Surrey · England
Paella Catering in Holmbury St Mary
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Holmbury St Mary: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, in full view of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Birthday celebrations
Paella catering near Holmbury St Mary
Paella catering in Holmbury St Mary, cooked live
You can keep it simple or build a full menu: paella on its own, or with canapés, table tapas, desserts and sangria. We’ll suggest what suits your event. Typical bookings include milestone birthday parties and office lunches and staff parties, serving vegan paella, paella Valenciana and chicken and chorizo paella.
For a rural spot like Holmbury St Mary, 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. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, never made in advance and reheated, and served the moment it is ready.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather be with your guests, we will do the cooking.
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but there’s shopping, prep and hours of cooking. We take care of all of it.
Who books paella catering in Holmbury St Mary?
Outdoor events and live paella go together: it is cooked in the open, served hot and eaten together.
Whatever you are celebrating in Holmbury St Mary, live paella can be the centrepiece. We regularly cater:
- Garden get-togethers
- Anniversary celebrations
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Birthday celebrations
Thinking of a picnic-style party in Wotton and Abinger Commons? Public parks generally need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first.
Comparing caterers
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- Space, access and power needs
- Who provides the crockery
- The wet-weather plan
Catering for every guest
Paella is one of the easiest dishes for mixed diets, because every paella has its own pan. Here are a few tips for planning:
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Request clear labels at the serving table
- Make sure most guests can sit to eat
- Send allergies to us in writing
Once the rice is in, it needs about 20 minutes, so we start it at the right moment for your event. If timings shift, we adapt.
Tapas or canapés make a good start as the rice cooks.
Also near Holmbury St Mary
What else we do in Holmbury St Mary
Is live paella right for your event?
Next to a hog roast or barbecue, paella makes vegetarian, vegan and halal guests easier to cater for, because each paella has its own pan. Service from the pan keeps queues moving. Larger events typically cost less per head, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
What you get with us
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Catering across Surrey, including Holmbury St Mary
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
Dishes our guests love
Mixed paella
Paella mixta combines meat and seafood in one pan.
Black rice
Arroz negro is coloured and flavoured with squid ink, traditionally with alioli. It makes a dramatic second seafood pan.
Prices and what affects them
Two events with the same number of guests can cost different amounts, depending on:
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Timings and hours
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
Live paella often compares well with a sit-down meal, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. We will send you a quote.
Getting an accurate quote
The more we know about your event, the better we can plan. Please include:
- A picture of the space, if you can
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- What the venue already provides
Getting a quote is simple: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We’ll come back with a clear quote.
What happens on the day
When the rice goes in, it’s left alone. That’s what gives paella its separate grains and crispy base. Your guests will smell it before they see it. Around midsummer it stays light in Holmbury St Mary until about 9:20pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:05pm, so summer evening events are normally served in daylight. In December it is dark by about 3:55pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- First, you send us your date, venue, numbers and diets.
- You get a suggested menu and an itemised quote.
- We arrive early, set up the cooking area and start the stock.
- 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.
Preparing for the day
- Ensure the spot is clear of anything flammable
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
- Plan cover in case of rain
How to get a price
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. To send your details, fill in our quote form.
Related guides
Planning live paella in Holmbury St Mary
Holmbury St Mary is about 5 miles south-west of Dorking, in Surrey. Tell us where your event in Holmbury St Mary will be, and we’ll plan access and set-up. Holmbury St Mary is one of 395 places in Surrey where we cook. We cook right across the region, from Holmbury St Mary to Guildford (8 miles away).
For a christening or wedding at a church such as St Mary The Virgins Church, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. Historic houses near Holmbury St Mary include Polesden Lacey (4.8 miles north). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one. Holmbury St Mary is within about 3 miles of the Surrey Hills National Landscape. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
For paella catering in RH5, we plan around your venue. From Horsham Road and Felday Glade or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. We also cook at events in Pitland Street (1 mile south), Peaslake (1 mile west), Farley Green (3 miles west), Ewhurst (3 miles south) and Ewhurst Green (3 miles south). Further out, we also cater in Guildford (8 miles north-west), Woking (11 miles north-west), Epsom (12 miles north-east), Horley (11 miles east), Redhill (11 miles east) and Ewell (13 miles north-east).
Other landmarks nearby include Mesolithic Museum (0.7 miles north-east) and Abinger Castle (0.7 miles north-east). Not far away are Leith Hill and Silent Pool.
- Local schools include Peaslake Free School (1.1 miles west) and Hurtwood House (1.4 miles south)
- Pubs nearby include The Volunteer pub (0.6 miles north)
Holmbury St Mary questions
What’s the nearest station to Holmbury St Mary for guests?
The closest is Gomshall station, roughly 2.1 miles away.
Can you cook at venues in the Surrey Hills National Landscape?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We will work to whatever the site needs.
What equipment do you bring?
All cooking kit comes with us. Tell us what the venue provides, such as tables or crockery.
Is paella enough as a main?
It is a full meal on its own. Many hosts add tapas first or dessert after.
What seafood can we have?
Seafood choices are agreed when we plan the menu.
Can you supply plates?
Yes, on request. Crockery, cutlery and napkins, or good-quality disposables are available.
How far ahead should we book?
As soon as you have a date. Popular dates book up first, so contact us early.
Do you cook it at the event?
Yes, always. We cook from scratch in large pans at your venue, where your guests can watch.
Working with your venue
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so guests are fed quickly. Tell us how long you have for food.
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Holmbury St Mary? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we will suggest a menu.
- 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