Hampshire · England
Paella Catering for Itchen Abbas events
From the first sizzle in the pan to the last crispy spoonful, live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event makes the food a highlight of your event in Itchen Abbas.
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Garden get-togethers
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
Paella catering near Itchen Abbas
How our paella catering works in Itchen Abbas
We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook the paella in front of your guests. Once it’s ready, we serve it hot from the pan. For retirement and leaving parties and weddings, from canapés to evening food, we can cook vegetable paella, vegan paella and black rice for your guests.
In a rural place like Itchen Abbas, the setting does plenty of the work: a huge pan in a garden or field fits perfectly. Let us know about access and ground conditions. We serve straight from the pan, so it’s hot and generous, and a queue moves quickly.
The menu, dish by dish
Paella Valenciana
In Valencia, the recipe is fiercely debated. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans, and it is a crowd-pleaser.
Mixed paella
Paella mixta combines meat and seafood in one pan.
What affects the price in Itchen Abbas
Your quote will be clear and itemised. What affects it most:
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- The number of people
- Distance and access to the venue
- Whether you need crockery
Larger events usually cost less per head, since the set-up is much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
What we need to know
These details help us quote quickly:
- Which courses you have in mind
- Anything your venue supplies
- A photo of the space, if you can
- The date and rough timings
Each quote is tailored to your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we will check availability at the same time.
Places near Itchen Abbas
Other catering in Itchen Abbas
Why choose paella catering in Itchen Abbas?
It needs no kitchen, so it works in gardens, fields and marquees where plated meals are hard.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. In Itchen Abbas, people book us for events such as:
- Anniversary celebrations
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Summer garden parties
- Weddings and evening receptions
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Itchen Abbas Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
What your quote should include
- If the price includes VAT
- The deposit and payment dates
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
The process
The paella is cooked in huge, shallow pans over gas burners. It needs a level spot with some shelter and good ventilation, and we agree where that is before the day. Around midsummer it stays light in Itchen Abbas until about 9:25pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:10pm, so summer evening events are usually served in daylight. For winter events, when it’s dark by about 4:00pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- It starts with your date, venue, numbers and any dietary needs.
- You get a suggested menu and an itemised quote.
- We arrive early, set up the cooking area and start the stock.
- The paella cooks in front of your guests, with tapas first if you’ve chosen them.
- We serve from the pan, then clear our cooking area away.
Preparing for the day
- Give us a contact for the day
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
- Share the running order, including any speeches
How to get a price
We need only a few details to quote: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. To send them, send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
Diets, allergies and planning
A little planning makes sure everyone can eat. Here’s how:
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
- Confirm allergies by email
On the day, you shouldn’t have to think about the food. We arrive in good time, set up, cook and serve, and keep in touch with you or your venue about timings.
We can add sangria and bar staff to serve drinks you provide.
Planning the cooking area
Before the day, we’ll agree where we cook. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we will tell you honestly.
What we offer
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
Itchen Abbas: your questions answered
How far is Itchen Abbas from London?
About 57 miles from central London, and well within our area.
Do you come out to small places like Itchen Abbas?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Is it really cooked live?
It is. We arrive with everything we need and cook it there and then, serving it hot from the pan.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We take our equipment and leave the cooking area tidy. Ask us about table clearing if you need it.
Which paellas do you recommend?
Most events choose two or three: chicken or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. Our menu lists the options.
Can we add tapas or canapés?
Yes. Canapés with drinks or tapas for the tables, served while the paella cooks.
Do we need to provide equipment?
Pans, burners and ingredients all come with us. You just need a suitable spot and access.
Do you do desserts?
Yes. Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana.
Planners, venues and businesses
Venues often 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’ll work to it.
Throwing a party at home? Send us a photo of the garden and tell us about access, and we will let you know if live paella is a good fit.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. 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.
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
Itchen Abbas: venues, travel and local tips
Itchen Abbas is about 4 miles north-east of Winchester, in Hampshire. Whether your event is in the middle of Itchen Abbas or on the outskirts, paella catering works the same way: live cooking, separate pans for every diet and a clear price. Itchen Abbas is one of 683 towns and villages in Hampshire where we cook. Our nearest city page is Southampton, about 14 miles away.
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St John the Baptist, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Winchester station, about 4.2 miles south-west.
Anywhere in SO21, we can bring paella catering to you. Local streets include Little Hayes Lane, Northington Road and Station Hill; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. We also cook at events in Martyr Worthy (1 mile west), Itchen Stoke (1 mile east), Ovington (2 miles south-east), Easton (2 miles west) and Temple Valley (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include Basingstoke (13 miles north-east), Winchester (4 miles south-west), Eastleigh (10 miles south-west), Andover (13 miles north-west), Chandler's Ford (10 miles south-west) and Alton (12 miles east).
Other landmarks nearby include St John's Rooms And Chapel (3.9 miles south-west) and Wolvesey Castle (4.1 miles south-west). The countryside around Itchen Abbas includes Winnall Moors and Twyford Down.
- Nearby, you’ll find The Plough pub (within half a mile south-west)
- 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