Surrey · England
Paella Catering for Sandhills events
We cook live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Sandhills and nearby, catering for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests.
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Community events and fairs
- Garden get-togethers
Paella catering near Sandhills
Paella catering in Sandhills, cooked live
You can keep it simple or build a full menu: paella on its own, or with canapés, table tapas, desserts and sangria. We’ll recommend what fits your event. Popular choices include paella Valenciana, vegetable paella and mixed paella, and we’re regularly asked to cater company summer parties and weddings and evening receptions.
Somewhere like Sandhills, a field or garden is frequently the perfect setting. Mention gates and soft ground when you get in touch. You can add tapas, desserts, sangria, bar staff and waiting staff, so one booking can cover the whole menu.
What’s in the pans
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea, and is popular with adventurous guests.
Vegetable and vegan paella
The vegetable pan is a dish in its own right: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron.
Planning for every diet
Paella is one of the easiest dishes for mixed diets, because every paella has its own pan. A few tips:
- Tell us what else is being served
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Put allergy details in writing
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
If you’ve booked staff, they’ll serve, clear and help keep things moving, so you can relax.
Sangria and bar staff can be added to serve drinks you provide.
DIY paella versus live catering
Not sure whether to cook yourself or book a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. We are happy to give you a quote to compare.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Planning the cooking area
We cook in large pans over gas burners, so the cooking area needs a little planning. Here’s what we look for:
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly before you book.
Popular choices
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
Paella compared with other options
A plated meal needs a kitchen, more staff and normally costs more per head. Live paella needs only a level, ventilated spot and permission to cook, and it’s entertaining too. 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.
Why choose Love Paella in Sandhills
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Catering across Surrey, including Sandhills
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
- Real theatre, not just catering
Take a look at How we price And Our guide to catering costs.
Questions from Sandhills
Is Sandhills too small for live paella?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
What’s the nearest station to Sandhills for guests?
Witley station, about 0.5 miles east of the centre.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Yes, and meat eaters frequently go back for seconds. Each is cooked separately, with its own stock and utensils.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes. Halal paella is cooked with halal chicken and no pork or alcohol, in its own pan.
How long do you need on site?
That depends on your menu and numbers. We agree the timings in advance so the paella is ready when you want it.
Which paellas suit our guests?
It depends on your guests. Chicken and mixed paellas tend to go first, with seafood and vegetable pans alongside.
What equipment do you bring?
Pans, burners and ingredients all come with us. You just need a suitable spot and access.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Children are welcome. Let us know numbers and ages, and we’ll plan a pan with them in mind.
Planning live paella in Sandhills
Sandhills is about 8 miles south-east of Farnham, in Surrey. For paella catering in Sandhills, we plan around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. We cook in all 395 towns and villages across Surrey, from the larger towns to small villages. Our events stretch from Sandhills to Guildford (9 miles away).
For guests coming by train, Witley station is about 0.5 miles away. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as King Edward's School Witley, can book us as a food stall. The Surrey Hills National Landscape is within about 4 miles of Sandhills, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
Here we cover the GU8 postcode area, so your event can be anywhere in it. Local streets include Brook Road, Sebastopol Lane and Hatch Lane; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. For events just outside Sandhills, we cover Brook (1 mile west), Wormley (1 mile east), Hambledon (1 mile east), Bowlhead Green (1 mile west) and Witley (1 mile north). Larger places within reach include Guildford (9 miles north-east), Woking (13 miles north), Camberley (14 miles north), Farnham (8 miles north-west), Frimley (13 miles north) and Haslemere (4 miles south-west).
Well-known places in the area include Milford Hospital (2.7 miles north-east). Open spaces near Sandhills include Hydon's Ball and Farncombe Wood.
- Nearby schools include Witley CofE Controlled Infant School (1.1 miles north-east) and Rodborough (2.1 miles north)
- Pubs nearby include Dog And Pheasant Public House (0.6 miles west)
Why choose paella catering in Sandhills?
Live paella is made for outdoor events: cooked outside, served hot and shared.
Big or small, live paella works well. Common bookings include:
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Engagement and anniversary parties
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of All Saints, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Comparing caterers
- If the price includes VAT
- Whether travel is included
- The deadline for final numbers
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
The process
We take care of the food from set-up to service, so you can enjoy your event. If you’ve chosen tapas or canapés, they go out first while the paella cooks. In Sandhills, the sun sets at about 9:20pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, so summer evening events are typically served in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 3:55pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- You share your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including 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
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
How to get a price
Getting a quote is simple: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We will come back with a clear quote and a suggested menu.
Planning help
Planners, venues and businesses
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Sandhills? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we will suggest a menu.
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
Places near Sandhills
Other catering in Sandhills
- 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