Surrey · England
Live paella catering in Headley, Surrey
We cook live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event across Headley and Surrey, catering for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests.
- Community events and fairs
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Anniversary celebrations
Paella catering near Headley
Paella catering in Headley, made fresh on the day
A couple of different pans covers everyone: 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. We cook black rice, mixed paella and vegetable paella, and typical bookings are for garden get-togethers and retirement and leaving parties.
For a rural spot like Headley, the countryside is part of the appeal: a paella cooking in a garden or field feels right at home. Let us know about access and ground conditions. You can add tapas, desserts, sangria, bar staff and waiting staff, so the whole menu comes from one caterer.
What affects the price in Headley
There’s nothing hidden: the quote reflects:
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Parking and unloading
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
Getting an accurate quote
You don’t need everything decided to ask for a quote, but it helps to know:
- The courses you’d like
- The date and time of the event
- Anything your venue supplies
- Any dietary needs and allergies
Planning paella catering in Headley? Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll come back with ideas and a quote. To get in touch, use our quote form.
For event organisers in Headley
Hosting a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we’ll let you know if live paella is a good fit.
If you’re booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we’ll talk you through the process. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Next to a hog roast or barbecue, paella makes vegetarian, vegan and halal guests easier to cater for, thanks to separate pans. Service from the pan keeps queues moving. Live paella pricing depends on the event. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. We itemise everything in your quote.
Why Headley hosts choose us
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Sangria and bar staff available
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
Read Our prices page Or The cost guide.
Perfect for your event in Headley
Outdoor events and live paella go together: cooked outside, served hot and shared.
Whatever you’re celebrating in Headley, live paella can be the centrepiece. We frequently cook for:
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Staff parties and work lunches
Parks such as Nower Wood generally need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there.
Comparing caterers
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- VAT, if it applies
- How bad weather is handled
- The venue requirements
Headley questions
Is Headley close to London?
Roughly 17 miles from the centre of London, and well within our area.
Do you come out to small places like Headley?
No, we cook in small places too. Let us know about access and parking.
Do you come to Headley?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, including Headley and the rest of Surrey. For a quote, use our quote form.
What does paella catering cost?
It depends on guest numbers, the menu, the courses, staff and travel. Send us the details for a quote.
What space do you need to cook?
Level ground for the burners, pans and a table, in the open air or a ventilated covered area, and the venue’s permission for live cooking.
Does paella work for big events?
Yes, that is what it’s made for. We plan the number of pans and serving points around your numbers.
What happens with live paella?
We set up a cooking area at your venue, cook the paella from scratch in large pans while your guests watch, and serve it straight from the pan.
Do we need to provide equipment?
Pans, burners and ingredients all come with us. You just need a suitable spot and access.
Should I cook it myself?
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but you will still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. We take care of all of it.
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and handles separate pans for each diet.
Paella catering around Headley
Headley is about 2 miles south-east of Ashtead, in Surrey. For paella catering in Headley, we plan around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. We cater in all 395 towns and villages in Surrey. Our events stretch from Headley to Guildford (13 miles away).
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St Mary the Virgin, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Tadworth station, about 1.9 miles east. The Surrey Hills National Landscape is within about 3 miles of Headley, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
Wherever your event is in KT18, we can bring paella catering to you. Local streets include Tilley Lane, Cunliffe Close and Lee Green; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. For events just outside Headley, we cover Walton on the Hill (2 miles east), Tadworth (2 miles north-east), Box Hill (2 miles south), Lower Kingswood (3 miles east) and Kingswood (3 miles east). Within a short drive, we also cover Guildford (13 miles west), Woking (13 miles west), Epsom (4 miles north), Horley (9 miles south-east), Redhill (6 miles south-east) and Ewell (5 miles north).
Other landmarks nearby include Headley Court (0.5 miles north) and The Ashley Centre (3.3 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Box Hill and Reigate Heath.
How the day works
Here’s how the day typically runs: we arrive, set up and start cooking, the rice cooks in front of your guests, and we serve straight from the pan when you are ready to eat. Evenings in Headley stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:05pm; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- You tell us the date, venue, guest numbers and any dietary needs.
- We put together a menu and a clear quote.
- On the day, we set up the burners and pans and get the stock going.
- The paella cooks in front of your guests, with tapas first if you’ve chosen them.
- It’s served straight from the pan, and we pack down afterwards.
Before we arrive
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
Getting a price
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. When you are ready, fill in our quote form.
Related guides
A closer look at the menu
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. Shellfish goes in towards the end so it stays tender.
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, rather than seafood. It is often the most popular pan at an event.
What else we do in Headley
Planning for every diet
Nearly every event has some special diets. To plan for them:
- Ensure each pan is labelled
- Send allergies to us in writing
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
After service, we pack down our cooking area.
Crockery, cutlery and waiting staff are available if your venue does not provide them.
- 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