Oxfordshire · England
Paella Catering in Shillingford
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Shillingford: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, in full view of your guests.
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Big birthdays
- Retirement celebrations
Live paella catering in Shillingford
For event organisers in Shillingford
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: where cooking is allowed, access times and the paperwork they need. Tell us what your venue needs and we will work to it.
If you’re booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will explain how it works. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Paella catering for your event in Shillingford
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. For garden parties and summer barbecues and family celebrations and christenings, we can cook vegetable paella, paella Valenciana and vegan paella.
In a small place like Shillingford, events are generally in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and a firm spot near where we park makes set-up easier. We cook every pan in full view of your guests, so it arrives hot and becomes part of the event.
- Area
- Shillingford (OX10)
- Area hub
- Oxfordshire
- Dietary options
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quotes
- Contact us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Occasions we cook for in Shillingford
Paella is one of the few dishes that handles mixed diets easily, thanks to separate pans for each version. Everyone gets the same kind of meal.
Whatever the occasion, live paella can be the centrepiece. We regularly cater:
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like St Laurence Church of England (A) School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
Comparing caterers
- Space, access and power needs
- When final numbers are due
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- Staff numbers and hours
Planning for every diet
Paella is one of the easiest dishes for mixed diets, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. A few tips:
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Put allergy details in writing
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
Once the rice is in, it needs about 20 minutes, so we time it carefully. If plans change, tell us and we will adjust.
Bread, salad and lemon wedges make the meal go further and suit guests who are not big rice eaters.
Is live paella right for your event?
Compared with a hog roast or barbecue, live paella is easier for vegetarian, vegan and halal guests, thanks to separate pans. It’s served quickly from the pan, so queues move. Extras such as tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are priced separately, so you only pay for what you want.
Why choose Love Paella in Shillingford
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
Take a look at Our prices page And Our guide to catering costs.
Should I cook it myself?
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.
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
The menu, dish by dish
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The classic version is chicken, green beans and butter beans with saffron, and it’s a crowd-pleaser.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella is not an afterthought: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Towns and villages near Shillingford
Also in Shillingford
How it works
When we arrive, we set up the burners and pans and start cooking the sofrito and stock. The rice goes in about 20 minutes before serving, so the timing is planned around your event. Planning an evening event in Shillingford? Sunset is around 8:55pm in late May, 9:25pm at midsummer and 7:10pm in late September; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- Start with the date, the place and the numbers.
- Expect a menu idea and a clear, itemised price.
- A week or so before, we confirm the plan.
- On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
How to prepare
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Name one person we can ask on the day
Ask for a quote
The quickest way to a quote is to send us your details through our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we will suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Read more
Live paella in Shillingford: local details
Shillingford is about 5 miles east of Didcot, in Oxfordshire. Events in Shillingford are planned around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. We cover 443 places across Oxfordshire. Our nearest city page is Oxford, about 9 miles away.
Nearby historic houses include Brightwell Manor (1.8 miles south-west) and Clifton Hampden Manor (3.4 miles north-west). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St Lawrence, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. The Chilterns National Landscape is within about 8 miles of Shillingford, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
Here we cover the OX10 postcode area. From Warborough Road, New Road and Hartley Close or a nearby road, we can cook there. If your venue is just outside Shillingford, we also cover Warborough (1 mile north), Dorchester (1 mile north-west), Brightwell-cum-Sotwell (1 mile south-west), Benson (2 miles south-east) and Berrick Salome (2 miles north-east). Further out, we also cater in Oxford (9 miles north-west), Didcot (5 miles west), Abingdon-on-Thames (7 miles north-west), Thame (11 miles north-east), Wantage (13 miles west) and Henley-on-Thames (12 miles south-east).
Other landmarks nearby include Aston Martin Heritage Trust Museum (1.9 miles north) and Brightwell Castle (1.7 miles south-west). Not far away are Ewelme Watercress Beds and Wittenham Clumps.
- Nearby schools include Wallingford School (1.9 miles south)
- Local pubs include The Six Bells Inn (under half a mile north-east)
Common questions in Shillingford
What’s the nearest station to Shillingford for guests?
The closest is Cholsey station, roughly 4.3 miles away.
How far is Shillingford from London?
Roughly 46 miles from the centre of London.
Can you supply plates?
Yes, if you need them. Let us know what you have, and we will quote for the rest.
Can we choose the seafood?
Seafood choices are agreed when we plan the menu, including premium options if you want them.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Children are welcome. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we will plan a pan with them in mind.
Can you cook in the rain?
We cook under cover, such as a gazebo, marquee or open-sided barn with good ventilation. We’ll agree a wet-weather plan with you.
Can you feed a lot of people?
Yes. Large pans and fast service from the pan make it well suited to crowds.
What space do you need to cook?
Less than you might think: a level spot clear of fences, hedges and branches, with room for a serving table. Send us a photo if you’re not sure.
Space, weather and the venue
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We look for:
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we will tell you honestly before booking.
Menu ideas
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegan paella
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
- 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