Hampshire · England
Live paella catering in Hook, Hampshire
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Hook and the surrounding area.
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Retirement and leaving parties
Live paella catering in Hook
About our paella catering in Hook
Paella has always been food for a crowd: cooked outdoors in a wide, shallow pan and shared. That is what we bring to events in Hook. Whether it’s garden get-togethers and big birthdays, we will put together a menu of paella Valenciana, chicken and chorizo paella and mixed paella for your guests.
In a small place like Hook, events are normally in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and cooking close to where we can park helps. Every pan is cooked in front of your guests, so the food is hot, fresh and part of the occasion.
The menu, dish by dish
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. The shellfish is added late so it stays tender.
Black rice
Black rice gets its colour from squid ink, traditionally with alioli. It makes a dramatic second seafood pan.
Nearby places to Hook
What else we do in Hook
Live paella or other catering?
For something a little different, live paella adds colour, smell and theatre. Live paella frequently compares well with a sit-down meal, as there’s no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. Ask us for a quote.
Why Hook hosts choose us
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Drinks service on request
- No hidden extras in your quote
Take a look at Our prices page Or The cost guide.
The process
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. In Hook, the sun sets at about 9:20pm in late June and about 7:10pm in late September, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. In December it is dark by about 4:00pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- Get in touch with the basics: when, where and how many.
- Expect a menu idea and a clear, itemised price.
- Closer to the day, we confirm timings and the cooking spot.
- We set up, cook from scratch and keep an eye on your timings.
- We serve, then leave our area tidy.
Before we arrive
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Give us a contact for the day
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, fill in our quote form.
Read more
Questions from Hook
Do you cater in the New Forest National Park?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We’ll work to whatever the site needs.
Is Hook close to London?
Roughly 68 miles from the centre of London, and we cover it as standard.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Of course. We cook vegetarian and vegan paellas in their own pans.
What space do you need to cook?
Not a lot: a flat spot away from anything flammable, with space to serve. If in doubt, send a photo.
Do you cook it at the event?
Yes. Every paella is cooked from scratch on site, in front of your guests.
Do you do starters?
Yes. Canapés with drinks or tapas for the tables, while the rice is cooking.
Do you come to Hook?
We do. Hook is one of the places we cover. Tell us your date and we’ll check availability.
What areas do you cover?
London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including Hook.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it is in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Hook: venues, travel and local tips
Hook is about 1 mile south-east of Warsash, in Hampshire. For an event in Hook, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices in and around Hook. We cook in 683 places across Hampshire, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Southampton, about 7 miles away.
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St Mary, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Locks Heath Infant School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. Hook is within about 8 miles of the New Forest National Park, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking. The coast is within about 2 miles of Hook, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Sea breezes can be strong, so we plan a sheltered cooking spot.
Here we cover the SO31 and PO14 postcode area, so your event can be anywhere in it. Other places close to Hook for paella catering include Abshot (1 mile east), Hook Park Estate (1 mile south-west), Titchfield Common (1 mile north-east), Warsash (1 mile north-west) and Locks Heath (1 mile north). We also cook in nearby towns such as Winchester (15 miles north), Gosport (6 miles south-east), Havant (13 miles east), Eastleigh (9 miles north), Fareham (4 miles east) and Horndean (12 miles east).
Nearby you will also find St Andrew's Castle (1.8 miles west) and Carron Row Farm Museum (2.2 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Holly Hill Woodland Park.
- Schools near Hook include Brookfield Community School and Language College (1.5 miles north)
- Nearby, you’ll find Jolly Farmer Public House (0.6 miles north)
Working with your venue
Venues frequently have their own rules about outside caterers: where cooking is allowed, access times and the paperwork they need. Tell us what your venue needs and we will work to it.
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We’ll provide any information the landowner or council asks for.
Diets, allergies and planning
Paella is one of the easiest dishes for mixed diets, because every paella has its own pan. A few tips:
- Send allergies to us in writing
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
Paella is at its best straight from the pan, so we serve when guests are ready.
Finish with churros, crema catalana or tarta de Santiago.
Space, weather and the venue
Most gardens and venues can host live paella, but there are a few things to check:
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- Level ground for the pans and burners
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we’ll say what we think.
Menu ideas
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
What paella catering costs
There’s nothing hidden: the quote reflects:
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- How many staff you need
- Parking and unloading
- Timings and hours
There’s no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. We itemise everything in your quote.
Getting an accurate quote
These details help us quote quickly:
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Diets and allergies you know about
- The date and time of the event
The quickest way to a quote is to fill in our quote form. Tell us about your event in Hook, and we will put together a menu and price.
- 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