Reading · England
Paella Catering for Lower Caversham events
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Lower Caversham: paella cooked from scratch in huge pans, in full view of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Big birthdays
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Garden get-togethers
Paella catering in Lower Caversham
DIY paella versus live catering
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and do not stir once the rice goes in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Not sure whether to cook yourself or book a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. We are happy to give you a quote to compare.
Paella catering in Lower Caversham, made fresh on the day
Paella has always been food for a crowd: cooked outdoors in a wide, shallow pan and shared. That’s exactly what we bring to your event in Lower Caversham. For fairs, fêtes and festivals and summer garden parties, we will put together a menu of mixed paella, chicken and chorizo paella and vegan paella and more.
A place like Lower Caversham frequently has a hall, a club or a pub garden nearby; any can work for paella, with permission and somewhere outside to cook. Timings are planned around your event, whether that’s speeches, a lunch break or a festival schedule.
About the dishes
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella is not an afterthought: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. Shellfish goes in towards the end so it stays tender.
How we price paella catering
There is nothing hidden: the price is based on:
- Your choice of paellas
- Whether you need crockery
- The length of service
- Guest numbers
Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so the menu you choose affects the price. Tell us your budget and we will suggest a menu.
Details that help
When you get in touch, it helps to tell us:
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- Expected numbers
- A picture of the space, if you can
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, along with any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, use our quote form.
Planning the cooking area
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We look for:
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Somewhere close to park and unload
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we’ll say what we think before booking.
Popular choices
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
Lower Caversham: venues, travel and local tips
Lower Caversham is about 1 mile south of Caversham, in Reading. From the centre of Lower Caversham to the outskirts, we offer the same service: live cooking, separate pans for every diet and a clear price. We cover 34 places across Reading.
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like St John the Baptist, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. If you are organising a summer fair for a school like St Anne's Catholic Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
Anywhere in RG4 and RG1, we can bring paella catering to you, from busy streets to quiet lanes. We can cater an event on streets such as Star Road, Send Road and Mill Road or the roads around them. We also cook at events in Newtown (1 mile south-east), Caversham (1 mile north), Emmer Green (1 mile north), Caversham Park Village (1 mile north) and Reading (1 mile south-west). Further out, we also cater in Norcot (3 miles west), Tilehurst Within (3 miles west), Shinfield (4 miles south), Arborfield Garrison (6 miles south-east), Horncastle (3 miles south-west) and Whitley Wood (3 miles south).
A little further out are Royal Berkshire Hospital (1 mile south) and Berkshire Medical Heritage Centre Museum (0.9 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Sonning Hill and South Lake.
- Schools near Lower Caversham include Chiltern Nursery Nurse Training School (0.7 miles north-west) and Kendrick School (0.9 miles south)
- Local pubs include The Red Cow Public House (under half a mile north-east)
- Other local spots include University of Reading library (1.8 miles south)
FAQs for Lower Caversham
Could we have live paella in Eldon Square?
Only if the landowner, normally the council, allows it. Check with them, and we will provide our paperwork.
How far is Lower Caversham from London?
About 37 miles from central London.
What if the weather’s bad?
A covered, ventilated spot keeps us cooking in the rain. We will make a plan B with you.
What equipment do you bring?
We bring all the cooking equipment. Let us know what your venue has, like tables or crockery.
Can the paella be cooked in a hall?
Only in a suitable, well-ventilated area with the venue’s permission. Courtyards, doorways and terraces frequently work.
Which paellas suit our guests?
That depends on who’s coming. A chicken or mixed paella is typically the most popular, with seafood and vegetable pans alongside.
Can we choose the seafood?
Tell us your preferences and we will suggest seafood options to suit your menu and budget. Premium shellfish can be added.
Do you cook it at the event?
Yes, always. We cook from scratch in large pans at your venue, where your guests can watch.
Nearby places to Lower Caversham
Also in Lower Caversham
Catering for every guest
Allergies and diets are taken seriously. Here’s how you can help:
- Mention any other courses or food
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
- Confirm allergies by email
You shouldn’t have to worry about the food on the day. We set up, cook and serve, and keep in touch with you or your venue about timings.
Crockery, cutlery and waiting staff are available if your venue doesn’t provide them.
How it works
On the day, we set up the burners and pans and start cooking the sofrito and stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, so we time everything to your schedule. In Lower Caversham, the sun sets at about 9:25pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. For winter events, when it’s dark by about 3:55pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- First, you send us your date, venue, numbers and diets.
- We put together a menu and a clear quote.
- On the day, we set up the burners and pans and get the stock going.
- The rice cooks in full view, while tapas or canapés go round.
- It’s served straight from the pan, and we pack down afterwards.
Getting ready for the day
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
How to get a price
Not sure what you need yet? No problem: give us the basics about your event, and we will make suggestions. Start when you are ready: fill in our quote form.
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Planners, venues and businesses
Hosting a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we will let you know if live paella is a good fit.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Why choose paella catering in Lower Caversham?
It needs no kitchen, so it is at home in gardens, fields and marquees where plated meals are hard.
We can help if you are planning any of the following:
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Community events and fairs
Nearby historic houses include Mapledurham House (3.5 miles north-west). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
What your quote should include
- Payment terms and deposit
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- What the price includes, item by item
- Travel and parking costs
- 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