Hampshire · England
Paella Catering for Old Basing events
Bring the theatre of live paella to your event in Old Basing. We cook from scratch on site, and serve it straight from the pan.
- Garden get-togethers
- Retirement celebrations
- Weddings and evening receptions
Paella catering near Old Basing
What happens on the day
Here’s how the day typically runs: we set up the pans and start the sofrito, your guests watch the rice cook, and it is served hot from the pan at the agreed time. Evenings in Old Basing stay light until about 9:25pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:10pm; once it’s dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- First, you send us your date, venue, numbers and diets.
- We suggest a menu and confirm a quote, including what’s included.
- We arrive early, set up the cooking area and start the stock.
- The rice cooks in full view, while tapas or canapés go round.
- We serve it hot from the pan and clear our area when service ends.
How to prepare
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Ensure we can park close by to unload
- Tell us when you want to eat
Get a quote
Most quotes start with a few simple details: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. You can fill in our quote form.
Planning help
How our paella catering works in Old Basing
Almost any venue with a level, ventilated spot will do: a garden, marquee, barn, courtyard or field. Popular choices include mixed paella, chicken and chorizo paella and vegan paella, and typical bookings are for office lunches and staff parties and milestone birthday parties.
A place like Old Basing frequently has a hall, a club or a pub garden nearby; any can work for paella, with permission and somewhere outside to cook. We serve straight from the pan, so it’s hot and generous, and a queue moves quickly.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but you’ll still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. A caterer handles all of that.
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. Ask us for a quote and compare.
Paella compared with other options
With a barbecue, food comes in waves. Paella is ready all at once, so everyone eats together. Extras such as tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are priced separately, so you only pay for what you want.
What you get with us
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Fast service from the pan
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Drinks service on request
Prices and what affects them
Two events with the same number of guests can cost different amounts, because of:
- Guest numbers
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Travel, parking and access
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
What we need to know
Good planning starts with a few facts. Try to include:
- Roughly how many adults and children
- The date and time of the event
- Anything your venue supplies
- A picture of where we’d cook
Still deciding on the menu? That’s fine: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll suggest a menu. To start, send us your details through our quote form.
Who books paella catering in Old Basing?
Paella is quick to serve and suits mixed diets, which is why it works for so many occasions. It also gives guests something to watch and talk about.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. People in Old Basing book us for events such as:
- Big birthdays
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Engagement and anniversary parties
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Basingstoke station, about 2 miles west.
Before you book anyone
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- Who provides the crockery
- How bad weather is handled
- When final numbers are due
For event organisers in Old Basing
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we will explain how it works. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
If you are organising for someone else, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we are happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It saves passing messages back and forth.
Where we can cook in Old Basing
We’ll be honest if a space will not work. The main points are:
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly before you book.
What we offer
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
Live paella in Old Basing: local details
Old Basing is about 3 miles east of Basingstoke, in Hampshire. Tell us where your event in Old Basing will be, and we will plan access and set-up. Old Basing is one of 683 places in Hampshire where we cook. You can also see our page for Reading, about 13 miles away.
Thinking of a picnic-style party in Eastrop Park? Public parks generally need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first. If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Old Basing Infant School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
Paella catering in RG24 is planned around your venue. That could mean an event in a garden on The Street, London Road and Paulet Place. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Lychpit (1 mile west), Mapledurwell (1 mile east), Andwell (1 mile east), Water End (2 miles east) and Chineham (2 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Basingstoke (3 miles west), Farnborough (12 miles east), Fleet (9 miles east), Aldershot (12 miles east), Alton (9 miles south) and Yateley (10 miles north-east).
A little further out are Festival Place (1.9 miles west) and Basing House (within half a mile west). Not far away are Farleigh Hill and The Mill Field.
- Schools near Old Basing include The Costello School (1.6 miles west)
- Nearby, you will find The Crown Public House (less than half a mile west)
What’s in the pans
Black rice
Squid ink rice is bold and savoury.
Seafood paella
The secret is a well-made seafood stock. Shellfish goes in towards the end so it stays tender.
Places near Old Basing
Other catering in Old Basing
Common questions in Old Basing
How far is Old Basing from London?
About 44 miles from central London, and we cover it as standard.
Could we have live paella in Eastrop Park?
Only if the landowner, typically the council, allows it. Check with them, and we will provide our paperwork.
What is live paella catering?
We arrive with pans, burners and ingredients, cook while everyone watches, and serve when you’re ready to eat.
What about pudding?
We can add a dessert. Let us know if you’d like one in your enquiry.
Where do you cater?
We cover London and the South East, Hampshire included. See all areas.
What space do you need to cook?
Not a lot: a flat spot away from anything flammable, with space to serve. If in doubt, send a photo.
Can you do gluten-free paella?
A gluten-free pan is no problem. Let us know about coeliac guests in advance so we take the right care.
Do we need to provide equipment?
We bring all the cooking equipment. Let us know what your venue has, like tables or crockery.
- 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