Surrey · England
Live paella catering in Hersham, Surrey
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Hersham: paella cooked from scratch in giant pans, right in front of your guests.
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Milestone birthday parties
Paella catering for Hersham events
About our paella catering in Hersham
The cooking is half the fun. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the aroma does the rest. For anniversaries and engagement parties and birthday celebrations, we’ll put together a menu of paella Valenciana, mixed paella and vegan paella.
Around Hersham, events are frequently in gardens, local halls or nearby venues. If access is tight, we will plan around it. Tapas, canapés, desserts, sangria and staff can all be added, so one booking can cover the whole menu.
Questions from Hersham
Could we have live paella in West End Common?
Only if the landowner, normally the council, allows it. Check with them, and we’ll provide our paperwork.
What’s the nearest station to Hersham for guests?
The closest is Walton-On-Thames station, roughly 0.6 miles away.
Can you feed plenty of people?
It’s ideal. Large pans and fast service from the pan make it well suited to crowds.
What seafood can we have?
Tell us your preferences and we will suggest seafood options to suit your menu and budget. Premium options are available.
Is the paella gluten-free?
We can, if you tell us in advance. Rice is naturally gluten-free, but stock and some ingredients may not be, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
Do you cook inside?
Typically we cook outdoors or under a ventilated cover, because we use gas burners. Some venues have suitable spaces; we will check with you and the venue.
How many paellas should we have?
Most events have two or three: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We’ll suggest a split based on your guests.
What is live paella catering?
We bring everything needed to cook on site, cook while everyone watches, and serve at the time you want.
What happens on the day
On the day, we set up the burners and pans and start cooking the sofrito and stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, so the timing is planned around your event. Evenings in Hersham stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:05pm; once it’s dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- You tell us the date, venue, guest numbers and any dietary needs.
- You get a suggested menu and an itemised quote.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up and start the stock.
- The rice cooks in full view, while tapas or canapés go round.
- It is served straight from the pan, and we pack down afterwards.
Getting ready for the day
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
Getting a price
Most quotes start with a few simple details: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. To send them, use our quote form.
Read more
Is live paella right for your event?
Compared with 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. The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, plus any staff, crockery and travel. We quote for each event individually.
Why us?
- Fast service from the pan
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
Read How we price Or What paella catering costs.
DIY paella versus live catering
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it is in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
Paella catering around Hersham
Hersham is about 1 mile south of Walton-on-Thames, in Surrey. We bring paella catering to homes, gardens and venues in Hersham and the surrounding area. Hersham is one of 395 places in Surrey we cover. We cook right across the region, from Hersham to Guildford (about 11 miles away).
Parks such as West End Common usually need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there. For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St Peter, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Paella catering in KT12 is planned around your venue. Local streets include Police Station Road, Queensway South and Queensway; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Hersham is on the A244, which makes it straightforward to bring the equipment. If your venue is just outside Hersham, we also cover Burwood Park (1 mile south-west), Walton-on-Thames (1 mile north), Whiteley Village (2 miles south-west), St George's Hill (2 miles west) and Weybridge (2 miles west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Guildford (11 miles south-west), Woking (8 miles south-west), Camberley (14 miles west), Epsom (6 miles east), Redhill (14 miles south-east) and Ewell (6 miles east).
Well-known places in the area include No. 2 New Zealand General Hospital (1.6 miles north-west) and Chessington Castle Hill (4.8 miles east). Not far away are Claremont Lake and Jubilee Wood.
- Schools near Hersham include Three Rivers Academy (within half a mile north)
- Local pubs include The Barley Mow Public House (within half a mile east)
Planning for every diet
A little planning makes sure everyone can eat. Try these:
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Make sure each pan is labelled
- Count adults and children separately
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
Paella is best eaten as soon as it is ready, so we plan service for when guests are ready to eat.
We can add sangria and bar staff to serve drinks you provide.
Nearby places to Hersham
What else we do in Hersham
Events we cater in Hersham
Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets, which is why it works for so many occasions. It gives people something to gather round, too.
Whatever you’re celebrating in Hersham, live paella can be the centrepiece. We regularly cater:
- Retirement celebrations
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Company summer parties
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Walton-On-Thames station, about 0.6 miles north-west.
Comparing caterers
- What happens if it rains
- Travel and parking costs
- The venue requirements
- If the price includes VAT
What paella catering costs
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, depending on:
- The paellas you choose
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- How many staff you need
Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. Ask us for a quote.
What to tell us
Good planning starts with a few facts. Please include:
- The address or venue name
- What the venue already provides
- Expected numbers
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
To get a price, fill in our quote form. Tell us about your event in Hersham, and we will suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Planning the cooking area
We’ll agree the cooking spot with you before the day. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly.
What we offer
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
Planners, venues and businesses
If you’re booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we’ll explain how it works. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Wedding planners and venue coordinators are welcome to contact us directly, and we will keep everyone informed on the day.
- 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