Oxfordshire · England
Live paella catering in Lower Heyford, Oxfordshire
Something 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 Lower Heyford.
- Anniversary celebrations
- Community events and fairs
- Family celebrations and christenings
Paella catering for Lower Heyford events
Paella catering for your event in Lower Heyford
Everything is cooked from scratch on site, starting with a slow sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, followed by stock, saffron and rice. For big birthdays and weddings, from canapés to evening food, we’ll put together a menu of seafood paella, paella Valenciana and mixed paella and more.
In a hamlet or village like Lower Heyford, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. Timings are planned around your event, so the paella is ready when you want to eat.
- Where
- Lower Heyford (OX25)
- County
- Oxfordshire
- Dietary options
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Also available
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quotes
- Quoted for your event
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Should I cook it myself?
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but you will still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. We take care of all of it.
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
Events we cater in Lower Heyford
Paella is one of the few dishes that handles mixed diets easily, because each version is cooked in its own pan. Everyone gets the same kind of meal.
If you are planning any of these, we can help:
- Big birthdays
- Summer garden parties
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Mary, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
Comparing caterers
- The venue requirements
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
Places near Lower Heyford
More for events in Lower Heyford
Common questions in Lower Heyford
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St Mary?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is typically elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
Is Lower Heyford too small for live paella?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Which paellas suit our guests?
It depends on your guests. A chicken or mixed paella is normally the most popular, alongside seafood and vegetable or vegan pans.
What equipment do you bring?
All cooking kit comes with us. Let us know what your venue has, like tables or crockery.
What happens with live paella?
We arrive with pans, burners and ingredients, cook in front of your guests, and serve at the time you want.
When do you arrive?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
Do you cater in Lower Heyford?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, including Lower Heyford and the rest of Oxfordshire. To check your date, fill in our quote form.
How far ahead should we book?
As soon as you have a date. Peak dates go quickly, so it pays to ask early.
Before you choose a spot
We cook in large pans over gas burners, so we need a suitable spot. These are the things we check:
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think.
On the menu in Lower Heyford
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
About the dishes
Vegetable and vegan paella
A slow sofrito, seasonal vegetables and a good vegetable stock make a proper main dish. For vegans, the stock is plant-based.
Mixed paella
Chicken and seafood together, for guests who want a bit of everything.
Step by step
We work to your timings. If things run behind, we adjust the cooking so it’s served at its best. Around midsummer it stays light in Lower Heyford until about 9:30pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:10pm, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. In December it’s dark by about 3:55pm, 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 set up the burners and pans and get the stock going.
- The rice cooks in full view, while tapas or canapés go round.
- It is served straight from the pan, and we pack down afterwards.
Preparing for the day
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Check the venue allows live cooking
Ask for a quote
Still deciding on the menu? That is fine: give us the basics about your event, and we will suggest a menu. Start when you’re ready: fill in our quote form.
Read more
Catering an event in Lower Heyford
Lower Heyford is about 6 miles west of Bicester, in Oxfordshire. Events in Lower Heyford are planned around your venue and timings: a quote, a plan and live cooking on the day. Lower Heyford is one of 443 towns and villages in Oxfordshire where we cook. Our events stretch from Lower Heyford to Oxford (about 12 miles away).
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Dr Radcliffe's Church of England Primary School, can book us as a food stall. For guests coming by train, Heyford station is in Lower Heyford itself.
We cook at events all over OX25 and the streets around it. From Station Road, Market Square and Freehold Street or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Caulcott (1 mile east), Upper Heyford (1 mile north-east), Somerton (3 miles north), Middleton Stoney (3 miles east) and Fritwell (4 miles north-east). Further out, we also cater in Oxford (12 miles south), Banbury (10 miles north), Bicester (6 miles east), Witney (13 miles south-west), Kidlington (7 miles south) and Headington Quarry (12 miles south).
A little further out are Bicester Community Hospital (5.9 miles east) and Ardley Castle (3.5 miles north-east).
- Local pubs include The Bell Inn (less than half a mile west)
For event organisers in Lower Heyford
Organising a club, school or community event in Lower Heyford? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Give us the details and we will suggest a plan.
Events in public spaces, like parks, usually need permission. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
Catering for every guest
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because every paella has its own pan. Here are a few tips for planning:
- Mention any other courses or food
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Have seats for most of your guests
Once everyone is fed, we clear our cooking area, quietly and quickly.
Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana finish the meal.
Paella compared with other options
Barbecues cook in batches, so food comes off in waves. Paella is cooked as one big dish and served together. Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. We’ll send you a quote.
Why book with us
- Catering across Oxfordshire, including Lower Heyford
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
Read Our pricing Or Our guide to catering 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