Hampshire · England
Live paella catering in Ibthorpe, Hampshire
Planning paella catering in Ibthorpe? We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook in front of your guests.
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Retirement celebrations
- Community events and fairs
Live paella catering in Ibthorpe
Paella catering for your event in Ibthorpe
Paella was made for feeding a crowd: cooked outdoors in a wide, shallow pan and shared. That is what we bring to events in Ibthorpe. We are often asked to cater staff parties and work lunches and big birthdays, with mixed paella, chicken and chorizo paella and seafood paella.
Somewhere like Ibthorpe, a field or garden is frequently the perfect setting. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. Tapas, canapés, desserts, sangria and staff can all be added, so one booking can cover the whole menu.
A closer look at the menu
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans.
Vegetable and vegan paella
The vegetable pan is a dish in its own right: artichokes, beans, peppers and saffron.
Places near Ibthorpe
Also in Ibthorpe
DIY paella versus live catering
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. Ask us for a quote and compare.
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.
Catering for every guest
We take diets and allergies seriously. Here’s how you can help:
- Count adults and children separately
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
- Ensure each pan is labelled
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
You shouldn’t have to worry about the food on the day. We arrive in good time, set up, cook and serve, and stay in touch with your venue about timings.
Add canapé tapas with the drinks or table tapas as a starter while the paella cooks.
Working with your venue
If you’re booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we’ll explain how it works. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so guests are fed quickly. Let us know how long the food break is.
Live paella or other catering?
Barbecues cook in batches, so food comes off in waves. Paella is cooked as one big dish and served together. The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, plus any staff, crockery and travel. Every event gets its own quote.
Why book with us
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Served hot, straight from the pan
Take a look at Our pricing And What paella catering costs.
Space, weather and the venue
Before the day, we’ll agree where we cook. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think before you book.
Popular choices
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
Planning live paella in Ibthorpe
Ibthorpe is about 5 miles north of Andover, in Hampshire. For an event in Ibthorpe, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices. We cover 683 places in Hampshire, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is Reading, about 24 miles away.
If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Hurstbourne Tarrant Church of England Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. Nearby historic houses include Stargroves (4.9 miles north-east). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
Here we cover the SP11 postcode area, so your event can be anywhere in it. Nearby, we also cater events in Hurstbourne Tarrant (1 mile south-east), Stoke (2 miles south-east), Upper Enham (2 miles south), Wildhern (2 miles south-west) and Little London (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Basingstoke (15 miles east), Andover (5 miles south), Tadley (15 miles east), Tidworth (9 miles west), Kempshott (14 miles east) and Ludgershall (7 miles west).
Well-known places in the area include Andover War Memorial Hospital (4.9 miles south). Open spaces near Ibthorpe include Anton Lakes and Pilot Hill.
- Nearby, you will find George And Dragon Public House (0.5 miles south-east)
Your questions about paella catering in Ibthorpe
Is Ibthorpe close to London?
Roughly 61 miles from the centre of London, and well within our area.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St Peter?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking typically happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We take our equipment and leave the cooking area tidy. Ask us about table clearing if you need it.
Can you cook in the rain?
We need a covered spot, like a gazebo or open-sided marquee. We plan for rain with you in advance.
How many paellas should we have?
Two or three is usual: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We will suggest a split based on your guests.
Do you do vegan paella?
Yes, and meat eaters often go back for seconds. They have their own pans, stock and spoons.
Can paella be the only main course?
Paella is a meal in itself. Many hosts add tapas first or dessert after.
Is live paella good for a large crowd?
It’s ideal. Big pans feed a lot of people, and service from the pan is quick.
How it works
A typical event goes like this: we set up the pans and start the sofrito, the rice cooks in front of your guests, and it’s served hot from the pan when you are ready to eat. In Ibthorpe, the sun sets at about 9:25pm in late June and about 7:10pm in late September, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 4:00pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- You share your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including every diet.
- We arrive early to set up the burners and pans.
- The sofrito, stock and rice go in, and guests gather to watch.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
Preparing for the day
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Share the running order, including any speeches
How to get a price
Every quote is put together for your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll confirm whether we’re available that day.
Planning help
Events we cater in Ibthorpe
Paella is one of the few dishes that handles mixed diets easily, thanks to separate pans for each version. Nobody gets a token ‘special meal’.
We are booked for all kinds of occasions in Ibthorpe and nearby. Some of the most common are:
- Retirement celebrations
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Naming days and family parties
- Community events and fairs
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Peter, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
What to look for in a quote
- Space, access and power needs
- Whether VAT is included
- How long the team stays
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- 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