Hampshire · England
Live paella catering in Highbridge, Hampshire
From the first sizzle in the pan to the last crispy spoonful, live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event makes the food a highlight of your event in Highbridge.
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Festivals, fairs and school events
Paella catering for Highbridge events
Paella catering around Highbridge
Highbridge is about 2 miles north of Eastleigh, in Hampshire. Anywhere in SO50, we will come to your venue or garden. We cater in 683 places across Hampshire. Our events stretch from Highbridge to Southampton (6 miles away).
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Eastleigh station, about 1.7 miles south-west. For a christening or wedding at a church such as St Mary's Church, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Here we cover the SO50 postcode area, so your event can be anywhere in it. Whether your event is on Wardle Road and Highbridge Road or anywhere nearby, we will bring the pans to you. Nearby, we also cater events in Lord's Wood (1 mile south-east), Brambridge (1 mile north-east), Colden Common (1 mile north-east), Nob's Crook (1 mile east) and Allbrook (1 mile west). Further out, we also cater in Winchester (5 miles north), Gosport (15 miles south-east), Fareham (11 miles south-east), Horndean (15 miles east), Totton (9 miles south-west) and Hedge End (5 miles south).
Nearby you will also find Eastleigh Museum (1.8 miles south-west) and Moorgreen Hospital (4.3 miles south). The countryside around Highbridge includes Shawford Down and Twyford Down.
- Schools near Highbridge include Thornden School (1.3 miles west) and Thornden School (1.4 miles west)
Paella catering in Highbridge, cooked live
We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook the paella in front of your guests. Once it is ready, we serve it hot from the pan. For family celebrations and christenings and festivals, fairs and school events, we can cook mixed paella, seafood paella and chicken and chorizo paella and more.
Somewhere like Highbridge, a field or garden is frequently the perfect setting. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, not reheated, and served the moment it’s ready.
Catering for every guest
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because every paella has its own pan. Here are a few tips for planning:
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Put allergy details in writing
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Have seats for most of your guests
Once everyone is fed, we clear our cooking area, quietly and quickly.
Sangria and bar staff can be added for your own drinks.
Planning the cooking area
Most gardens and venues can host live paella, but a few things matter:
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly.
Popular choices
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Perfect for your event in Highbridge
People book live paella because it’s food and entertainment at once. The pans become a focal point, and the food itself is hot and plentiful.
Here are some of the events we cook for:
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
Nearby historic houses include South Stoneham House (4.2 miles south-west). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one.
Questions to ask before booking
- How late numbers can change
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- How long the team stays
- How each diet is kept separate
Towns and villages near Highbridge
Also in Highbridge
Common questions in Highbridge
Which station should guests use for Highbridge?
The closest is Eastleigh station, roughly 1.7 miles away.
Can you cater a reception after a service at St Mary's Church?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is typically elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
Do you come to Highbridge?
Yes, we do. We cook at events in Highbridge and across Hampshire. Send us your date to check availability.
What if the weather’s bad?
A covered, ventilated spot keeps us cooking in the rain. We will talk it through before the day.
How soon do we need to book?
As soon as you have a date. Popular dates book up first, so contact us early.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
We can, if you tell us in advance. The rice is gluten-free, but stocks and chorizo can contain gluten, so we cook a gluten-free paella separately.
Can you do sangria?
Yes, sangria. We can also supply bar staff for your own drinks.
How long do you need on site?
That depends on your menu and numbers. We agree the timings in advance.
What paella catering costs
The price comes down to a few factors:
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- How many guests are eating
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you can choose exactly what you need.
Details that help
To check availability and price, we need:
- Expected numbers
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- The courses you’d like
- Anything your venue supplies
The quickest way to a quote is to use our quote form. Tell us about your event in Highbridge, and we will put together a menu and price.
For planners, venues and organisers
If you are planning an event on someone’s behalf, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we will work directly with you and the venue. It keeps things simple.
Hosting a party at home? Send a picture of the space and tell us about parking, and we’ll tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
Why choose live paella in Highbridge?
A plated meal needs a kitchen, more staff and usually costs more per head. Live paella needs only a level, ventilated spot and permission to cook, and gives guests something to watch. Got a budget? Let us know, and we’ll put together a menu that fits. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Why Highbridge hosts choose us
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
- Events in Highbridge and across Hampshire
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- A clear, itemised quote
Read How we price Or The cost guide.
What happens on the day
We get there well before serving, unload, set up the burners and prepare the stock. Your guests are welcome to watch as the paella takes shape. In Highbridge, the sun sets at about 9:25pm in late June and about 7:10pm in late September, so summer evening events are usually served in daylight. In December it is dark by about 4:00pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- You tell us the date, venue, guest numbers and any dietary needs.
- You get a suggested menu and an itemised quote.
- We arrive early, set up the cooking area and start the stock.
- The rice cooks in full view, while tapas or canapés go round.
- We serve from the pan, then clear our cooking area away.
How to prepare
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
- Let us know the timings for the day
How to get a price
We need only a few details to quote: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. You can send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it is harder than it looks. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
- 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