Surrey · England
Live paella catering in Ockford Ridge, Surrey
Paella 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 Ockford Ridge.
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Office lunches and staff parties
Paella catering near Ockford Ridge
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but there’s shopping, prep and hours of cooking. We take care of all of it.
Paella catering for your event in Ockford Ridge
There’s something generous about paella: giant pans, saffron colour and a toasted crust that everyone fights over. It makes the food an event in itself. We’re often asked to cater big birthdays and anniversaries and engagement parties, serving seafood paella, vegetable paella and paella Valenciana.
In a hamlet or village like Ockford Ridge, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Mention gates and soft ground when you contact us. We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, with each paella cooked in its own pan and clearly labelled.
Is live paella right for your event?
A plated meal needs a kitchen, more staff and generally costs more per head. Live paella needs a level, ventilated spot and the venue’s permission to cook, and it’s entertaining too. Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so your choice of paellas affects the total. Tell us your budget and we’ll suggest a menu.
What you get with us
- A quote that spells everything out
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- We cover Ockford Ridge and the whole of Surrey
- Fast service from the pan
See Our pricing And Our guide to catering costs.
Who books paella catering in Ockford Ridge?
Live paella is made for outdoor events: it’s cooked in the open, served hot and eaten together.
In Ockford Ridge and nearby, we cater all sorts of events. Popular bookings include:
- Birthday celebrations
- Community events and fairs
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Staff parties and work lunches
If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like St John the Evangelist's Church, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
What to look for in a quote
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- The deposit and payment dates
- VAT, if it applies
- Space, access and power needs
Your questions about paella catering in Ockford Ridge
We’re having a ceremony at St John the Evangelist's Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is usually elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
What’s the nearest station to Ockford Ridge for guests?
Ockford Ridge has its own station: Milford (Surrey) station.
Do you provide drinks?
Sangria, yes. For other drinks, we can provide bar staff to serve what you buy.
How long does the paella take?
It depends on the menu and numbers. We will agree arrival, cooking and serving times with you.
Do we need to provide equipment?
We bring the pans, burners and ingredients. You just need a suitable spot and access.
Is it really cooked live?
Yes, always. Every paella is cooked from scratch on site, in front of your guests.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We clear our cooking area away when service is finished. Clearing guests’ plates and tables can be added with waiting staff.
How do you work out quantities?
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.
Live paella in Ockford Ridge: local details
Ockford Ridge is about 2 miles south-west of Godalming, in Surrey. Whether your event is in the middle of Ockford Ridge or on the outskirts, we offer the same service: paella cooked live, every diet catered for and a clear quote. Ockford Ridge is one of 395 towns and villages in Surrey we cover. You can also see our page for Guildford, about 7 miles away.
Nearby historic houses include Loseley Park (4.1 miles north). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. Parks such as Rodborough Common typically need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there. Ockford Ridge is within about 6 miles of the Surrey Hills National Landscape, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
Here we cover the GU8 postcode area, so your event can be anywhere in it. Your event could be at a home on Rake Lane and Station Lane. For events just outside Ockford Ridge, we cover Enton Green (1 mile east), Witley (1 mile south-west), Cramhurst (1 mile west), Mousehill (1 mile north-west) and Tuesley (1 mile north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Guildford (7 miles north-east), Woking (11 miles north), Camberley (13 miles north), Farnham (8 miles north-west), Dorking (14 miles east) and Frimley (11 miles north).
A little further out are Godalming Museum (2 miles north-east) and Milford Hospital (0.8 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Hydon's Ball and Farncombe Wood.
- Local schools include The Chandler CofE Aided Junior School (0.6 miles south-west)
- Pubs nearby include The Star Public House (less than half a mile south-west)
The menu, dish by dish
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella is not an afterthought: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Mixed paella
Chicken and seafood together, and a popular all-rounder.
Diets, allergies and planning
We take diets and allergies seriously. Here’s how you can help:
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Confirm allergies by email
- Have seats for most of your guests
On the day, you shouldn’t have to think about the food. We arrive in good time, set up, cook and serve, and keep in touch with you or your venue about timings.
We can add sangria and bar staff to serve drinks you provide.
Prices and what affects them
Two events with the same number of guests can cost different amounts, because of:
- Travel, parking and access
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- How many guests are eating
Cost depends on guest numbers, the menu and the courses, plus any staff, crockery and travel. Every event gets its own quote.
Details that help
Good planning starts with a few facts. Try to include:
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Anything your venue supplies
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, plus any dietary needs, and you will get a menu idea and a price. Just send us your details through our quote form.
The process
We take care of the food from set-up to service, so you can enjoy your event. Any tapas or canapés are served first as the rice is cooking. In Ockford Ridge, the sun sets at about 9:20pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, so summer evening events are usually served in daylight. In December it is dark by about 3:55pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- It starts with your date, venue, 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.
- The rice cooks in full view, while tapas or canapés go round.
- It’s served straight from the pan, and we pack down afterwards.
Before we arrive
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Give us a contact for the day
- Make sure we can park close by to unload
Getting a price
Every quote is put together for your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll confirm whether we’re available that day.
Read more
Also in Ockford Ridge
Planning the cooking area
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so the cooking area needs a little planning. These are the things we check:
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
Popular choices
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- 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