Southampton · England
Live paella catering in Rownhams, Southampton
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Rownhams: paella cooked from scratch in huge pans, right in front of your guests.
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Big birthdays
- Summer garden parties
Paella catering for Rownhams events
Events we cater in Rownhams
Live paella is food and a show in one. The pans become a focal point, and the food is hot and generous.
These are some of the occasions we cater:
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Anniversary celebrations
- Retirement celebrations
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
Nearby historic houses include South Stoneham House (3.5 miles east) and Southampton Tudor House and Garden (4 miles south-east). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you are booking one.
Comparing caterers
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- Travel and parking costs
- The deadline for final numbers
- What the price includes, item by item
How our paella catering works in Rownhams
Live paella catering means we bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients to your event and cook in front of your guests. Once it is ready, we serve it hot from the pan. For weddings and evening receptions and anniversary celebrations, we’ll put together a menu of chicken and chorizo paella, vegan paella and seafood paella.
In a smaller place like Rownhams, a garden party is frequently the simplest option: no hire fees, and live paella feeds everyone without anyone stuck in the kitchen. Tell us about access down the lane or drive. Every pan is cooked in front of your guests, so the food is hot, fresh and part of the occasion.
- Where
- Rownhams (SO16)
- County
- Southampton
- Dietary options
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Catering for every guest
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. Here are a few tips for planning:
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Put allergy details in writing
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Tell us how many children are coming
The rice takes about 20 minutes once it goes in, so we start it at the right moment for your event. If plans change, tell us and we will adjust.
Need plates or staff? We can provide them.
Rownhams: your questions answered
Can you cook at venues in the New Forest National Park?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We’ll follow the site rules.
Is Rownhams close to London?
Roughly 70 miles from the centre of London.
What equipment do you bring?
We bring the pans, burners and ingredients. You provide a suitable spot and access.
Can you do sangria?
Yes, sangria. For other drinks, we can provide bar staff to serve what you buy.
When do you arrive?
We get there in good time to set up. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
Do you do desserts?
We can add a dessert. Let us know if you’d like one in your enquiry.
Which areas do you serve?
We cater across London and the South East, Southampton included. See all areas.
What happens with live paella?
We arrive with pans, burners and ingredients, cook in front of your guests, and serve at the time you want.
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Cold buffets are easy but forgettable, and food can sit out for a while. Paella is cooked in front of your guests and served hot. Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so it helps to tell us about your venue. The full price is confirmed before you book.
Why us?
- Catering across Southampton, including Rownhams
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
Take a look at How we price Or What paella catering costs.
Rownhams: venues, travel and local tips
Rownhams is about 3 miles north-east of Totton, in Southampton. We cater events at homes, gardens and venues in Rownhams and the surrounding area. We cater in all 40 towns and villages in Southampton.
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St John, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Rownhams St John's Church of England Primary School, can book us as a food stall. Rownhams is within about 8 miles of the New Forest National Park, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking. Rownhams is within about 5 miles of the sea, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Sea breezes can be strong, so we plan a sheltered cooking spot.
For paella catering in SO16, we plan around your venue and timings. Your event could be at a home on Rownhams Way, Horns Drove and Rownhams Close. If your venue is just outside Rownhams, we also cover Upton (1 mile west), Nursling (1 mile south-west), Hillyfields (1 mile south-west), Lordswood (1 mile south-east) and Toothill (1 mile north-west). Further out, we also cater in Southampton (3 miles south-east), Townhill Park (4 miles east), Midanbury (4 miles east), Thornhill (6 miles south-east), Chartwell Green (5 miles east) and Harefield (5 miles south-east).
Other landmarks nearby include Marlands Shopping Centre (3.7 miles south-east) and Princess Anne Hospital (1.3 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Testwood Lakes.
- Schools near Rownhams include Oasis Academy Lord's Hill (0.6 miles south) and Oaklands Community School (0.6 miles south)
- Parks and local facilities nearby include Romsey Extra (2.8 miles north-west)
Dishes our guests love
Vegetable and vegan paella
Seasonal vegetables on a rich sofrito base make a paella that stands on its own. Vegan versions use plant-based stock.
Black rice
Arroz negro is coloured and flavoured with squid ink, traditionally with alioli. It is a striking addition to a seafood menu.
What paella catering costs
There is nothing hidden: the price is based on:
- Whether you need crockery
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Parking and unloading
- Starters, canapés and desserts
Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so the menu you choose affects the price. Tell us your budget and we’ll suggest a menu.
Getting an accurate quote
To check availability and price, we need:
- Where the event is
- The date and rough timings
- A photo of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- Which courses you have in mind
Getting a quote is simple: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We’ll come back with a clear quote and a suggested menu.
Also in Rownhams
What happens on the day
Service is quick: the paella goes straight from the pan to the plate, so even a long queue moves. Afterwards we clear our cooking area away. Around midsummer it stays light in Rownhams until about 9:25pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:10pm, so summer evening events are generally served in daylight. In December it’s dark by about 4:00pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- It starts with your date, venue, numbers and any dietary needs.
- You get a suggested menu and an itemised quote.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up and start the stock.
- The paella cooks in front of your guests, with tapas first if you’ve chosen them.
- We serve from the pan, then clear our cooking area away.
Before we arrive
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Make sure we can park close by to unload
- Tell us when you want to eat
Ask for a quote
Still deciding on the menu? No problem: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we’ll suggest a menu. To start, use our quote form.
Read more
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
Not sure whether to cook yourself or book a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. We’re happy to give you a quote to compare.
For planners, venues and organisers
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.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
- 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