Oxfordshire · England
Live paella catering in New Hinksey, Oxfordshire
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in New Hinksey: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, right in front of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Retirement celebrations
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
Book paella catering in New Hinksey
Paella catering for your event in New Hinksey
Live paella catering means we bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients to your event and cook in front of your guests. Once it is ready, we serve it hot from the pan. For garden get-togethers and retirement and leaving parties, we can cook paella Valenciana, black rice and seafood paella.
A place like New Hinksey often has a hall, a club or a pub garden nearby; any can work for paella, with permission and somewhere outside to cook. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
- Where
- New Hinksey (OX1, OX4)
- County
- Oxfordshire
- Special diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quotes
- Contact us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
What happens on the day
Watching it cook is half the fun. We start with the sofrito, add the stock and saffron, then spread the rice across the pan and leave it alone to cook. In New Hinksey, the sun sets at about 9:25pm in late June and about 7:10pm in late September, so summer evening events are generally served in daylight. In December it’s dark by about 3:55pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- 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 paella cooks as guests gather round.
- Service is straight from the pan, then we pack down.
Getting ready for the day
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Share the running order, including any speeches
Ask for a quote
Send us the date, your venue or OX1 postcode and guest numbers, along with any dietary needs, and you’ll get a menu idea and a price. To get started, send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
Dietary needs and planning tips
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. We suggest:
- Give us separate numbers for children
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
- Ensure each pan is labelled
Once the rice is in, it needs about 20 minutes, so we start it at the right moment for your event. If plans change, tell us and we will adjust.
We can add sangria and bar staff to serve drinks you provide.
Dishes our guests love
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, cooked until the rice is golden. It is typically the most photographed pan.
Vegetable and vegan paella
The vegetable pan is a dish in its own right: artichokes, beans, peppers and saffron.
What paella catering costs
Two events with the same number of guests can cost different amounts, depending on:
- Guest numbers
- The length of service
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Whether you need crockery
Got a budget? Let us know, and we will suggest a menu to match. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Getting an accurate quote
The more we know about your event, the better we can plan. Try to include:
- A picture of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
- Where the event is
- The date and time of the event
- Any dietary needs and allergies
Every quote is put together for your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we’ll check availability at the same time.
New Hinksey: your questions answered
How far is New Hinksey from London?
About 52 miles from central London, and we cover it as standard.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St John the Evangelist?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is normally elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
Can you cook halal paella?
We can. Let us know your halal numbers, and we’ll cook a separate pan.
Do you cater in New Hinksey?
Yes, we do. We cook at events in New Hinksey and across Oxfordshire. Send us your date to check availability.
Should we have more than one paella?
Two or three covers most guests. Tell us about your guests’ diets and we will suggest the mix.
What is live paella catering?
We arrive with pans, burners and ingredients, cook in front of your guests, and serve at the time you want.
Which areas do you serve?
London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including New Hinksey.
How long does the paella take?
We get there in good time to set up. The rice itself takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
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.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and do not stir once the rice goes in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
New Hinksey: venues, travel and local tips
New Hinksey is about 1 mile south-west of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. For paella catering in New Hinksey, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices in and around New Hinksey. New Hinksey is one of 443 places in Oxfordshire where we cook.
If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St John the Evangelist, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Oxford station, about 1.3 miles north-west.
We cover events in every part of the OX1 and OX4 postcode area. Streets in the area include Manor Road, Edith Road and Weirs Lane, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Close by, we cover events in South Hinksey (1 mile south-west), Redbridge (1 mile south), Grandpont (1 mile north-west), Donnington (1 mile east) and Hinksey Hill (1 mile south-west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Didcot (9 miles south), Bicester (12 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (4 miles south), Witney (11 miles west), Carterton (15 miles west) and Thame (12 miles east).
Nearby you’ll also find The Story Museum (1 mile north) and Oxford Castle and earlier settlement remains (1.1 miles north). The countryside around New Hinksey includes Hook Meadow and The Trap Grounds and Harcourt Hill.
- Nearby schools include Oxford Media & Business School (0.8 miles north) and Greyfriars Catholic School (1.2 miles east)
- Local pubs include The Duke of Monmouth pub (within half a mile east)
- Other local spots include Alexander Library of Ornithology (1 mile north)
Planning the cooking area
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We need:
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we will tell you honestly before you book.
Popular choices
- Mixed paella
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Why choose live paella in New Hinksey?
A plated meal needs a kitchen, more staff and usually costs more per head. Live paella needs only a level, ventilated spot and permission to cook, and gives guests something to watch. Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so it helps to tell us about your venue. The full price is confirmed before booking.
What you get with us
- Events in New Hinksey and across Oxfordshire
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
Places near New Hinksey
What else we do in New Hinksey
Working with your venue
If you’re booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will explain how it works. We are happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
If you’re organising for someone else, whether you’re a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we are happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It saves passing messages back and forth.
- 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