Hampshire · England
Live paella catering in New Milton, Hampshire
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in New Milton and across Hampshire.
- Retirement celebrations
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Company summer parties
Live paella catering in New Milton
Working with your venue
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we will keep you updated on timings and set-up.
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Paella catering in New Milton, made fresh on the day
Watching it cook is part of the experience. People drift over as the sofrito sizzles and the rice turns gold, and the aroma does the rest. For garden parties and summer barbecues and festivals, fairs and school events, we’ll put together a menu of chicken and chorizo paella, paella Valenciana and seafood paella.
There may be a hall or club near New Milton if your garden is small; live paella can work at any of them, given permission and outdoor space. We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, with each paella cooked in its own pan and clearly labelled.
Should I cook it myself?
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
The menu, dish by dish
Seafood paella
The secret is a well-made seafood stock. Shellfish goes in towards the end so it stays tender.
Mixed paella
Chicken and seafood together, for guests who want a bit of everything.
Questions from New Milton
Can you cater a reception after a service at Parish Church of St Magdalene?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking usually happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
Which station should guests use for New Milton?
New Milton has its own station: New Milton station.
What is live paella catering?
We bring everything needed to cook on site, cook in front of your guests, and serve at the time you want.
Do you do vegan paella?
Yes. We cook vegetarian and vegan paellas in their own pans.
What does paella catering cost?
Every event is quoted individually, based on what you actually want. Give us your date, numbers and menu ideas and we’ll reply with a price.
Is paella enough as a main?
Yes. With bread and salad, paella is a complete main, and tapas or dessert can be added.
Which areas do you serve?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
What about pudding?
We can add a dessert. Let us know if you’d like one when you ask for a quote.
Occasions we cook for in New Milton
People book live paella because it is food and entertainment at once. The cooking becomes the centre of the event, and the food is hot and generous.
Whatever the occasion, live paella can be the centrepiece. We regularly cater:
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Festivals, fairs and school events
Historic houses near New Milton include Highcliffe Castle (2.7 miles south-west) and Avon Tyrrell House (4.7 miles north-west). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
Before booking anyone
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- Whether travel is included
- How each diet is kept separate
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
Live paella in New Milton: local details
New Milton is in Hampshire. For paella catering in New Milton, we plan around your venue and timings: a quote, a plan and live cooking on the day. New Milton is one of 683 towns and villages in Hampshire we cover. You can also see our page for Southampton, about 16 miles away.
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like The Arnewood School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. For a christening or wedding at a church such as Parish Church of St Magdalene, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. The New Forest National Park is within about 6 miles of New Milton, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours. The coast is within about 5 miles of New Milton, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Sea breezes can be strong, so we plan a sheltered cooking spot.
We cater events across BH25. From Station Road, Worthy Road and Whitefield Road or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. New Milton sits on or near the A337 and B3055, which makes travel to your event easy. Other places close to New Milton for paella catering include Ashley (1 mile north-east), Barton on Sea (1 mile south), Bashley (1 mile north), Ossemsley (2 miles north) and Hordle (2 miles east). Larger places within reach include Totton (13 miles north-east), Lymington (5 miles east), Hythe (13 miles north-east), Ringwood (8 miles north-west), Dibden Purlieu (13 miles north-east) and Marchwood (13 miles north-east).
A little further out are Highcliffe Castle (2.7 miles south-west) and Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum (1 mile north-west). Green spaces nearby include Milford on Sea LNR.
- Local schools include New Milton Junior School (0.5 miles south)
- Pubs nearby include The George Centre pub (0.5 miles south)
Before you choose a spot
Every venue is different, so we ask about the space when you contact us. In general, we need:
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we will tell you honestly.
What we offer
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
Also near New Milton
Also in New Milton
Planning for every diet
Most events have a mix of diets. To cater well for them:
- Make sure most guests can sit to eat
- Request clear labels at the serving table
- Confirm allergies by email
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
The rice takes about 20 minutes once it goes in, so we start it at the right moment for your event. If plans change, tell us and we’ll adjust.
Bread, salad and lemon wedges make the meal go further and suit guests who are not big rice eaters.
Why live cooking beats a buffet
For something a little different, live paella brings colour, aroma and a touch of Spain. There’s no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. We itemise everything in your quote.
Why New Milton hosts choose us
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Sangria and bar staff available
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
The process
Here’s how the day usually runs: we arrive, set up and start cooking, the rice cooks in front of your guests, and we serve straight from the pan at the agreed time. Evenings in New Milton 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.
- You tell us the date, venue, guest numbers and any dietary needs.
- You get a suggested menu and an itemised quote.
- On the day, we set up the burners and pans and get the stock going.
- Your guests watch the paella cook, with any tapas served first.
- We serve from the pan, then clear our cooking area away.
Getting ready for the day
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
Ask for a quote
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. To send your details, fill in our quote form.
Read more
- 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