Surrey · England
Paella Catering in Old Woking
Something 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 Old Woking.
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Retirement and leaving parties
Paella catering near Old Woking
Old Woking: your questions answered
Can you cater a reception after a service at St Peter's Church?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is typically elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
Can you cook in White Rose Lane?
Only if the landowner, typically the council, allows it. Check with them, and we will provide our paperwork.
Can you supply plates?
Yes, if you need them. Let us know what you have, and we will quote for the rest.
Can you cook in the rain?
Rain doesn’t stop us, as long as there’s a ventilated cover. We’ll make a plan B with you.
Is the paella gluten-free?
We can cook a gluten-free paella in its own pan. Tell us about any coeliac guests when you book so we take the right care.
Is paella a full meal?
It can be. With bread and salad, paella is a complete main, and tapas or dessert can be added.
How much paella per person?
Quantities depend on numbers, timing and courses, with a little extra built in. Give us accurate numbers for the best result.
Can we choose the seafood?
We will suggest seafood to suit your menu and budget. Premium shellfish can be added.
Paella catering for your event in Old Woking
Keep it simple, or go all out: paella on its own, or with canapés, table tapas, desserts and sangria. We will recommend what fits your event. Whether it’s garden get-togethers and weddings, from canapés to evening food, we can cook seafood paella, vegan paella and chicken and chorizo paella and more.
Somewhere as small as Old Woking, a garden or field is often the venue. Tell us about narrow lanes or long drives and we will plan for them, and a firm spot near where we park makes set-up easier. We cook every pan in full view of your guests, so the food is hot, fresh and part of the occasion.
What happens on the day
Here’s how the day generally runs: we set up the pans and start the sofrito, the rice cooks in front of your guests, and it is served hot from the pan when you’re ready to eat. In Old Woking, 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. For winter events, when it is dark by about 3:55pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- We start with a few details about your event.
- You get a menu and an itemised quote.
- We agree timings, access and the cooking spot.
- On the day, we set up and cook in front of your guests.
- It’s served straight from the pan, and we clear our area afterwards.
Preparing for the day
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
How to get a price
Not sure what you need yet? That is fine: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll suggest a menu. To start, send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
Places near Old Woking
What else we do in Old Woking
What paella catering costs
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- How long we’re needed on site
- The number of people
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- How many staff you need
If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we will put together a menu that fits. A simple menu can still feel generous.
What to tell us
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. Here’s what to include:
- The date and time of the event
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Which courses you have in mind
We quote for each event separately, so you only pay for what you need. To ask for one, send us your details through our quote form.
A closer look at the menu
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich fish stock, cooked until the rice is golden. It is the pan people photograph.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella isn’t an afterthought: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron.
Why choose live paella in Old Woking?
For something a little different, live paella adds colour, smell and theatre. Larger events generally cost less per head, since the set-up is much the same either way. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Why book with us
- Events in Old Woking and across Surrey
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Sangria and bar staff available
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
See How we price And What paella catering costs.
Live paella in Old Woking: local details
Old Woking is about 2 miles south-east of Woking, in Surrey. Give us the address of your event in Old Woking, and we’ll plan access and set-up. Old Woking is one of 395 towns and villages in Surrey where we cook.
Parks such as White Rose Lane typically need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Kingfield Primary School, can book us as a food stall. Old Woking is within about 7 miles of the Surrey Hills National Landscape, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
Wherever your event is in GU22 and GU23, we can cook for your guests. Whether your event is on Ford Road, Farm Road and High Street or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. Other places close to Old Woking for paella catering include Westfield (1 mile west), Pyrford Village (2 miles north-east), Woking (2 miles north-west), Pyrford (2 miles north-east) and Horsell (2 miles north-west). Further out, we also cater in Guildford (4 miles south), Camberley (9 miles west), Epsom (12 miles east), Farnham (13 miles south-west), Ewell (13 miles east) and Egham (9 miles north).
Well-known places in the area include The Peacocks (1.5 miles north-west) and Woking Community Hospital (1.2 miles north-west). Open spaces near Old Woking include Pewley Hill and Boldermere Lake.
- Local schools include St John the Baptist Catholic Comprehensive School (0.6 miles north-west) and St John the Baptist School (0.6 miles north-west)
- Local pubs include The New Inn (0.6 miles south)
Where we can cook in Old Woking
Every venue is different, so we ask about the space before we confirm. In general, we need:
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly before booking.
Menu ideas
- Vegan paella
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Planning for every diet
Allergies and diets are taken seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Tell us what else is being served
- Request clear labels at the serving table
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
Once everyone is fed, we clear our cooking area.
Bread, salad and lemon wedges make the meal go further and suit guests who aren’t big rice eaters.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and handles separate pans for each diet.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
Occasions we cook for in Old Woking
Paella is quick to serve and suits mixed diets, which is why it works for so many occasions. It gives people something to gather round, too.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. In Old Woking, people book us for occasions like:
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Company summer parties
- Festivals, fairs and school events
Nearby historic houses include Byfleet Manor (3.8 miles north-east) and Clandon Park (3.8 miles south). Historic venues often limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one.
Comparing caterers
- Whether VAT is included
- Who provides the crockery
- When payment is due
- How long the team stays
- 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