Oxfordshire · England
Paella Catering for Headington Quarry events
We cook live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event across Headington Quarry and Oxfordshire, catering for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests.
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Leaving dos and retirements
Paella catering near Headington Quarry
Why choose paella catering in Headington Quarry?
There’s no kitchen needed, so it works in gardens, fields and marquees where other catering struggles.
Whatever the occasion, live paella can be the centrepiece. We regularly cater:
- Summer garden parties
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Family celebrations and christenings
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Headington Quarry Foundation Stage School, can book us as a food stall.
What to look for in a quote
- Allergen information for each dish
- When payment is due
- Space, access and power needs
- What the price includes, item by item
How our paella catering works in Headington Quarry
Watching it cook is part of the experience. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the smell does the rest. We are often asked to cater retirement celebrations and naming days and family parties, serving black rice, paella Valenciana and vegetable paella.
In and around Headington Quarry, gardens and local halls are common choices. If the road in is narrow, tell us so we can plan the van. You can add tapas, desserts, sangria, bar staff and waiting staff, so one booking can cover the whole menu.
- Location
- Headington Quarry (OX3)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Dietary options
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Also available
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quotes
- Ask us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Planning for every diet
Most events have a mix of diets. To cater well for them:
- Send allergies to us in writing
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
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.
Crockery, cutlery and waiting staff are available if your venue does not provide them.
Catering an event in Headington Quarry
Headington Quarry is about 2 miles north-east of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. Tell us where your event in Headington Quarry will be, and we will plan the journey and set-up. We cover 443 places across Oxfordshire.
Nearby historic houses include Holywell Manor, Oxford (2 miles west) and Garsington Manor (3.7 miles south-east). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. Thinking of a picnic-style party in Bury Knowle Park? Public parks normally need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first.
For paella catering in OX3, we plan around your venue. Streets in the area include Old Road, Mark Road and York Road, and we can cook for an event on any of them. We also cook at events in Headington (1 mile north-west), Headington Hill (1 mile west), Northway (1 mile north-west), Oxford (2 miles south-west) and New Marston (2 miles west). Further out, we also cater in Didcot (11 miles south), Bicester (10 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (7 miles south-west), Witney (13 miles west), Thame (10 miles east) and Wantage (15 miles south-west).
Well-known places in the area include Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre (0.5 miles south-west) and Templars Square (2.1 miles south). Green spaces nearby include CS Lewis Nature Reserve and Shotover.
- Schools near Headington Quarry include Windmill Primary School (under half a mile south-west) and Cheney School (1.1 miles south-west)
- Pubs nearby include The Chequers pub (within half a mile south-east)
- Other local spots include English Faculty Library (2 miles west)
Dishes our guests love
Vegetable and vegan paella
The vegetable pan is a dish in its own right: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The classic version is chicken, green beans and butter beans with saffron, and it’s a crowd-pleaser.
Planning the cooking area
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so the cooking area needs a little planning. These are the things we check:
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we will say what we think before you book.
What we offer
- Vegan paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and handles separate pans for each diet.
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. 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.
Headington Quarry questions
How far is Headington Quarry from London?
About 51 miles from central London, and we cover it as standard.
Could we have live paella in Bury Knowle Park?
Only if the landowner, typically the council, allows it. Ask them first, and we will send any information they need.
Do you do desserts?
We can add a dessert. Tell us what you have in mind in your enquiry.
Do you provide plates and cutlery?
Yes, on request. Crockery, cutlery and napkins, or good-quality disposables are available.
What seafood can we have?
We will suggest seafood to suit your menu and budget. Premium shellfish can be added.
Do you take everything away?
We pack down our cooking area after service. Waiting staff can clear tables if you book them.
What if the weather’s bad?
Rain does not stop us, as long as there’s a ventilated cover. We will talk it through before the day.
Is live paella good for a large crowd?
Yes, that is what it is made for. We plan the number of pans and serving points around your numbers.
Is live paella right for your event?
Next to a hog roast or barbecue, live paella is easier for vegetarian, vegan and halal guests, thanks to separate pans. Service from the pan keeps queues moving. Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, as there’s no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. Ask us for a quote.
Why Headington Quarry hosts choose us
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- Catering across Oxfordshire, including Headington Quarry
How we price paella catering
Every event is priced individually, based on a few main things:
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Guest numbers
- How many courses
- The length of service
Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you can choose exactly what you need.
Details that help
Good planning starts with a few facts. Please include:
- What the venue already provides
- The date and time of the event
- Which courses you have in mind
- The venue or postcode
We need only a few details to quote: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. You can fill in our quote form.
What happens on the day
We work to your timings. If things run behind, we adjust the cooking so it’s served at its best. Planning an evening event in Headington Quarry? Sunset is around 9:00pm 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.
- We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
- A week or so before, we confirm the plan.
- On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
Preparing for the day
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Give us a contact for the day
How to get a price
Not sure what you need yet? That’s fine: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we’ll make suggestions. To start, use our quote form.
Planning help
Towns and villages near Headington Quarry
Also in Headington Quarry
- 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