Hampshire · England
Paella Catering for Preston Candover events
Paella for every guest: separate pans for meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan guests. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Preston Candover.
- Community events and fairs
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Garden get-togethers
Live paella catering in Preston Candover
How we price paella catering
The price comes down to a few factors:
- The length of service
- Travel, parking and access
- Guest numbers
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
There’s no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. Your quote spells it all out.
What to tell us
Good planning starts with a few facts. Please include:
- Roughly how many adults and children
- The address or venue name
- A photo of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- Which courses you have in mind
Every quote is put together for your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we will check availability at the same time.
About our paella catering in Preston Candover
There’s something generous about paella: giant pans, saffron colour and a toasted crust that everyone fights over. It makes the food an event in itself. For festivals, fairs and school events and engagement and anniversary parties, we can cook chicken and chorizo paella, paella Valenciana and seafood paella and more.
In a small place like Preston Candover, events are normally in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. 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.
Places near Preston Candover
More for events in Preston Candover
Should I cook it myself?
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
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. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Preston Candover: venues, travel and local tips
Preston Candover is about 7 miles south of Basingstoke, in Hampshire. Across the RG25 area, we’ll come to your venue or garden. We cater in 683 places in Hampshire. Our events stretch from Preston Candover to Reading (about 20 miles away).
If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Preston Candover Church of England Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St. Mary the Virgin, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Wherever your event is in RG25, we can bring paella catering to you. Your event could be at a home on Stenbury Drive, Farriers Close and Garden Close. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Upper Wield (2 miles south-east), Brown Candover (2 miles south-west), Totford (3 miles south-west), Northington (4 miles south-west) and Bighton (5 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Basingstoke (7 miles north), Winchester (11 miles south-west), Fleet (15 miles north-east), Andover (15 miles west), Alton (7 miles east) and Petersfield (14 miles south-east).
Well-known places in the area include Barton Castle (2.4 miles south). Not far away are Farleigh Hill.
- Nearby, you will find The Purefoy Arms Public House (within half a mile south-west)
Catering for every guest
Most events have a mix of diets. To plan for them:
- Mention any other courses or food
- Put allergy details in writing
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
- Ask for labels on each pan
You shouldn’t have to worry about the food on the day. We set up, cook and serve, and keep in touch with you or your venue about timings.
Tapas or canapés make a good start as the rice cooks.
Space, weather and the venue
We’ll agree the cooking spot with you before the day. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Level ground for the pans and burners
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think before you book.
What we offer
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
The process
When the rice goes in, it is left alone. That is how the grains cook evenly and the toasted base, the socarrat, forms. Your guests will smell it before they see it. Evenings in Preston Candover 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.
- Send us your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan a menu that covers every diet.
- We arrive in good time to set up.
- The sofrito, stock and rice go in, and guests gather to watch.
- Service is straight from the pan, then we pack down.
How to prepare
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Plan cover in case of rain
Ask for a quote
Planning paella catering in Preston Candover? Send us the details and we’ll come back with ideas and a quote. To get in touch, use our quote form.
Planning help
Preston Candover: your questions answered
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St. Mary the Virgin?
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 normally elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
Is Preston Candover too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Do you cover Preston Candover?
We do. Preston Candover is one of the places we cover. Tell us your date and we’ll check availability.
Does paella work for big events?
Yes, that’s what it is made for. We plan the number of pans and serving points around your numbers.
How long does the paella take?
It depends on the menu and numbers. We agree the timings in advance so the paella is ready when you want it.
What about pudding?
Yes, Spanish desserts can be added. Let us know if you’d like one when you ask for a quote.
Do you cook inside?
Normally we cook outdoors or under a ventilated cover, since the burners are gas. Some venues have suitable spaces; we’ll check with you and the venue.
Do you cater for young children?
Children are welcome. Let us know numbers and ages, and we’ll plan a pan with them in mind.
About the dishes
Vegetable and vegan paella
Seasonal vegetables on a rich sofrito base make a proper main dish. Vegan versions use plant-based stock.
Mixed paella
Paella mixta combines meat and seafood in one pan, and it’s often the first pan to empty.
Why choose live paella in Preston Candover?
Vans serve one order at a time. A paella pan serves many portions quickly, which suits weddings and parties where everyone eats together. If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we will suggest a menu to match. Even a simple menu can be a feast.
Why us?
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Drinks service on request
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
Read Our pricing And Our guide to catering costs.
Why choose paella catering in Preston Candover?
Live paella is food and a show in one. The pans become a focal point, and the food itself is hot and plentiful.
We can help if you are planning any of the following:
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Milestone birthday parties
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
Historic houses near Preston Candover include Hall Place (3.6 miles east) and Bentworth Hall (3.9 miles south-east). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
What to look for in a quote
- Who provides the crockery
- The wet-weather plan
- Payment terms and deposit
- The venue requirements
- 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