Oxfordshire · England
Live paella catering in Kiddington, Oxfordshire
Looking for paella catering in Kiddington? We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook while your guests watch.
- Big birthdays
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
Live paella catering in Kiddington
Diets, allergies and planning
Nearly every event has some special diets. To plan for them:
- Mention any other courses or food
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Make sure each pan is labelled
The rice takes about 20 minutes once it goes in, so we time it carefully. If plans change, tell us and we’ll adjust.
Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana finish the meal, or serve your own cake.
How our paella catering works in Kiddington
Live paella catering means we bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients to your event and cook in front of your guests. When it is ready, it’s served straight from the pan. For naming days and family parties and milestone birthday parties, we will put together a menu of mixed paella, seafood paella and vegetable paella and more.
Somewhere like Kiddington, a field or garden is often the perfect setting. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. Your quote spells out exactly what’s included: the menu, the staff and any extras.
- Where
- Kiddington (OX20)
- County
- Oxfordshire
- Special diets
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Also available
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quotes
- Contact us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
FAQs for Kiddington
Do you come out to small places like Kiddington?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Let us know about access and parking.
We’re having a ceremony at Church of St Nicholas: can you cater afterwards?
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.
Does paella work for big events?
Yes, that is what it’s made for. We size pans and serving points to your guest list.
Can you cook indoors?
Only in a suitable, well-ventilated area with the venue’s permission. Courtyards, doorways and terraces often work.
Do you cook it at the event?
Yes. We arrive with everything we need and cook it there and then, then serve straight from the pan.
How much paella per person?
We plan quantities from your guest numbers, timings and other courses, with a little extra built in. Give us accurate numbers for the best result.
What about pudding?
We can add a dessert. Tell us what you have in mind in your enquiry.
How does live paella catering work?
We cook from scratch at your venue in big pans, in front of your guests, and serve straight from the pan.
Planning the cooking area
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We need:
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think.
Popular choices
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
Why choose live paella in Kiddington?
Cold buffets are easy but forgettable, and the food sits out. Paella is cooked live and served hot. Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you can choose exactly what you need.
Why us?
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
Events we cater in Kiddington
Live paella is made for outdoor events: it’s cooked in the open, served hot and eaten together.
Live paella works for big and small events alike. Typical bookings include:
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Naming days and family parties
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Nicholas, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether travel is included
- If the price includes VAT
- How bad weather is handled
- What the caterer needs from your venue
Organising for someone else?
Organising a club, school or community event in Kiddington? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we will suggest a menu.
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.
Places near Kiddington
What else we do in Kiddington
Planning live paella in Kiddington
Kiddington is about 7 miles north-west of Kidlington, in Oxfordshire. Wherever your event is in the OX20 area, we’ll come to your venue or garden. We cater in 443 places across Oxfordshire. You can also see our page for Oxford, about 13 miles away.
Nearby historic houses include Blenheim Palace (4.6 miles south). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. For guests coming by train, Charlbury station is about 4.4 miles away.
Paella catering in OX20 is planned around your venue and your guests. If your venue is just outside Kiddington, we also cover Enstone (2 miles west), Church Enstone (3 miles north-west), Little Tew (4 miles north-west), Great Tew (4 miles north) and Swerford (6 miles north-west). Further out, we also cater in Oxford (13 miles south-east), Banbury (11 miles north), Bicester (10 miles east), Witney (9 miles south-west), Carterton (12 miles south-west) and Kidlington (7 miles south-east).
Open spaces near Kiddington include Blenheim Farm.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but you will still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. A caterer handles all of that.
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
The menu, dish by dish
Black rice
Arroz negro is coloured and flavoured with squid ink, traditionally with alioli. It makes a dramatic second seafood pan.
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich fish stock, cooked until the rice is golden. It’s generally the most photographed pan.
What happens on the day
Once the rice is in, we don’t stir it. That is how the grains cook evenly and the toasted base, the socarrat, forms. Your guests will smell it before they see it. In Kiddington, the sun sets at about 9:30pm in late June and about 7:10pm in late September, so summer evening events are generally served in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 3:55pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- You tell us the date, venue, guest numbers and any dietary needs.
- You get a suggested menu and an itemised quote.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up and start the stock.
- The paella cooks in front of your guests, with tapas first if you’ve chosen them.
- We serve it hot from the pan and clear our area when service ends.
Getting ready for the day
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
How to get a price
The quickest way to a quote is to fill in our quote form. Tell us about your event in Kiddington, and we will suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Read more
- 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