Hampshire · England
Live paella catering in Rake, Hampshire
Love Paella cooks live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Rake and nearby, with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal options.
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Company summer parties
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
Live paella catering in Rake
Is live paella right for your event?
Compared with a hog roast or barbecue, live paella is easier for vegetarian, vegan and halal guests, because each paella has its own pan. It is served quickly from the pan, so queues move. Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
Why Rake hosts choose us
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- A clear, itemised quote
- We cover Rake and the whole of Hampshire
- Real theatre, not just catering
See Our pricing And What paella catering costs.
Paella catering in Rake, made fresh on the day
A couple of different pans covers everyone: meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan paellas. Each is cooked separately, so diets are easy to manage. Popular choices include black rice, paella Valenciana and mixed paella, and we are frequently booked for company summer parties and naming days and family parties.
In a small place like Rake, events are normally in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and cooking close to where we can park helps. You can add tapas, desserts, sangria, bar staff and waiting staff, so one booking can cover the whole menu.
A closer look at the menu
Black rice
Black rice gets its colour from squid ink, and is generally served with alioli. It makes a dramatic second seafood pan.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A slow sofrito, seasonal vegetables and a good vegetable stock make a proper main dish. For vegans, the stock is plant-based.
Common questions in Rake
Do you come out to small places like Rake?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
We’re having a ceremony at Rake Mission Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is typically elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
Do you cook it at the event?
Yes. We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook it there and then, serving it hot from the pan.
Is live paella good for a large crowd?
It’s ideal. Large pans and fast service from the pan make it well suited to crowds.
Do you provide plates and cutlery?
We can. Let us know what you have, and we’ll quote for the rest.
Can you cater for children?
Of course. Children frequently love a simple chicken paella. Include children in your numbers.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We clear our cooking area away when service is finished. Waiting staff can clear tables if you book them.
How many different paellas?
Most events have two or three: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We’ll help you decide the split.
What affects the price in Rake
The price comes down to a few factors:
- Waiting and bar staff
- Guest numbers
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so your choice of paellas affects the total. We’ll suggest options to suit your budget.
Getting an accurate quote
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- Where the event is
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- Anything your venue supplies
- Your date and when you want to eat
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. To send your details, use our quote form.
Paella catering around Rake
Rake is about 4 miles north-east of Petersfield, in Hampshire. From the centre of Rake to the outskirts, paella catering works the same way: paella cooked live, every diet catered for and a clear quote. We cover 683 places across Hampshire, from the larger towns to small villages. Our events stretch from Rake to Guildford (19 miles away).
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Liss station, about 1.6 miles west. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Rake CofE Primary School, can book us as a food stall. Rake is within about 5 miles of the South Downs National Park. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
We cover events in every part of the GU33 postcode area and the streets around it. Whether your event is on London Road, Brewells Lane and St Patrick's Lane or a nearby road, we’ll bring the pans to you. If your venue is just outside Rake, we also cover The Mint (1 mile north-west), Hill Brow (1 mile south-west), Liss (1 mile west), Liss Forest (1 mile north-west) and West Liss (2 miles west). Larger places within reach include Havant (14 miles south-west), Horndean (12 miles south-west), Aldershot (15 miles north), Alton (9 miles north-west), Waterlooville (14 miles south-west) and Petersfield (4 miles south-west).
Other landmarks nearby include Chase Community Hospital (4.2 miles north). The countryside around Rake includes Liss Riverside Railway Walk North and Wheeler's Down.
- Local pubs include The Sun Inn (under half a mile south)
Who books paella catering in Rake?
Paella is one of the few dishes that handles mixed diets easily, because each version is cooked in its own pan. Nobody gets a token ‘special meal’.
If you are planning any of these, we can help:
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Anniversary celebrations
- Milestone birthday parties
- Staff parties and work lunches
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Rake Mission Church, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Comparing caterers
- Space, access and power needs
- Whether travel is included
- Staff numbers and hours
- Payment terms and deposit
DIY paella versus live catering
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and don’t stir once the rice goes in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. 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.
Step by step
We get there well before serving, unload, set up the burners and prepare the stock. Your guests are welcome to watch as the paella takes shape. Planning an evening event in Rake? Sunset is around 8:55pm in late May, 9:20pm at midsummer and 7:05pm in late September; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- You share your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan a menu that covers every diet.
- We arrive early to set up the burners and pans.
- The sofrito, stock and rice go in, and guests gather to watch.
- Service is straight from the pan, then we pack down.
Getting ready for the day
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Give us a contact for the day
- Make sure the spot is clear of anything flammable
Ask for a quote
It is easy to get a price: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We’ll send a clear, itemised quote and a suggested menu.
Related guides
Where we can cook in Rake
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We look for:
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
Menu ideas
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
Places near Rake
Also in Rake
Planners, venues and businesses
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so everyone eats promptly. Tell us how long you have for food.
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We will provide any information the landowner or council asks for.
- 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