Oxfordshire · England
Paella Catering for Lyford events
From the first sizzle in the pan to the last crispy spoonful, live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event turns food into part of your event in Lyford.
- Naming days and family parties
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
Paella catering near Lyford
Organising for someone else?
If you are booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we’ll talk you through the process. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Throwing a party at home? Send a photo of the space and tell us about parking, and we will tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
Paella catering in Lyford, cooked live
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 Lyford. For christenings and family gatherings and weddings and evening receptions, we’ll put together a menu of vegetable paella, seafood paella and chicken and chorizo paella and more.
In a small place like Lyford, events are typically in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and a firm spot near where we park makes set-up easier. We serve straight from the pan, so it is hot and generous, and a queue moves quickly.
- Location
- Lyford (OX12)
- Area hub
- Oxfordshire
- Dietary options
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Also available
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Nearby places to Lyford
What else we do in Lyford
Prices and what affects them
Each event is quoted on its own, and the price depends on a few things:
- Travel, parking and access
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Timings and hours
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
There’s no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. Your quote spells it all out.
What we need to know
To speed things up, tell us:
- Your date and when you want to eat
- Which courses you have in mind
- A photo of the space, if you can
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
Each quote is tailored to your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll confirm whether we’re available that day.
Common questions in Lyford
How far is Lyford from London?
About 58 miles from central London, and we cover it as standard.
Is Lyford 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.
Do you provide plates and cutlery?
Yes, on request. Proper crockery or quality disposables are available.
Can you cook indoors?
Indoors only where ventilation and the venue allow it. Courtyards, doorways and terraces frequently work.
Do you do desserts?
Yes. Churros, crema catalana and tarta de Santiago are popular choices, or you can serve your own cake.
How does live paella catering work?
We bring everything needed to cook on site, cook in front of your guests, and serve at the time you want.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes. We use halal chicken and leave out pork and alcohol, in a separate pan.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Yes, it’s the classic pairing. Tapas first, paella to follow.
How the day works
The paella is cooked in huge, shallow pans over gas burners. It needs a level spot with some shelter and good ventilation, and we agree where that is before the day. Planning an evening event in Lyford? Sunset is around 9:00pm in late May, 9:25pm at midsummer and 7:10pm in late September; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- Send us your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including 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.
Getting ready for the day
- Give us a contact for the day
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
Getting a price
Every event is quoted individually, so the price fits what you actually want. To ask for one, fill in our quote form.
Planning help
Occasions we cook for in Lyford
Few dishes cope with mixed diets like paella, thanks to separate pans for each version. Everyone gets the same kind of meal.
These are some of the occasions we cater:
- Big birthdays
- Naming days and family parties
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Summer garden parties
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St Mary, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
What your quote should include
- The venue requirements
- Who provides the crockery
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- When final numbers are due
Paella compared with other options
A cold buffet is simple but has no theatre, and the food sits out. Paella is cooked in front of your guests and served hot. Extras such as tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are priced separately, so you only pay for what you want.
Why book with us
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
Take a look at Our pricing And The cost guide.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but you will still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. We take care of all of it.
The menu, dish by dish
Seafood paella
The secret is a well-made seafood stock. The shellfish is added late so it stays tender.
Mixed paella
Chicken and seafood together.
Paella catering around Lyford
Lyford is about 4 miles north of Wantage, in Oxfordshire. For paella catering in Lyford, we plan around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. We cover all 443 towns and villages in Oxfordshire, from the larger towns to small villages. Our events stretch from Lyford to Oxford (11 miles away).
Historic houses near Lyford include Longworth House (3.2 miles north). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
For paella catering in OX12, we plan around your venue and timings. Nearby, we also cater events in Charney Bassett (1 mile west), West Hanney (1 mile south-east), Denchworth (2 miles south), Kingston Bagpuize (3 miles north) and Pusey (3 miles north-west). Further out, we also cater in Oxford (11 miles north-east), Didcot (8 miles east), Abingdon-on-Thames (7 miles east), Witney (10 miles north), Carterton (11 miles north-west) and Wantage (4 miles south).
A little further out are Abingdon Community Hospital (6 miles east) and Hinton Waldrist Castle (3.1 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Hitchcopse Pit and Chain Hill.
- Nearby, you will find The Chequers pub (0.8 miles west)
Catering for every guest
A little planning makes sure everyone can eat. Try these:
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
- Send allergies to us in writing
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Ask for labels on each pan
A short rest after cooking helps, which is when we usually call guests over.
Bread, salad and lemon wedges make the meal go further and suit guests who aren’t big rice eaters.
- 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