Surrey · England
Paella Catering for Ripley events
Treat your guests to live paella at your event in Ripley. We cook from scratch on site, and serve it straight from the pan.
- Retirement celebrations
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Company summer parties
Book paella catering in Ripley
Dietary needs and planning tips
We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests. To make it work smoothly:
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
- Give us separate numbers for children
If you’ve booked staff, they’ll serve, clear and help keep things moving, so you can enjoy your guests.
Tapas or canapés make a good start while the paella cooks.
How our paella catering works in Ripley
A single cooking set-up can feed a crowd, very little goes to waste, and the food is served hot. It’s why live paella suits so many kinds of event. On the menu are vegetable paella, seafood paella and vegan paella, and typical bookings are for naming days and family parties and office lunches and staff parties.
Somewhere like Ripley, a field or garden is often the perfect setting. Mention gates and soft ground when you get in touch. We plan the timings around your day, whether that’s speeches, a lunch break or a festival schedule.
What we need at the venue
Before the day, we’ll agree where we cook. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Somewhere close to park and unload
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we will say what we think before you book.
What we offer
- Mixed paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
Why choose live paella in Ripley?
If you want something different from the usual buffet or roast, live paella brings colour, aroma and a touch of Spain to your event in Ripley. Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
Why us?
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
Read How we price Or Our guide to catering costs.
Ripley: your questions answered
Can you cook at venues in the Surrey Hills National Landscape?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We’ll work to whatever the site needs.
Is Ripley close to London?
Roughly 22 miles from the centre of London, and we cover it as standard.
Do we need to provide equipment?
We bring all the cooking equipment. Tell us what the venue provides, such as tables or crockery.
Can the paella be cooked in a hall?
Indoors only where ventilation and the venue allow it. Most events have us cooking outside or in a doorway or courtyard.
How do you work out quantities?
Quantities depend on numbers, timing and courses, with a little extra built in. Give us accurate numbers for the best result.
Do you cook it at the event?
Yes. We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook on the day, serving it hot from the pan.
Should we have more than one paella?
Typically two or three, so every guest has a choice. Tell us about your guests’ diets and we’ll suggest the mix.
Do you provide drinks?
Sangria can be added, and we can staff a bar with your drinks.
Places near Ripley
Other catering in Ripley
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.
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.
Dishes our guests love
Vegetable and vegan paella
The vegetable pan is a dish in its own right: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron.
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, cooked until the rice is golden. It is generally the most photographed pan.
For planners, venues and organisers
If you are planning an event on someone’s behalf, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we’re happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It keeps things simple.
Hosting a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we’ll let you know if live paella is a good fit.
How we price paella catering
Your quote will be clear and itemised. The main things that affect it are:
- Your choice of paellas
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- How many guests are eating
- How long we’re needed on site
Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so your choice of paellas affects the total. Tell us your budget and we’ll suggest a menu.
What to tell us
For a quote, it helps to have:
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- A photo of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
Still deciding on the menu? No problem: give us the basics about your event, and we will make suggestions. To start, use our quote form.
The process
We arrive in good time before you want to eat, unload, set up the burners and prepare the stock. Guests generally gather round to watch as the paella takes shape. Planning an evening event in Ripley? Sunset is around 8:55pm in late May, 9:20pm at midsummer and 7:05pm in late September; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- It starts with your date, venue, numbers and any dietary needs.
- You get a suggested menu and an itemised quote.
- On the day, we set up the burners and pans and get the stock going.
- The rice cooks in full view, while tapas or canapés go round.
- We serve from the pan, then clear our cooking area away.
Getting ready for the day
- Make sure we can park close by to unload
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Leave space around the cooking area
Getting a price
Thinking about paella catering for your event in Ripley? Tell us what you have in mind and we will reply with a menu and a clear price. To get in touch, fill in our quote form.
Read more
Ripley: venues, travel and local tips
Ripley is about 4 miles east of Woking, in Surrey. Whether your event is in the middle of Ripley or on the outskirts, paella catering works the same way: paella cooked live, every diet catered for and a clear quote. We cater in all 395 towns and villages across Surrey, from the larger towns to small villages.
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Clandon station, about 2.5 miles south. Historic houses near Ripley include Byfleet Manor (2.6 miles north-east) and Hatchlands Park (3.1 miles south). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. The Surrey Hills National Landscape is within about 6 miles of Ripley. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
Wherever your event is in GU23, we can cook for your guests, from busy streets to quiet lanes. From High Street, Dorton Way and Wentworth Close or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. Ripley is on the B2215, which makes it straightforward to bring the equipment. Other places close to Ripley for paella catering include Ockham (2 miles east), West Horsley (3 miles south-east), East Clandon (3 miles south), East Horsley (3 miles south-east) and Effingham (5 miles south-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Guildford (5 miles south-west), Woking (4 miles west), Camberley (10 miles west), Epsom (10 miles east), Redhill (15 miles east) and Farnham (14 miles south-west).
A little further out are The Peacocks (3 miles north-west) and Woking Community Hospital (2.8 miles west). The countryside around Ripley includes Papercourt Marshes and Boldermere Lake.
- Local schools include St John the Baptist Catholic Comprehensive School (2.3 miles west)
- Nearby, you’ll find The Anchor Public House (less than half a mile east)
- 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