Surrey · England
Paella Catering for Penny Pot events
Looking for paella catering in Penny Pot? We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook in front of your guests.
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Summer garden parties
Planning an event in Penny Pot?
About our paella catering in Penny Pot
Watching it cook is part of the experience. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the aroma does the rest. We cook vegetable paella, paella Valenciana and chicken and chorizo paella, and typical bookings are for family celebrations and christenings and festivals, fairs and school events.
In a small place like Penny Pot, events are generally in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. 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. Tapas, canapés, desserts, sangria and staff can all be added, so one booking can cover the whole menu.
What paella catering costs
There are no hidden charges: the quote reflects:
- How many staff you need
- How long we’re needed on site
- Parking and unloading
- The number of people
Live paella pricing depends on the event. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. We itemise everything in your quote.
Details that help
Good planning starts with a few facts. Try to include:
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- The date and time of the event
- Anything your venue supplies
- The venue or postcode
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. When you’re ready, send us your details through our quote form.
DIY paella versus live catering
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather be with your guests, we’ll do the cooking.
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but you’ll still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. We take care of all of it.
The process
The cooking is part of the entertainment. Onion, garlic, peppers and tomato go in first, then the stock and saffron, then the rice, which cooks without stirring while your guests chat. In Penny Pot, the sun sets at about 9:20pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. In December it’s dark by about 3:55pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- You tell us the date, venue, guest numbers and any dietary needs.
- You get a suggested menu and an itemised quote.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up and start the stock.
- The paella cooks in front of your guests, with tapas first if you’ve chosen them.
- We serve it hot from the pan and clear our area when service ends.
Before we arrive
- Give us a contact for the day
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
- Leave space around the cooking area
How to get a price
Send us the date, your venue or GU24 postcode and guest numbers, along with any dietary needs, and you’ll get a menu idea and a price. To get started, fill in our quote form.
Read more
Planning the cooking area
We cook in large pans over gas burners, so the cooking area needs a little planning. Here’s what we look for:
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we will say what we think before you book.
Popular choices
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
Also near Penny Pot
Also in Penny Pot
Planning live paella in Penny Pot
Penny Pot is about 3 miles north-west of Woking, in Surrey. Whether your event is in the middle of Penny Pot or on the outskirts, paella catering works the same way: live cooking, separate pans for every diet and a clear price. Penny Pot is one of 395 places in Surrey where we cook. We cook right across the region, from Penny Pot to Guildford (about 7 miles away).
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, can book us as a food stall. Parks such as Milford Green and Coxhill Green usually need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there.
Anywhere in GU24, we can bring paella catering to you. For events just outside Penny Pot, we cover Castle Green (1 mile south-east), West End (1 mile west), Coxhill Green (1 mile north-east), Chobham (1 mile north-east) and Bisley (1 mile south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Guildford (7 miles south), Woking (3 miles south-east), Camberley (5 miles west), Epsom (15 miles east), Farnham (12 miles south-west) and Egham (7 miles north-east).
Other landmarks nearby include Brookwood Hospital (1.8 miles south) and The Peacocks (3 miles south-east). Not far away are Virginia Water Lake and Gracious Pond.
- Schools near Penny Pot include Gordon's School (1.2 miles west)
- Pubs nearby include The Sun Public House (0.8 miles north-east)
Catering for every guest
Nearly every event has some special diets. To plan for them:
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
Once the rice is in, it needs about 20 minutes, so we start it at the right moment for your event. If timings shift, we adapt.
Tapas or canapés make a good start while the paella cooks.
Questions from Penny Pot
Do you come out to small places like Penny Pot?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Can you cook in Milford Green and Coxhill Green?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, usually the council. Ask them first, and we’ll send any information they need.
How far ahead should we book?
Early, particularly for summer Saturdays. Ask about your date even if it’s soon.
How long does the paella take?
That depends on your menu and numbers. We agree the timings in advance so the paella is ready when you want it.
How much is live paella catering?
The price depends on numbers, menu, courses, staff and travel. Send us the details for a quote.
Do you come to Penny Pot?
We do. Penny Pot is one of the places we cover. Tell us your date and we will check availability.
How many different paellas?
Two or three covers most guests. We will recommend a mix based on diets.
What equipment do you bring?
We bring the pans, burners and ingredients. You provide a suitable spot and access.
Occasions we cook for in Penny Pot
There’s no kitchen needed, so it is at home in gardens, fields and marquees where plated meals are hard.
Big or small, live paella works well. Typical bookings include:
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Company summer parties
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Lawrence, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
What your quote should include
- Who provides the crockery
- How bad weather is handled
- The deposit and payment dates
- How long the team stays
What’s in the pans
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich fish stock, finished with lemon wedges. It’s the pan people photograph.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella is not an afterthought: artichokes, beans, peppers and saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Paella compared with other options
Barbecues cook in batches, so food comes off in waves. Paella is ready all at once, so everyone eats together. Cost depends on guest numbers, the menu and the courses, plus any staff, crockery and travel. We quote for each event individually.
Why Penny Pot hosts choose us
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Fast service from the pan
- A clear, itemised quote
Take a look at Our prices page And Our guide to 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