Hampshire · England
Live paella catering in Marchwood, Hampshire
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 Marchwood.
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Naming days and family parties
- Engagement and anniversary parties
Planning an event in Marchwood?
About the dishes
Mixed paella
Paella mixta combines meat and seafood in one pan.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella isn’t an afterthought: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron, cooked in its own pan.
How our paella catering works in Marchwood
Paella has always been food for a crowd: cooked outdoors in a wide, shallow pan and shared. That’s what we bring to events in Marchwood. On the menu are seafood paella, vegan paella and mixed paella, and we are often booked for garden parties and summer barbecues and milestone birthday parties.
In and around Marchwood, gardens and local halls are common choices. If the road in is narrow, tell us so we can plan the van. You will know exactly what’s included before booking: menu, staff, crockery and anything else you choose, with no surprises on the day.
Your questions about paella catering in Marchwood
What’s the nearest station to Marchwood for guests?
The closest is Millbrook (Hants) station, roughly 1.6 miles away.
Do you cater in the New Forest National Park?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We will follow the site rules.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Yes, and it is a popular combination. Tapas go out first, then the paella.
How long does the paella take?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. The rice itself takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
Can you cook in the rain?
A covered, ventilated spot keeps us cooking in the rain. We will talk it through before the day.
What is live paella catering?
We arrive with pans, burners and ingredients, cook while everyone watches, and serve when you are ready to eat.
How much is live paella catering?
The price depends on numbers, menu, courses, staff and travel. Send us the details for a quote.
Do you take everything away?
We take our equipment and leave the cooking area tidy. Ask us about table clearing if you need it.
DIY paella versus live catering
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but there’s shopping, prep and hours of cooking. We take care of all of it.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it is 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.
Planning the cooking area
Every venue is different, so we ask about the space when you get in touch. Generally, we look for:
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think before booking.
Popular choices
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Why choose live paella in Marchwood?
Barbecues cook in batches, so food comes off in waves. Paella is cooked as one big dish and served together. The cost per head usually falls as numbers rise, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Why choose Love Paella in Marchwood
- We cover Marchwood and the whole of Hampshire
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
See Our pricing And Our guide to catering costs.
What paella catering costs
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- Waiting and bar staff
- How many courses
- Distance and access to the venue
- How many guests are eating
Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so your choice of paellas affects the total. We’ll suggest options to suit your budget.
Getting an accurate quote
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- The address or venue name
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- A picture of where we’d cook
Thinking about paella catering for your event in Marchwood? Send us the details and we’ll come back with ideas and a quote. To contact us, fill in our quote form.
Nearby places to Marchwood
Also in Marchwood
Perfect for your event in Marchwood
Outdoor events and live paella go together: cooked outside, served hot and shared.
In Marchwood and nearby, we cater all sorts of events. Popular bookings include:
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Retirement celebrations
- Engagement and anniversary parties
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St John the Apostle, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
What to look for in a quote
- Travel and parking costs
- When final numbers are due
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- The deposit and payment dates
How the day works
Here’s how the day typically runs: we arrive, set up and start cooking, your guests watch the rice cook, and we serve straight from the pan at the agreed time. Evenings in Marchwood stay light until about 9:25pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:10pm; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- We start with a few details about your event.
- We suggest paellas and extras and send a clear quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- It’s served straight from the pan, and we clear our area afterwards.
Before we arrive
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Check the venue allows live cooking
Get a quote
Still deciding on the menu? No problem: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll make suggestions. To start, send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
Planning for every diet
Paella is one of the easiest dishes for mixed diets, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. A few tips:
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
- Give us separate numbers for children
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
Paella is at its best straight from the pan, so we plan service for when guests are ready to eat.
Tapas or canapés make a good start as the rice cooks.
Catering an event in Marchwood
Marchwood is about 3 miles south-east of Totton, in Hampshire. Tell us where your event in Marchwood will be, and we’ll plan access and set-up. We cater in all 683 towns and villages across Hampshire, from the larger towns to small villages.
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Marchwood Junior School, can book us as a food stall. For guests coming by train, Millbrook (Hants) station is about 1.6 miles away. Marchwood is within about 6 miles of the New Forest National Park, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking. Marchwood is within about 3 miles of the sea, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Coastal wind means we plan a sheltered spot.
Paella catering in SO40 is planned around your venue. Your event could be at a home on Cranberry Close, Melick Close and The Rowans or the roads around them. With the A326 close by, Marchwood is simple for us to get to. If your venue is just outside Marchwood, we also cover Dibden (2 miles south-east), Dibden Purlieu (3 miles south-east), Hythe (3 miles south-east), Beaulieu (5 miles south) and Furzey Lodge (5 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Winchester (13 miles north-east), Gosport (14 miles south-east), Eastleigh (7 miles north-east), Fareham (11 miles east), Totton (3 miles north-west) and Chandler's Ford (7 miles north-east).
Other landmarks nearby include Netley Castle (4.1 miles east) and Westquay (2.1 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Testwood Lakes.
- Nearby schools include Hounsdown School (2 miles north-west)
- Pubs nearby include White Horse pub (within half a mile east)
- 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