Hampshire · England
Paella Catering in North Warnborough
From the first sizzle of the sofrito to the last spoonful of crispy rice, live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event turns food into part of your event in North Warnborough.
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Anniversary celebrations
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
Book paella catering in North Warnborough
Paella catering in North Warnborough, cooked live
Paella has always been food for a crowd: cooked in the open in a big, shallow pan and shared straight from it. That’s exactly what we bring to your event in North Warnborough. For retirement and leaving parties and community events and fairs, we can cook chicken and chorizo paella, paella Valenciana and black rice for your guests.
Somewhere like North Warnborough, a field or garden is often the perfect setting. Mention gates and soft ground when you get in touch. Tapas, canapés, desserts, sangria and staff can all be added, so one booking can cover the whole menu.
Step by step
The cooking is part of the entertainment. We start with the sofrito, add the stock and saffron, then spread the rice across the pan and leave it alone to cook while your guests chat. Around midsummer it stays light in North Warnborough until about 9:25pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:05pm, so summer evening events are generally served in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 4:00pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- You share your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including every diet.
- We arrive early to set up the burners and pans.
- The sofrito, stock and rice go in, and guests gather to watch.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
Getting ready for the day
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
Getting a price
Send us the date, your venue or RG29 postcode and guest numbers, plus any dietary needs, and you will get a menu idea and a price. To get started, fill in our quote form.
Related guides
Organising for someone else?
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we will talk you through the process. We’re happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
If you are planning an event on someone’s behalf, whether you’re a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we will work directly with you and the venue. It keeps things simple.
What affects the price in North Warnborough
Your quote will be clear and itemised. The main things that affect it are:
- The length of service
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- The number of people
- Waiting and bar staff
There is 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. 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
- The courses you’d like
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Diets and allergies you know about
We need only a few details to quote: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. To send them, send us your details through our quote form.
What we need at the venue
We will be honest if a space won’t work, and help find another spot. The main points are:
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly.
Menu ideas
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegan paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegetable paella
Questions from North Warnborough
Can you cater a reception after a service at All Saints Church?
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. Send us the reception address.
Do you come out to small places like North Warnborough?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Can you do gluten-free paella?
We can cook a gluten-free paella in its own pan. Tell us about any coeliac guests when you book so we can plan it carefully.
Can you feed plenty of people?
Yes, that’s what it’s made for. We plan the number of pans and serving points around your numbers.
How much paella per person?
We size the pans for your numbers and the rest of the menu. Tell us what else is being served. Our guide to portions explains more.
Can you cook in the rain?
We need a covered spot, like a gazebo or open-sided marquee. We plan for rain with you in advance.
Which paellas do you recommend?
It depends on your guests. A chicken or mixed paella is usually the most popular, alongside seafood and vegetable or vegan pans.
Who clears up?
Our cooking area is packed away and left clean. Table clearing is available with waiting staff.
Occasions we cook for in North Warnborough
People book live paella because it is food and entertainment at once. The pans become a focal point, and the food itself is hot and plentiful.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. In North Warnborough, people book us for occasions like:
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
For a christening or wedding at a church such as All Saints Church, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
What to look for in a quote
- Travel and parking costs
- Space, access and power needs
- What happens if it rains
- How each diet is kept separate
DIY paella versus live catering
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but you’ll still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. We take care of all of it.
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 for dozens of people takes experience. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Dishes our guests love
Paella Valenciana
The original paella from Valencia is a countryside dish of chicken and vegetables, rather than seafood. It’s often the most popular pan at an event.
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. Shellfish goes in towards the end so it stays tender.
Planning for every diet
Allergies and diets are taken seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
The rice takes about 20 minutes once it goes in, so we time it carefully. If timings shift, we adapt.
Finish with churros, crema catalana or tarta de Santiago, or serve your own cake.
North Warnborough: venues, travel and local tips
North Warnborough is about 5 miles west of Fleet, in Hampshire. We bring paella catering to gardens, halls and venues around North Warnborough and nearby villages. North Warnborough is one of 683 places in Hampshire where we cook. You can also see our page for Reading, about 13 miles away.
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Hook station, about 1.5 miles north. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Robert May's School, can book us as a food stall.
Here we cover the RG29 postcode area. From Whitewater Road, Queens Road and New Road or a nearby road, we can cook there. Close by, we cover events in Odiham (1 mile south-east), Warnborough Green (1 mile north-west), Greywell (1 mile west), Broad Oak (1 mile east) and Hook Common (2 miles north-west). Further out, we also cater in Basingstoke (6 miles west), Farnborough (8 miles east), Fleet (5 miles east), Aldershot (8 miles east), Alton (8 miles south) and Yateley (8 miles north-east).
Other landmarks nearby include Odiham Castle (0.5 miles north-west) and West Green House Agricultural Museum (3.1 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Tundry Hill and The Mill Field.
- Nearby schools include Mayhill Junior School (0.6 miles south-east)
- Nearby, you will find The Anchor Inn (under half a mile south-west)
Also near North Warnborough
More for events in North Warnborough
- 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