Surrey · England
Paella Catering for Pixham events
Love Paella cooks live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Pixham and nearby, with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal options.
- Naming days and family parties
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Festivals, fairs and school events
Paella catering near Pixham
How our paella catering works in Pixham
Paella has always been food for a crowd: cooked outdoors in a wide, shallow pan and shared. That is what we bring to events in Pixham. Typical bookings include christenings and family gatherings and retirement celebrations, serving mixed paella, paella Valenciana and black rice.
Somewhere as small as Pixham, a garden or field is frequently the venue. Tell us about narrow lanes or long drives and we will plan for them, and cooking close to where we can park helps. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, never made in advance and reheated, and served as soon as it is ready.
Questions from Pixham
Which station should guests use for Pixham?
Pixham has its own station: Dorking station.
We’re having a ceremony at Pixham Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking usually happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
How much is live paella catering?
It depends on guest numbers, the menu, the courses, staff and travel. Tell us about your event and we will send a quote.
How many paellas should we have?
Two or three is usual: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We’ll help you decide the split.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We pack down our cooking area after service. Clearing guests’ plates and tables can be added with waiting staff.
Can paella be the only main course?
It can be. With bread and salad, paella is a complete main.
Can you do gluten-free paella?
We can cook a gluten-free paella in its own pan. Let us know about coeliac guests in advance so we take the right care.
What equipment do you bring?
We bring the pans, burners and ingredients. You provide a suitable spot and access.
The menu, dish by dish
Paella Valenciana
In Valencia, the recipe is fiercely debated. The classic version is chicken, green beans and butter beans with saffron, and it’s a crowd-pleaser.
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. The shellfish is added late so it stays tender.
Paella catering around Pixham
Pixham is about 1 mile north-east of Dorking, in Surrey. Give us the address of your event in Pixham, and we will plan access and set-up before the day. We cover all 395 towns and villages across Surrey. Our nearest city page is Guildford, about 11 miles away.
If you are organising a summer fair for a school like The Ashcombe School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. Parks such as Deepdene Terrace typically need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there. The Surrey Hills National Landscape is within about 2 miles of Pixham. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
This part of Surrey takes in RH4 and RH5, so your event can be anywhere in it. Streets in the area include London Road, Leslie Road and Pixham Lane, and we can cook for an event on any of them. For events just outside Pixham, we cover Dorking (1 mile south-west), Westhumble (1 mile north-west), Ranmore Common (2 miles west), North Holmwood (2 miles south) and Mickleham (2 miles north). Further out, we also cater in Guildford (11 miles west), Woking (12 miles north-west), Epsom (7 miles north), Horley (8 miles south-east), Redhill (7 miles east) and Ewell (8 miles north).
A little further out are Headley Court (4 miles north-east) and Betchworth Castle (1 mile east). The countryside around Pixham includes Reigate Heath and Box Hill.
- Schools near Pixham include St Martin's CofE Controlled Primary School (0.9 miles west)
- Local pubs include The Lincoln Arms Hotel (less than half a mile west)
- Other local spots include Pippbrook House (less than half a mile south-west)
Diets, allergies and planning
Most events have a mix of diets. To cater well for them:
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Request clear labels at the serving table
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
- Tell us how many children are coming
Once everyone is fed, we clear our cooking area, quietly and quickly.
Add canapé tapas with the drinks or table tapas as a starter as the rice cooks.
Why choose paella catering in Pixham?
There is no kitchen needed, so it works in gardens, fields and marquees where other catering struggles.
Here are some of the events we cook for:
- Big birthdays
- Community events and fairs
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Garden get-togethers
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Pixham Church, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
What your quote should include
- Staff numbers and hours
- Whether VAT is included
- The wet-weather plan
- What the caterer needs from your venue
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 keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but there’s shopping, prep and hours of cooking. A caterer handles all of that.
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Cold buffets are easy but forgettable, and the food sits out. Paella is cooked live and served hot. Larger events typically cost less per head, since the set-up is much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
Why book with us
- Drinks service on request
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Fast service from the pan
Take a look at Our prices page Or The cost guide.
What we need at the venue
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so we need a suitable spot. These are the things we check:
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- 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.
On the menu in Pixham
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
How the day works
A typical event goes like this: we arrive, set up and start cooking, the rice cooks in front of your guests, and it’s served hot from the pan when you are ready to eat. Evenings in Pixham stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:05pm; once it’s dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- It starts with your date, venue, numbers and any dietary needs.
- We put together a menu and a clear quote.
- We arrive early, set up the cooking area 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
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Name one person we can ask on the day
How to get a price
Every event is quoted individually, so you only pay for what you need. For a quote, send us your details through our quote form.
Planning help
Towns and villages near Pixham
More for events in Pixham
What paella catering costs
Every event is priced individually, based on a few main things:
- Whether you need crockery
- How many staff you need
- How many courses
- The length of service
Extras such as tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are priced separately, so you can choose exactly what you need.
Details that help
Good planning starts with a few facts. Please include:
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
It is easy to get a price: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We will come back with a clear quote and a suggested menu.
- 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