Hampshire · England
Live paella catering in Havant, Hampshire
Looking for paella catering in Havant? We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook while your guests watch.
- Naming days and family parties
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Garden get-togethers
Planning an event in Havant?
Paella catering in Havant, cooked live
Two or three pans side by side cover every guest: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. Every pan is cooked on its own, so diets are easy to manage. Whether it’s birthday celebrations and fairs, fêtes and festivals, we can cook vegetable paella, vegan paella and seafood paella.
Most events in a town like Havant are in gardens, halls with outdoor space or hired venues. All of them work, as long as there’s a level spot to cook and somewhere close to park. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
Planning live paella in Havant
Havant is about 18 miles east of Southampton, in Hampshire. Across the PO9 area, we can cook for your guests. Havant is one of 683 places in Hampshire we cover. You can also see our page for Southampton, about 18 miles away.
For guests coming by train, Havant station is about 0.6 miles away. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Trosnant Infant School, can book us as a food stall. The coast is within about 6 miles of Havant, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Coastal wind means we plan a sheltered spot.
This part of Hampshire takes in PO9, PO11 and PO7, and we can cater your event anywhere in it. We can cater an event on streets such as Colemore Square, Market Parade and Juniper Square. Havant is on the A27 and A3(M), which makes it straightforward to bring the equipment. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Leigh Park (1 mile north), Denvilles (1 mile south-east), Durrants (2 miles north-east), Langstone (2 miles south) and Warblington (2 miles south-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Gosport (8 miles south-west), Fareham (9 miles west), Horndean (3 miles north), Hedge End (14 miles west), Petersfield (10 miles north) and Locks Heath (12 miles west). As one of the bigger places in Hampshire, Havant has lots of places to hold an event.
Nearby you’ll also find Havant War Memorial Hospital (0.6 miles south) and Havant Museum (0.9 miles south-east). The countryside around Havant includes Southmoor Nature Reserve.
- Schools near Havant include Havant College (within half a mile south)
- Pubs nearby include The Perseverance pub (0.7 miles south)
What else we do in Havant
The menu, dish by dish
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. Shellfish goes in towards the end so it stays tender.
Mixed paella
Chicken and seafood together.
For event organisers in Havant
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so guests are fed quickly. Let us know how long the food break is.
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We will provide any information the landowner or council asks for.
How it works
We arrive in good time before you want to eat, unload, set up the burners and prepare the stock. Guests usually gather round to watch while it cooks. In Havant, 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 4:00pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- Contact us with the basics: when, where and how many.
- 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.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
How to prepare
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Leave space around the cooking area
How to get a price
Send us the date, your venue or PO9 postcode and guest numbers, plus any dietary needs, and you will get a menu idea and a price. Just fill in our quote form.
Planning help
Before you choose a spot
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We look for:
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think before booking.
On the menu in Havant
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
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 be with your guests, we’ll do the cooking.
Is live paella right for your event?
A plated meal needs a kitchen, more staff and generally costs more per head. Live paella needs a level, ventilated spot and the venue’s permission to cook, and it is entertaining too. If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we’ll put together a menu that fits. Even a simple menu can be a feast.
What you get with us
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
- A quote that spells everything out
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
Take a look at How we price Or What paella catering costs.
Diets, allergies and planning
We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests. To get it right:
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
On the day, you shouldn’t have to think about the food. We set up, cook and serve, and keep in touch with you or your venue about timings.
Need plates or staff? We can provide them.
FAQs for Havant
Can you cater a reception after a service at St Francis?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is normally elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
Can you cook near the sea around Havant?
Yes, with a sheltered cooking spot. Sea breezes cool the pan, so a windbreak, building or gazebo helps.
Can you serve drinks?
Sangria can be added, and we can staff a bar with your drinks.
Which areas do you serve?
We cover London and the South East, Hampshire included. Find your area.
What space do you need to cook?
A level space for the pans, burners and a serving table, in the open air or a ventilated covered area, plus the venue’s agreement to cooking.
How much is live paella catering?
Every event is quoted individually, so you only pay for what you need. Tell us your date and numbers and we’ll reply with a price.
Can you cook halal paella?
We can. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and we’ll cook a separate pan.
What if the weather’s bad?
We cook under cover, like a gazebo or open-sided marquee. We plan for rain with you in advance.
What paella catering costs
Your quote will be clear and itemised. The main things that affect it are:
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- How many courses
- The paellas you choose
- Travel, parking and access
Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so your choice of paellas affects the total. Tell us your budget and we will suggest a menu.
What we need to know
To speed things up, tell us:
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- Where the event is
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
We quote for each event separately, so you only pay for what you need. For a quote, send us your details through our quote form.
- 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