Oxfordshire · England
Paella Catering in Shiplake
Planning paella catering in Shiplake? We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook while your guests watch.
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Leaving dos and retirements
Live paella catering in Shiplake
Catering for every guest
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. A few tips:
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Send allergies to us in writing
- Give us separate numbers for children
Once everyone is fed, we clear our cooking area.
Bread, salad and lemon go well alongside and suit guests who are not big rice eaters.
About our paella catering in Shiplake
A couple of different pans covers everyone: meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan paellas. Each is cooked separately, so diets are easy to manage. Typical bookings include family celebrations and christenings and retirement celebrations, with vegan paella, paella Valenciana and seafood paella.
Somewhere like Shiplake, a field or garden is often the perfect setting. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, never made in advance and reheated, and served as soon as it’s ready.
- Area
- Shiplake (RG9)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Special diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quotes
- Quoted for your event
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Why choose live paella in Shiplake?
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 Shiplake. The cost per head normally falls as numbers rise, since the set-up is much the same either way. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Why choose Love Paella in Shiplake
- Catering across Oxfordshire, including Shiplake
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
See Our pricing And What paella catering costs.
Places near Shiplake
More for events in Shiplake
The menu, dish by dish
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, cooked until the rice is golden. It’s typically the most photographed 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.
Organising for someone else?
If you are planning an event on someone’s behalf, whether you’re a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we are happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It saves passing messages back and forth.
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
What affects the price in Shiplake
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- Travel, parking and access
- How long we are needed on site
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- How many guests are eating
Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so tell us about the venue when you ask for a quote. The full price is confirmed before you book.
What to tell us
To speed things up, tell us:
- Anything your venue supplies
- The address or venue name
- Your date and when you want to eat
- Roughly how many adults and children
Most quotes start with a few simple details: date, location, guest numbers and diets. To send them, send us your details through our quote form.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, have hot stock ready, and do not stir once the rice goes in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
Your questions about paella catering in Shiplake
How far is Shiplake from London?
Roughly 35 miles from the centre of London, and we cover it as standard.
Do you come out to small places like Shiplake?
No, we cook in small places too. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Is halal food available?
We can. Let us know your halal numbers, and we will cook a separate pan.
Can you do gluten-free paella?
A gluten-free pan is no problem. Tell us about any coeliac guests when you book so we can plan it carefully.
Should we have more than one paella?
Two or three is usual: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We’ll help you decide the split.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes. We cook vegetarian and vegan paellas in their own pans, alongside the meat and seafood pans.
Do you cook it at the event?
It is. We arrive with everything we need and cook on the day, then serve straight from the pan.
What about pudding?
Yes. Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana, or you can serve your own cake.
Planning live paella in Shiplake
Shiplake is about 3 miles north of Woodley, in Oxfordshire. We cater events at homes, gardens and venues in Shiplake and nearby villages. Shiplake is one of 443 places in Oxfordshire we cover.
For guests coming by train, Wargrave station is about 0.9 miles away. If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Peter and St Paul, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
We cater events across RG9 and the streets around it. We also cook at events in Charvil (2 miles south), Twyford (2 miles south-east), Ruscombe (2 miles south-east), Hare Hatch (2 miles east) and The Holt (3 miles east). Larger places within reach include Benson (12 miles north-west), Chinnor (14 miles north), Tilehurst (7 miles south-west), Wallingford (12 miles north-west), Little Heath (7 miles west) and Oakley (14 miles north).
Well-known places in the area include Royal Berkshire Hospital (4.2 miles south-west) and Frazer Nash Archives (2.1 miles north). Open spaces near Shiplake include South Lake and Sonning Hill.
- Local schools include Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School (1.2 miles south-east) and The Piggott School (1.2 miles south-east)
- Nearby, you will find The Plough pub (within half a mile north-west)
Where we can cook in Shiplake
Most gardens and venues can host live paella, but there are a few things to check:
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think before you book.
Menu ideas
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
The process
When we arrive, we set up the burners and pans and start cooking the sofrito and stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, so we time everything to your schedule. Planning an evening event in Shiplake? Sunset is around 8:55pm in late May, 9:25pm at midsummer and 7:05pm in late September; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- First, tell us about your event.
- You get a menu and an itemised quote.
- We agree timings, access and the cooking spot.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- It is served straight from the pan, and we clear our area afterwards.
Getting ready for the day
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
Getting a price
Getting a quote is simple: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We’ll send a clear, itemised quote and a suggested menu.
Read more
- 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