Reading · England
Live paella catering in Horncastle, Reading
Love Paella cooks live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Horncastle and nearby, catering for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests.
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Office lunches and staff parties
Paella catering near Horncastle
About the dishes
Black rice
Arroz negro is coloured and flavoured with squid ink, and is normally served with alioli. It makes a dramatic second seafood pan.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella isn’t an afterthought: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Paella catering for your event in Horncastle
You can keep it simple or build a full menu: paella on its own, or with canapés, table tapas, desserts and sangria. We will recommend what fits your event. We are often asked to cater christenings and family gatherings and garden get-togethers, with chicken and chorizo paella, seafood paella and mixed paella.
In a smaller place like Horncastle, a garden party is frequently the simplest option: no hire fees, and live paella feeds everyone without anyone stuck in the kitchen. Tell us about access down the lane or drive. Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included, with each paella cooked in its own pan.
What affects the price in Horncastle
The price comes down to a few factors:
- Distance and access to the venue
- The paellas you choose
- Timings and hours
- Guest numbers
Extras such as tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are priced separately, so you can choose exactly what you need.
Getting an accurate quote
When you contact us, it helps to tell us:
- The date and rough timings
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- Expected numbers
- A picture of the space, if you can
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. When you are ready, fill in our quote form.
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’ll do the cooking.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it is harder than it looks. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
Catering for every guest
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. We suggest:
- Request clear labels at the serving table
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
After service, we pack down our cooking area.
Bread, salad and lemon wedges make the meal go further and suit guests who are not big rice eaters.
Space, weather and the venue
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so the cooking area needs a little planning. These are the things we check:
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think.
Menu ideas
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
Planning live paella in Horncastle
Horncastle is about 2 miles west of Reading, in Reading. For paella catering in Horncastle, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices in and around Horncastle. We cook in 34 places across Reading.
If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Michael, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Kennet Valley Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
Anywhere in RG30 and RG31, we can bring paella catering to you, from busy streets to quiet lanes. From Low Lane, Usk Road and Mill Lane or a nearby road, we will bring the pans to you. If your venue is just outside Horncastle, we also cover Fords Farm (1 mile south), Southcote (1 mile east), Tilehurst Within (1 mile north), Beansheaf Farm (1 mile south-west) and Burghfield Bridge (1 mile south). Larger places within reach include Caversham (3 miles north-east), Shinfield (4 miles south-east), Arborfield Garrison (7 miles south-east), Caversham Heights (3 miles north-east), Whitley Wood (3 miles south-east) and Sonning Common (5 miles north). Being one of Reading’s larger places, Horncastle has plenty of venues and gardens for events.
Other landmarks nearby include Battle Hospital (1.5 miles north-east) and Broad Street Mall (2.2 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Fobney Island Wetland Reserve and South Lake.
- Local schools include Prospect School (within half a mile north-east) and Elvian School (1.1 miles east)
- Pubs nearby include The Happy Prospect pub (0.7 miles east)
How it works
Expect a friendly, organised team. We agree arrival and serving times in advance, set up the pans and burners, and cook and serve without fuss. Planning an evening event in Horncastle? Sunset is around 8:55pm in late May, 9:25pm at midsummer and 7:10pm in late September; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- Send us your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including every diet.
- We arrive in good time to set up.
- The paella cooks as guests gather round.
- Service is straight from the pan, then we pack down.
How to prepare
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
Get a quote
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, along with any dietary needs, and you’ll get a menu idea and a price. To get started, use our quote form.
Read more
Perfect for your event in Horncastle
Live paella is food and a show in one. The pans become a focal point, and the food itself is hot and plentiful.
These are some of the occasions we cater:
- Milestone birthday parties
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Anniversary celebrations
- Summer garden parties
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Reading West station, about 1.6 miles north-east.
What your quote should include
- How bad weather is handled
- A clear list of what’s included
- The deadline for final numbers
- Travel and parking costs
Horncastle: your questions answered
Can you cook in Calcot Park?
Only if the landowner, usually the council, allows it. Check with them, and we’ll provide our paperwork.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St Michael?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking typically happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
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.
Can we add tapas or canapés?
Yes. Canapés with drinks or tapas for the tables, served while the paella cooks.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We pack down our cooking area after service. Clearing guests’ plates and tables can be added with waiting staff.
Which paellas do you recommend?
Most events choose two or three: a mixed or chicken paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. See the sample menu.
Do you cover Horncastle?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, and Horncastle is within our area. To check your date, fill in our quote form.
Will there be enough food?
Quantities depend on numbers, timing and courses, with a little extra built in. Give us accurate numbers for the best result.
Nearby places to Horncastle
What else we do in Horncastle
Why choose live paella in Horncastle?
For something a little different, live paella adds colour, smell and theatre. Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
Why us?
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- Drinks service on request
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- Events in Horncastle and across Reading
Take a look at Our prices page Or What paella catering costs.
- 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