Isle of Wight · England
Live paella catering in Merstone, Isle of Wight
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 for events in Merstone.
- Garden get-togethers
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Engagement and anniversary parties
Paella catering near Merstone
Prices and what affects them
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, because of:
- Waiting and bar staff
- How many courses
- Guest numbers
- How long we are needed on site
Cost depends on guest numbers, the menu and the courses, plus any staff, crockery and travel. We quote for each event individually.
Getting an accurate quote
To check availability and price, we need:
- A picture of the space, if you can
- The courses you’d like
- The address or venue name
- What the venue already provides
Planning paella catering in Merstone? Send us the details and we will reply with a menu and a clear price. To contact us, send us your details through our quote form.
About our paella catering in Merstone
Keep it simple, or go all out: just paella, or paella with tapas, desserts and drinks. We’ll recommend what fits your event. For summer garden parties and weddings, from canapés to evening food, we will put together a menu of seafood paella, chicken and chorizo paella and paella Valenciana for your guests.
Somewhere like Merstone, a field or garden is often the perfect setting. Mention gates and soft ground when you contact us. We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in a separate pan and clearly labelled.
- Location
- Merstone (PO30)
- Area hub
- Isle of Wight
- Special diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Also available
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quote
- Ask us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Catering for every guest
With a little notice, every diet is easy. We suggest:
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Count adults and children separately
After service, we pack down our cooking area, quietly and quickly.
Bread, salad and lemon wedges make the meal go further.
Why choose paella catering in Merstone?
It needs no kitchen, so it works in gardens, fields and marquees where other catering struggles.
In Merstone and nearby, we cater all sorts of events. Some of the most common are:
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Anniversary celebrations
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Naming days and family parties
Historic houses near Merstone include Arreton Manor (1.1 miles north) and Haseley Manor (1.3 miles east). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one.
What to look for in a quote
- What the price includes, item by item
- When payment is due
- How bad weather is handled
- If the price includes VAT
FAQs for Merstone
Can you cook near the sea around Merstone?
Yes, as long as we can shelter from the wind. Sea breezes cool the pan, so a windbreak, building or gazebo helps.
Is Merstone too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
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.
Can you do sangria?
Sangria, yes. For other drinks, we can provide bar staff to serve what you buy.
When should we book?
The sooner the better. Peak dates go quickly, so get in touch early.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes. We cook vegetarian and vegan paellas in their own pans, alongside the meat and seafood pans.
Do you bring everything you need?
Pans, burners and ingredients all come with us. You provide a suitable spot and access.
What areas do you cover?
We cover London and the South East, the Isle of Wight included. See all areas.
Step by step
Expect a friendly, organised team. We agree arrival and serving times in advance, set up the pans and burners, and get on with cooking and serving. Planning an evening event in Merstone? Sunset is around 8:55pm in late May, 9:20pm at midsummer and 7:10pm in late September; once it’s dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- You share your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including every diet.
- We arrive in good time to set up.
- The sofrito, stock and rice go in, and guests gather to watch.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
Before we arrive
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Make sure we can park close by to unload
- Make sure the spot is clear of anything flammable
Getting a price
Still deciding on the menu? No problem: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we’ll suggest a menu. Start when you are ready: fill in our quote form.
Planning help
Planners, venues and businesses
Events in public spaces, like parks, normally need permission. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so everyone eats promptly. Let us know how long the food break is.
Paella catering around Merstone
Merstone is about 3 miles south-east of Newport, in the Isle of Wight. We bring paella catering to gardens, halls and venues around Merstone and nearby villages. We cook in all 125 towns and villages in the Isle of Wight. Our events stretch from Merstone to Southampton (19 miles away).
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Shanklin station, about 3.8 miles south-east. The coast is within about 5 miles of Merstone, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Coastal wind means we plan a sheltered spot.
For paella catering in PO30, we plan around your venue and timings. From Merstone Lane, Chapel Lane and Newlands or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. For events just outside Merstone, we cover Arreton (1 mile north-east), Rookley (1 mile south-west), Hale Common (1 mile south-east), Rookley Green (1 mile south-west) and Blackwater (2 miles north-west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Newport (3 miles north-west), Ryde (6 miles north-east), Cowes (7 miles north), Sandown (4 miles east), Shanklin (4 miles south-east) and Ventnor (5 miles south-east). If your event is somewhere remote, let us know early and we’ll plan the trip.
A little further out are Whitecroft Hospital (2.2 miles west) and Carisbrooke Castle (3.1 miles north-west). Open spaces near Merstone include Stenbury Down and Alverstone Mead.
Paella compared with other options
Compared with a hog roast or barbecue, paella makes vegetarian, vegan and halal guests easier to cater for, thanks to separate pans. Service from the pan keeps queues moving. Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so it helps to tell us about your venue. Everything is confirmed in writing.
What you get with us
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Sangria and bar staff available
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- A quote that spells everything out
Read How we price And What paella catering costs.
What’s in the pans
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. The shellfish is added late so it stays tender.
Paella Valenciana
The original paella from Valencia is a countryside dish of chicken and vegetables, rather than seafood. It’s a favourite with guests who do not eat fish.
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:
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
For somewhere as remote as Merstone, early notice helps us plan the trip.
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly.
Popular choices
- Seafood paella
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
Towns and villages near Merstone
Other catering in Merstone
- 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