West Berkshire · England
Paella Catering in Inkpen Common
Planning paella catering in Inkpen Common? We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook while your guests watch.
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Big birthdays
Live paella catering in Inkpen Common
Paella catering in Inkpen Common, made fresh on the day
We cook every paella from scratch on the day, beginning with a sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, followed by stock, saffron and rice. Whether it’s anniversaries and engagement parties and retirement celebrations, we can cook vegan paella, black rice and vegetable paella for your guests.
Somewhere as small as Inkpen Common, a garden or field is often the venue. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and cooking close to where we can park helps. Your quote spells out exactly what’s included: menu, staff, crockery and anything else you choose.
- Where
- Inkpen Common (RG17, RG20)
- County
- West Berkshire
- Diets
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Also available
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
The menu, dish by dish
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich fish stock, finished with lemon wedges. It is the pan people photograph.
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea.
Dietary needs and planning tips
Paella is one of the easiest dishes for mixed diets, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. A few tips:
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Tell us what else is being served
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Ensure each pan is labelled
After service, we pack down our cooking area, quietly and quickly.
We can add sangria and bar staff to serve drinks you provide.
Inkpen Common: your questions answered
How far is Inkpen Common from London?
About 59 miles from central London, and we cover it as standard.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St Laurence?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is normally elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
How much is live paella catering?
It depends on guest numbers, the menu, the courses, staff and travel. Tell us about your event and we will send a quote.
Do you offer halal options?
We can. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and it’s cooked separately.
Which paella is most popular?
It depends on your guests. A chicken or mixed paella is usually the most popular, with seafood and vegetable pans alongside.
Can paella be the only main course?
Yes. Paella with bread and salad makes a full main course, and tapas or dessert can be added.
Is the paella cooked on site?
Yes. We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook it there and then, then serve straight from the pan.
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 cook a gluten-free paella separately.
Why choose paella catering in Inkpen Common?
Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets, so it suits all kinds of occasions. It also gives guests something to watch and talk about.
Big or small, live paella works well. Typical bookings include:
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Birthday celebrations
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Inkpen Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
What to look for in a quote
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- How each diet is kept separate
- What the caterer needs from your venue
Planning live paella in Inkpen Common
Inkpen Common is about 6 miles west of Newbury, in West Berkshire. We cater events at gardens, halls and venues around Inkpen Common and the surrounding area. We cook in all 155 towns and villages across West Berkshire, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is Reading, about 21 miles away.
Nearby historic houses include Stargroves (2.7 miles south-east) and Benham Park (4.4 miles north-east). Historic venues often limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one. For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Kintbury station, about 2 miles north.
Here we cover the RG17 and RG20 postcode area, so your event can be anywhere in it. We can cater an event on streets such as Heads Lane, Rooksnest Lane and The Firs or the roads around them. Close by, we cover events in Hell Corner (1 mile east), Inkpen (1 mile north-west), Upper Green (1 mile south-west), Lower Green (1 mile west) and Kintbury (2 miles north). Further out, we also cater in Newbury (6 miles east), Thatcham (9 miles east), Speenhamland (6 miles east), Hungerford (4 miles north-west), Lambourn (10 miles north) and Shaw (7 miles east).
Other landmarks nearby include Hamstead Marshall 3 (3.1 miles north-east). Not far away are Kintbury Newt Ponds and Inkpen Hill.
- Local pubs include Crown and Garter pub (within half a mile south-west)
Planners, venues and businesses
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so everyone eats promptly. Let us know how long the food break is.
If you are organising for someone else, whether you’re a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we are happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It keeps things simple.
What happens on the day
Here’s how the day typically runs: we set up the pans and start the sofrito, your guests watch the rice cook, and we serve straight from the pan when you’re ready to eat. Evenings in Inkpen Common stay light until about 9:25pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:10pm; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- Get in touch with the basics: when, where and how many.
- Expect a menu idea and a clear, itemised price.
- A week or so before, we confirm the plan.
- We set up, cook from scratch and keep an eye on your timings.
- We serve, then leave our area tidy.
How to prepare
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Check the venue allows live cooking
Getting a price
Each quote is tailored to your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we will confirm whether we’re available that day.
Planning help
How we price paella catering
Two events with the same number of guests can cost different amounts, depending on:
- Parking and unloading
- How long we’re needed on site
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- How many courses
Live paella frequently compares well with a sit-down meal, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. We’ll send you a quote.
What to tell us
You do not need everything decided to ask for a quote, but these help:
- Your date and when you want to eat
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, plus any dietary needs, and you’ll get a menu idea and a price. To get started, send us your details through our quote form.
What we need at the venue
Before the day, we’ll agree where we cook. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- Somewhere close to park and unload
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
What we offer
- Vegan paella
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
Is live paella right for your event?
Vans serve one order at a time. A big pan serves many guests fast, so everyone can eat at the same time. When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
Why us?
- Sangria and bar staff available
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- Fast service from the pan
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
Take a look at How we price Or Our guide to catering costs.
Places near Inkpen Common
Also in Inkpen Common
- 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