Surrey · England
Paella Catering in Ockham
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Ockham: paella cooked from scratch in huge pans, in full view of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Garden get-togethers
Paella catering in Ockham
The menu, dish by dish
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, cooked until the rice is golden. It’s the pan people photograph.
Black rice
Arroz negro is coloured and flavoured with squid ink, traditionally with alioli. It makes a dramatic second seafood pan.
Paella catering for your event in Ockham
The cooking is half the fun. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the smell does the rest. Whether it is christenings and family gatherings and big birthdays, we can cook vegetable paella, mixed paella and paella Valenciana and more.
In a small place like Ockham, events are usually in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and cooking close to where we can park helps. Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included, with each paella cooked in its own pan.
Ockham: your questions answered
Is Ockham close to London?
About 21 miles from central London, and well within our area.
We are having a ceremony at All Saints' Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking usually happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
Can you cook in the rain?
We cook under cover, like a gazebo or open-sided marquee. We will agree a wet-weather plan with you.
How much is live paella catering?
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 it really cooked live?
Yes. We cook from scratch in large pans at your venue, where your guests can watch.
How long do you need on site?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. The rice itself takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
Do you take everything away?
We clear our cooking area away when service is finished. Waiting staff can clear tables if you book them.
Can the paella be cooked in a hall?
Mostly outside or under an open cover, since the burners are gas. Some venues have suitable spaces; we will check with you and the venue.
Towns and villages near Ockham
What else we do in Ockham
Dietary needs and planning tips
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To get it right:
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Send allergies to us in writing
- Request clear labels at the serving table
Paella is best eaten as soon as it’s ready, so we plan service for when guests are ready to eat.
Add canapé tapas with the drinks or table tapas as a starter as the rice cooks.
Where we can cook in Ockham
No two venues are the same, so we ask about the space when you contact us. Generally, we look for:
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we will tell you honestly before booking.
Menu ideas
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Events we cater in Ockham
People book live paella because it’s food and entertainment at once. The cooking becomes the centre of the event, and the food itself is hot and plentiful.
Whatever the occasion, live paella can be the centrepiece. We frequently cook for:
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Leaving dos and retirements
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Ripley Court School, can book us as a food stall.
Before you book anyone
- If the price includes VAT
- When payment is due
- Staff numbers and hours
- A clear list of what’s included
How it works
We get there well before serving, unload, set up the burners and prepare the stock. Your guests are welcome to watch as the paella takes shape. In Ockham, the sun sets at about 9:20pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, so summer evening events are normally served in daylight. In December it’s 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 paella cooks in front of your guests, with tapas first if you’ve chosen them.
- We serve from the pan, then clear our cooking area away.
Before we arrive
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
Get a quote
Not sure what you need yet? No problem: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we will make suggestions. To start, use our quote form.
Related guides
Working with your venue
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we will keep you updated on timings and set-up.
Venues often have their own rules about outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Send us your venue’s requirements and we’ll follow them.
Prices and what affects them
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, depending on:
- The paellas you choose
- Travel, parking and access
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- How many guests are eating
When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
Details that help
To check availability and price, we need:
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Anything your venue supplies
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. When you’re ready, fill in our quote form.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. Ask us for a quote and compare.
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Ockham: venues, travel and local tips
Ockham is about 5 miles east of Woking, in Surrey. Anywhere in GU23, we can cook for your guests. We cater in 395 places in Surrey. You can also see our page for Guildford, about 6 miles away.
Historic houses near Ockham include Byfleet Manor (2.3 miles north) and Hatchlands Park (2.9 miles south). Historic venues often limit cooking, so ask early if you are booking one. Thinking of a picnic-style party in The Forest and the Highlands? Public parks usually need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first. Ockham is within about 6 miles of the Surrey Hills National Landscape. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
Wherever your event is in GU23, we can bring paella catering to you, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Streets in the area include Alms Heath, Ockham Lane and School Lane, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Close by, we cover events in West Horsley (2 miles south), Ripley (2 miles west), East Horsley (2 miles south-east), Effingham (3 miles south-east) and East Clandon (3 miles south). Larger places within reach include Guildford (6 miles south-west), Woking (5 miles west), Camberley (12 miles west), Epsom (9 miles east), Horley (15 miles south-east) and Redhill (13 miles east).
Nearby you’ll also find Send and Ripley History Society Museum (1.5 miles west) and Woking Community Hospital (4.4 miles west). Not far away are Boldermere Lake and Papercourt Marshes.
- Local pubs include The Black Swan pub (0.9 miles north-east)
- 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