Southampton · England
Paella Catering in Hounsdown
We cook live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Hounsdown and nearby, catering for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests.
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Milestone birthday parties
- Office lunches and staff parties
Paella catering in Hounsdown
How it works
We work to your timings. If speeches run late or the photos take longer, we hold the paella at the right stage so it is still served fresh. Around midsummer it stays light in Hounsdown until about 9:25pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:10pm, 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.
- We start with a few details about your event.
- You get a menu and an itemised quote.
- We agree timings, access and the cooking spot.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
Before we arrive
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
Getting a price
Thinking about paella catering for your event in Hounsdown? Tell us what you have in mind and we will reply with a menu and a clear price. To contact us, use our quote form.
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How our paella catering works in Hounsdown
Paella is generous food: big pans, bright colours and a crispy base everyone wants a spoonful of. It turns a meal into an occasion. For community events and fairs and naming days and family parties, we will put together a menu of vegan paella, chicken and chorizo paella and mixed paella and more.
In a smaller place like Hounsdown, a garden party is often the simplest option: no venue hire, and nobody stuck cooking. Let us know about access to the house. Everything is cooked from scratch at your event, not reheated, and served as soon as it is ready.
- Area
- Hounsdown (SO40)
- Region
- Southampton
- Dietary options
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Extras
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quote
- Contact us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Is live paella right for your event?
Vans serve one order at a time. A paella pan serves many portions quickly, which suits weddings and parties where everyone eats together. Live paella often compares well with a sit-down meal, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. We’ll send you a quote.
Why us?
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
Working with your venue
If you’re planning an event on someone’s behalf, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we’re happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It keeps things simple.
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so everyone eats promptly. Tell us how long you have for food.
Questions from Hounsdown
Can you cook at venues in the New Forest National Park?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We will follow the site rules.
What’s the nearest station to Hounsdown for guests?
Totton station, about 1.1 miles north-east of the centre.
Do you do vegan paella?
Yes, and they’re popular with everyone. Each is cooked separately, with its own stock and utensils.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Yes, children are easy to cater for. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we’ll plan a pan with them in mind.
Can you cook in the rain?
Rain does not stop us, as long as there’s a ventilated cover. We’ll make a plan B with you.
Is live paella good for a large crowd?
It’s ideal. Large pans and fast service from the pan make it well suited to crowds.
What areas do you cover?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including Hounsdown.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We clear our cooking area away when service is finished. Clearing guests’ plates and tables can be added with waiting staff.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
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. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Diets, allergies and planning
Good planning keeps every guest safe and happy. Try these:
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Give us separate numbers for children
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
Paella is best eaten as soon as it is ready, so we serve when guests are ready.
Need plates or staff? We can provide them.
Also near Hounsdown
Other catering in Hounsdown
The menu, dish by dish
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, finished with lemon wedges. It’s normally the most photographed pan.
Mixed paella
Mixed paella brings meat and seafood together.
What we need at the venue
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We need:
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- Somewhere close to park and unload
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before booking.
Menu ideas
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
Catering an event in Hounsdown
Hounsdown is about 1 mile south of Totton, in Southampton. We bring paella catering to homes, gardens and venues in Hounsdown. We cook in 40 places in Southampton, from the larger towns to small villages.
Nearby historic houses include Southampton Tudor House and Garden (4.1 miles east) and Medieval Merchant's House (4.2 miles east). Historic venues often limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one. For guests coming by train, Totton station is about 1.1 miles away. Hounsdown is within about 5 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. Hounsdown is within about 5 miles of the sea, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Sea breezes can be strong, so we plan a sheltered cooking spot.
Wherever your event is in SO40, we can cook for your guests. Local streets include Main Road, Pound Lane and Chapel Lane; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Nearby, we also cater events in Ashurst Bridge (1 mile north-west), Totton (1 mile north), Netley Marsh (1 mile north-west), Woodlands (2 miles west) and Winsor (3 miles north-west). Larger places within reach include Southampton (5 miles east), Shirley (3 miles east), Regents Park (3 miles east), Townhill Park (6 miles east), Midanbury (6 miles east) and Thornhill (7 miles east).
Well-known places in the area include National Dairy Museum (0.8 miles south) and Ashurst Hospital (1.4 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include Testwood Lakes.
- Nearby schools include Foxhills Infant School (0.5 miles west)
- Nearby, you’ll find The Forest Inn (0.9 miles south-west)
Occasions we cook for in Hounsdown
It needs no kitchen, so it works in gardens, fields and marquees where other catering struggles.
Live paella works for big and small events alike. Typical bookings include:
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Anniversary celebrations
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Colbury Christ Church, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
What to look for in a quote
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- Allergen information for each dish
- What happens if it rains
- 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