Reading · England
Live paella catering in Kidmore End, Reading
Paella for every guest: separate pans for meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan guests. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Kidmore End.
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Festivals, fairs and school events
Live paella catering in Kidmore End
How we price paella catering
The price comes down to a few factors:
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Distance and access to the venue
- Guest numbers
When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
What we need to know
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- Which courses you have in mind
- The venue or postcode
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Roughly how many adults and children
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. When you are ready, use our quote form.
Paella catering in Kidmore End, cooked live
The cooking is half the fun. People drift over as the sofrito sizzles and the rice turns gold, and the smell does the rest. We’re often asked to cater garden parties and summer barbecues and christenings and family gatherings, serving vegetable paella, black rice and chicken and chorizo paella.
In a rural place like Kidmore End, 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.
Kidmore End: venues, travel and local tips
Kidmore End is about 2 miles north-west of Caversham, in Reading. Tell us where your event in Kidmore End will be, and we will plan access and set-up before the day. Kidmore End is one of 34 places in Reading where we cook.
If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Kidmore End Church of England Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. 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.
We cook at events all over the RG4 postcode area. We can cater an event on streets such as Butlers Orchard, Coopers Pightle and Wood Lane or the roads around them. For events just outside Kidmore End, we cover Sonning Common (1 mile north-east), Peppard Hill (1 mile north), Kingwood Common (2 miles north), Rotherfield Peppard (2 miles north-east) and Shepherd's Green (3 miles north-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Norcot (4 miles south), West Reading (4 miles south), Tilehurst Within (4 miles south-west), Shinfield (7 miles south), Arborfield Garrison (10 miles south-east) and Horncastle (4 miles south).
Nearby you’ll also find Royal Berkshire Regiment Museum (3.4 miles south) and Battle Hospital (3.4 miles south). Not far away are Sonning Hill and Hartslock.
- Nearby schools include Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge (0.5 miles north-east) and The Warwick School (0.5 miles north-east)
- Nearby, you will find Pack Horse Public House (0.8 miles south-west)
Kidmore End: your questions answered
Is Kidmore End too small for live paella?
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 John the Baptist: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking typically happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
Can you serve drinks?
Sangria, yes. For other drinks, we can provide bar staff to serve what you buy.
What do you need at the venue?
Less than you might think: a level spot clear of fences, hedges and branches, with room for a serving table. Send us a picture if you are not sure.
Which paellas do you recommend?
That depends on who’s coming. A chicken or mixed paella is generally the most popular, alongside seafood and vegetable or vegan pans.
Where do you cater?
We cover London and the South East, Reading included. See all areas.
Do you come to Kidmore End?
Yes. We cater across London and the South East, including Kidmore End. For a quote, use our quote form.
Is it really cooked live?
Yes, always. We cook from scratch in large pans at your venue, in front of your guests.
Why choose paella catering in Kidmore End?
It is ideal for relaxed, sociable occasions, where guests can mingle while it cooks and then sit down to share.
Live paella works for big and small events alike. Typical bookings include:
- Summer garden parties
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Leaving dos and retirements
Nearby historic houses include Mapledurham House (2.3 miles south-west) and Greys Court (3.1 miles north-east). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one.
Comparing caterers
- How late numbers can change
- The venue requirements
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- How bad weather is handled
Planning the cooking area
Most gardens and venues can host live paella, but there are a few things to check:
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think.
Popular choices
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegetable paella
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
Step by step
The cooking is part of the entertainment. We start with the sofrito, add the stock and saffron, then spread the rice across the pan and leave it alone to cook while your guests chat. Around midsummer it stays light in Kidmore End until about 9:25pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:10pm, so summer evening events are generally served in daylight. In December it is dark by about 3:55pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- Send us your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan a menu that covers every diet.
- We arrive in good time to set up.
- The paella cooks as guests gather round.
- Service is straight from the pan, then we pack down.
How to prepare
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Ensure the spot is clear of anything flammable
- Give us your final numbers and diets
How to get a price
Every event is quoted individually, so the price fits what you actually want. To ask for one, send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
Organising for someone else?
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.
If you’re organising for someone else, whether you’re a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we’re happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It saves passing messages back and forth.
Planning for every diet
Good planning keeps every guest safe and happy. Try these:
- Request clear labels at the serving table
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
- Put allergy details in writing
Paella is best eaten as soon as it is ready, so we plan service for when guests are ready to eat.
Tapas or canapés make a good start while the paella cooks.
Places near Kidmore End
What else we do in Kidmore End
The menu, dish by dish
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A slow sofrito, seasonal vegetables and a good vegetable stock make a paella that stands on its own. Vegan versions use plant-based stock.
- 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