Hampshire · England
Live paella catering in Pilley Bailey, Hampshire
Looking for paella catering in Pilley Bailey? We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook while your guests watch.
- Community events and fairs
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Weddings and evening receptions
Planning an event in Pilley Bailey?
Paella catering in Pilley Bailey, cooked live
We cook every paella from scratch on the day, beginning with a sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, followed by stock, saffron and rice. We cook vegan paella, vegetable paella and mixed paella, and typical bookings are for garden get-togethers and festivals, fairs and school events.
In a hamlet or village like Pilley Bailey, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included, each in a separate pan and clearly labelled.
How it works
A typical event goes like this: we set up the pans and start the sofrito, the rice cooks in front of your guests, and it’s served hot from the pan at the agreed time. Evenings in Pilley Bailey stay light until about 9:25pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:10pm; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- First, tell us about your event.
- We suggest paellas and extras and send a clear 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
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
How to get a price
Planning paella catering in Pilley Bailey? Tell us what you have in mind and we will come back with ideas and a quote. Just send us your details through our quote form.
Planning help
Other catering in Pilley Bailey
Pilley Bailey: your questions answered
We’re having a ceremony at Saint Nicholas Chapel: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking normally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
What’s the nearest station to Pilley Bailey for guests?
The closest is Lymington Town station, roughly 1.9 miles away.
What areas do you cover?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including Pilley Bailey.
Can you serve drinks?
Yes, sangria. We can also supply bar staff for your own drinks.
How many paellas should we have?
Two or three covers most guests. We’ll recommend a mix based on diets.
Can you cook halal paella?
We can. Let us know your halal numbers, and it’s cooked separately.
Do you cater for young children?
Yes, children are easy to cater for. Let us know numbers and ages, and we will plan a pan with them in mind.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Yes, and meat eaters frequently go back for seconds. Each is cooked separately, with its own stock and utensils.
Working with your venue
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so everyone eats promptly. Tell us how long you have for food.
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Occasions we cook for in Pilley Bailey
Outdoor events and live paella go together: cooked outside, served hot and shared.
These are some of the occasions we cater in Pilley Bailey and Hampshire:
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Garden get-togethers
- Retirement celebrations
- Naming days and family parties
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as William Gilpin Church of England Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
Comparing caterers
- What happens if it rains
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- The venue requirements
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
Diets, allergies and planning
Most events have a mix of diets. To cater well for them:
- Give us separate numbers for children
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
- Mention any other courses or food
A short rest after cooking helps, which is when we typically call guests over.
Bread, salad and lemon wedges make the meal go further and suit guests who are not big rice eaters.
What affects the price in Pilley Bailey
These are the factors that matter most:
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- How many guests are eating
- Timings and hours
- Starters, canapés and desserts
Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
What to tell us
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what’s useful:
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Your date and when you want to eat
- A photo of the space, if you can
- The courses you’d like
Not sure what you need yet? No problem: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll suggest a menu. To start, fill in our quote form.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, have hot stock ready, and don’t stir once the rice goes in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
Planning the cooking area
Before the day, we’ll agree where we cook. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think before you book.
Menu ideas
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
Live paella or other catering?
For something a little different, live paella adds colour, smell and theatre. Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so it helps to tell us about your venue. Everything is confirmed in writing.
Why Pilley Bailey hosts choose us
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
- Drinks service on request
See Our prices page And The cost guide.
Live paella in Pilley Bailey: local details
Pilley Bailey is about 2 miles north-east of Lymington, in Hampshire. Whether your event is in the middle of Pilley Bailey or on the outskirts, we offer the same service: live cooking, separate pans for every diet and a clear price. We cater in 683 places across Hampshire. Our events stretch from Pilley Bailey to Southampton (about 11 miles away).
Historic houses near Pilley Bailey include Beaulieu Palace House (4 miles north-east). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like Saint Nicholas Chapel, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. Pilley Bailey is within about 4 miles of the New Forest National Park, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours. The coast is within about 3 miles of Pilley Bailey, and seafood paella always feels right near the sea. Coastal wind means we plan a sheltered spot.
For paella catering in SO41, we plan around your venue and timings. For events just outside Pilley Bailey, we cover Bull Hill (1 mile south-east), Pilley (1 mile south-west), Portmore (1 mile south), Warborne (1 mile south-west) and Boldre (1 mile west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Eastleigh (15 miles north-east), Fareham (15 miles east), Totton (9 miles north), Chandler's Ford (15 miles north-east), Hedge End (13 miles north-east) and Romsey (14 miles north).
Other landmarks nearby include St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery (2.1 miles south-west) and Lymington New Forest Hospital (1.5 miles south-west). Not far away are Boldre Foreshore.
- Nearby schools include Southlands School (1.1 miles south-west)
- 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