with other options
A plated meal needs a kitchen, more staff and generally costs more per head. Live paella needs only a level, ventilated spot and permission to cook, and gives guests something to watch. Extras such as tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are priced separately, so you can choose exactly what you need.
Why book with us
- Catering across Greater London, including Hackbridge
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Sangria and bar staff available
- A clear, itemised quote
Places near Hackbridge
More for events in Hackbridge
Live paella in Hackbridge: local details
Hackbridge is about 2 miles west of Thornton Heath, in Greater London. We bring paella catering to gardens, halls and venues around Hackbridge and nearby villages. We cook in all 764 towns and villages across Greater London. Our events stretch from Hackbridge to London (about 7 miles away).
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. Nearby historic houses include Southside House (3.6 miles west) and Kingswood House (3.6 miles north-east). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
For paella catering in CR4, SW16 and SM4, we plan around your venue. We can cater an event on streets such as Kings Road, Baker Lane and Manor Road or the roads around them. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Mitcham (1 mile north), Eastfields (1 mile north), Colliers Wood (1 mile north-west), Merton Abbey (2 miles north-west) and Furzedown (2 miles north). Larger places within reach include London (7 miles north), City of Westminster (8 miles north), Marylebone (8 miles north), Kensington (7 miles north), St Pancras (9 miles north) and Shoreditch (9 miles north).
Well-known places in the area include Wilson Hospital (0.5 miles south-west) and Centrale Croydon (2.7 miles south-east). The countryside around Hackbridge includes Duppas Hill and Cranmer Green.
- Nearby schools include St Mark's Church of England Academy (0.5 miles north) and The Archbishop Lanfranc School (1.1 miles south-east)
- Pubs nearby include The White Lion of Mortimer pub (0.7 miles north-west)
- Other local spots include St Leonard's (2.1 miles north-east)
A closer look at the menu
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, rather than seafood. It’s a favourite with guests who don’t eat fish.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella isn’t an afterthought: artichokes, beans, peppers and saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
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.
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but there is shopping, prep and hours of cooking. A caterer handles all of that.
Prices and what affects them
Two events with the same number of guests can cost different amounts, because of:
- How many guests are eating
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
Cost depends on guest numbers, the menu and the courses, plus any staff, crockery and travel. Every event gets its own quote.
Getting an accurate quote
To check availability and price, we need:
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- What the venue already provides
- The venue or postcode
- Roughly how many adults and children
Every quote is put together for your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we will confirm whether we’re available that day.
How it works
We work to your timings. If speeches run late or the photos take longer, we hold the paella at the right stage so it’s still served fresh. In Hackbridge, 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. In December it is dark by about 3:55pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- Send us your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including every diet.
- We arrive in good time to set up.
- The sofrito, stock and rice go in, and guests gather to watch.
- Service is straight from the pan, then we pack down.
Before we arrive
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Let us know the timings for the day
How to get a price
Send us the date, your venue or CR4 postcode and guest numbers, plus any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, fill in our quote form.
Planning help
Before you choose a spot
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We need:
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Level ground for the pans and burners
As a London location, Hackbridge is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway.
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before you book.
What we offer
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
Working with your venue
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so guests are fed quickly. Tell us how long you have for food.
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can hold the date.
FAQs for Hackbridge
Can you cater a reception after a service at St. Mark's Church?
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. Send us the reception address.
Which station should guests use for Hackbridge?
The closest is Mitcham Eastfields station, roughly 0.5 miles away.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Children are welcome. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we will plan a pan with them in mind.
Who clears up?
We pack down our cooking area after service. Waiting staff can clear tables if you book them.
Do you cook inside?
Indoors only where ventilation and the venue allow it. Courtyards, doorways and terraces frequently work.
Do you do starters?
Yes, and it’s a popular combination. Tapas first, paella to follow.
Do you provide plates and cutlery?
Yes, if you need them. Let us know what you have, and we’ll quote for the rest.
Can paella be the only main course?
It is a full meal on its own. Many hosts add tapas first or dessert after.
Planning for every diet
Nearly every event has some special diets. To plan for them:
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Confirm allergies by email
- Request clear labels at the serving table
Once everyone is fed, we clear our cooking area, quietly and quickly.
Add canapé tapas with the drinks or table tapas as a starter as the rice cooks.
- 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