Hampshire · England
Paella Catering in Old Alresford
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 Old Alresford.
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Birthday celebrations
Paella catering near Old Alresford
Paella catering in Old Alresford, cooked live
There’s something generous about paella: big pans, bright colours and a crispy base everyone wants a spoonful of. It turns a meal into an occasion. On the menu are mixed paella, vegetable paella and black rice, and we are often booked for community events and fairs and engagement and anniversary parties.
In a small place like Old Alresford, events are normally in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. Tell us about narrow lanes or long drives and we’ll plan for them, and cooking close to where we can park helps. Tapas, canapés, desserts, sangria and staff can all be added, so the whole menu comes from one caterer.
Where we can cook in Old Alresford
No two venues are the same, so we ask about the space when you contact us. Generally, we look for:
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Somewhere close to park and unload
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise.
What we offer
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
Places near Old Alresford
Also in Old Alresford
About the dishes
Black rice
Black rice gets its colour from squid ink, and is generally served with alioli. It’s a striking addition to a seafood menu.
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, cooked until the rice is golden. It is normally the most photographed pan.
Paella catering around Old Alresford
Old Alresford is about 7 miles north-east of Winchester, in Hampshire. For paella catering in Old Alresford, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices. Old Alresford is one of 683 places in Hampshire where we cook. You can also see our page for Southampton, about 16 miles away.
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Perins School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Mary, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
Here we cover the SO24 postcode area, and we can cater your event anywhere in it. From Kiln Lane, Colden Lane and The Brook or a nearby road, we’ll bring the pans to you. We also cook at events in Bighton (1 mile east), Northington (2 miles north-west), Totford (3 miles north-west), Brown Candover (3 miles north) and Upper Wield (4 miles north-east). Further out, we also cater in Basingstoke (11 miles north), Winchester (7 miles south-west), Eastleigh (12 miles south-west), Horndean (15 miles south-east), Chandler's Ford (13 miles south-west) and Alton (9 miles east).
Nearby you’ll also find Barton Castle (3.1 miles north-east).
- Nearby, you will find The Globe Inn (0.7 miles south)
The process
Once the rice is in, we don’t stir it. That is how the grains cook evenly and the toasted base, the socarrat, forms. The smell generally draws people over. Planning an evening event in Old Alresford? Sunset is around 8:55pm in late May, 9:25pm at midsummer and 7:10pm in late September; once it’s dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- You tell us the date, venue, guest numbers and any dietary needs.
- We suggest a menu and confirm a quote, including what’s included.
- 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 it hot from the pan and clear our area when service ends.
How to prepare
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
Ask for a quote
It’s easy to get a price: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We will come back with a clear quote and a suggested menu.
Related guides
What paella catering costs
These are the factors that matter most:
- How many guests are eating
- How many courses
- The paellas you choose
- Timings and hours
The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, plus any staff, crockery and travel. Every event gets its own quote.
Details that help
You don’t need everything decided to ask for a quote, but these help:
- Expected numbers
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- The courses you’d like
- Where the event is
The quickest way to a quote is to use our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we’ll put together a menu and price.
Who books paella catering in Old Alresford?
Paella is one of the few dishes that handles mixed diets easily, because each version is cooked in its own pan. Nobody gets a token ‘special meal’.
We are booked for all kinds of occasions in Old Alresford and nearby. Some of the most common are:
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Summer garden parties
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Staff parties and work lunches
Historic houses near Old Alresford include Hinton Ampner House (4.1 miles south). Historic venues often limit cooking, so ask early if you are booking one.
Comparing caterers
- How long the team stays
- A clear list of what’s included
- How bad weather is handled
- When payment is due
Your questions about paella catering in Old Alresford
Do you come out to small places like Old Alresford?
No, we cook in small places too. Let us know about access and parking.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St Mary?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking generally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
What seafood can we have?
Seafood choices are agreed when we plan the menu.
Do you do desserts?
We can add a dessert. Let us know if you’d like one when you ask for a quote.
What areas do you cover?
We cover London and the South East, Hampshire included. Find your area.
Can you supply plates?
If you need them, yes. Crockery, cutlery and napkins, or good-quality disposables can be added to your booking.
Can you cater for children?
Children are welcome. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we’ll plan a pan with them in mind.
Does paella work for big events?
It is ideal. Large pans and fast service from the pan make it well suited to crowds.
Working with your venue
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Send us your venue’s requirements and we will follow them.
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
Diets, allergies and planning
Most events have a mix of diets. To cater well for them:
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Count adults and children separately
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Ask for labels on each pan
A short rest after cooking helps, which is when we usually call guests over.
Bread, salad and lemon wedges make the meal go further.
Why choose live paella in Old Alresford?
Food trucks and street-food vans serve one portion at a time. A paella pan serves many portions quickly, which suits weddings and parties where everyone eats together. The cost per head usually falls as numbers rise, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
Why us?
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Events in Old Alresford and across Hampshire
- Drinks service on request
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
See Our pricing And What paella catering costs.
- 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