Hampshire · England
Live paella catering in Little Ann, Hampshire
We cook live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event across Little Ann and Hampshire, with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal options.
- Naming days and family parties
- Milestone birthday parties
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
Paella catering near Little Ann
Paella catering around Little Ann
Little Ann is about 2 miles south-west of Andover, in Hampshire. For an event in Little Ann, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices. Little Ann is one of 683 places in Hampshire where we cook. We cook right across the region, from Little Ann to Southampton (about 19 miles away).
If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Abbotts Ann Church of England Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. For guests coming by train, Andover station is about 2 miles away.
This part of Hampshire takes in SP11, and we can cater your event anywhere in it. Local streets include Salisbury Road, The Old Coach Road and Old Salisbury Road; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Close by, we cover events in Abbotts Ann (1 mile west), Anna Valley (1 mile north-east), Red Rice (1 mile south), Monxton (2 miles north-west) and Amport (2 miles west). Larger places within reach include Winchester (13 miles south-east), Chandler's Ford (15 miles south), Romsey (14 miles south), Hyde (12 miles south-east), Tidworth (7 miles north-west) and Weeke (11 miles south-east).
Nearby you’ll also find Andover War Memorial Hospital (2.2 miles north-east) and Andover Museum (2.4 miles north-east). Open spaces near Little Ann include Anton Lakes and Mill Lake.
- Nearby schools include Redrice School (1 mile south) and John Hanson Community School (1.4 miles north-east)
- Pubs nearby include The Eagle pub (0.5 miles west)
Paella catering in Little Ann, cooked live
You can keep it simple or build a full menu: paella on its own, or with canapés, table tapas, desserts and sangria. We’ll suggest what suits your event. We cook mixed paella, vegan paella and vegetable paella, and we are frequently booked for office lunches and staff parties and family celebrations and christenings.
Somewhere like Little Ann, a field or garden is often the perfect setting. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. Everything is cooked from scratch at your event, never made in advance and reheated.
Dishes our guests love
Vegetable and vegan paella
The vegetable pan is a dish in its own right: artichokes, beans, peppers and saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, finished with lemon wedges. It is typically the most photographed pan.
Places near Little Ann
More for events in Little Ann
FAQs for Little Ann
Is Little Ann close to London?
About 65 miles from central London.
Do you come out to small places like Little Ann?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Let us know about access and parking.
Can you bring crockery?
We can. Let us know what you have, and we’ll quote for the rest.
Which paellas suit our guests?
Most events choose two or three: chicken or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. See the sample menu.
What happens if it rains?
We need a covered spot, such as a gazebo, marquee or open-sided barn with good ventilation. We’ll agree a wet-weather plan with you.
Do you take everything away?
Our cooking area is packed away and left clean. Table clearing is available with waiting staff.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
We can, if you tell us in advance. The rice is gluten-free, but stocks and chorizo can contain gluten, so we cook a gluten-free paella separately.
How long does the paella take?
We get there in good time to set up. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Next to a hog roast or barbecue, live paella is easier for vegetarian, vegan and halal guests, because each paella has its own pan. Service from the pan keeps queues moving. Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you can choose exactly what you need.
Why book with us
- Fast service from the pan
- Events in Little Ann and across Hampshire
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
See Our prices page And The cost guide.
Occasions we cook for in Little Ann
Live paella is made for outdoor events: it’s cooked in the open, served hot and eaten together.
Big or small, live paella works well. Typical bookings include:
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Community events and fairs
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Retirement and leaving parties
If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Mary the Virgin, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
What to look for in a quote
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- The deposit and payment dates
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- The wet-weather plan
Planning for every diet
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. We suggest:
- Put allergy details in writing
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
Paella is best eaten as soon as it is ready, so we serve when guests are ready.
Finish with churros, crema catalana or tarta de Santiago, or serve your own cake.
Before you choose a spot
We’ll agree the cooking spot with you before the day. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think before booking.
On the menu in Little Ann
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Should I cook it myself?
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, have hot stock ready, and do not stir once the rice goes in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Working with your venue
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we’ll keep you updated on timings and set-up.
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.
Step by step
We cook over gas burners in wide, shallow pans. We need a level, ventilated spot, and we agree where that is before the day. In Little Ann, the sun sets at about 9:25pm in late June and about 7:10pm in late September, so summer evening events are normally served in daylight. In December it’s dark by about 4:00pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- You tell us the date, venue, guest numbers and any dietary needs.
- We put together a menu and a clear 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.
Preparing for the day
- Make sure we can park close by to unload
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
Get a quote
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. When you are ready, use our quote form.
Planning help
- 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