Hampshire · England
Paella Catering for Shobley events
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Shobley and the surrounding area.
- Company summer parties
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
Book paella catering in Shobley
Paella catering for your event in Shobley
A single cooking set-up can feed a crowd, very little goes to waste, and the food is served hot. It is why live paella suits so many kinds of event. Whether it’s christenings and family gatherings and company summer parties, we’ll put together a menu of black rice, paella Valenciana and vegan paella and more.
In a hamlet or village like Shobley, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Mention gates and soft ground when you contact us. We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in a separate pan.
How it works
We cook over gas burners in wide, shallow pans. It needs a level spot with some shelter and good ventilation, and we agree where that is before the day. Around midsummer it stays light in Shobley until about 9:25pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:10pm, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 4:05pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- Get in touch with the basics: when, where and how many.
- We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
- Closer to the day, we confirm timings and the cooking spot.
- We set up, cook from scratch and keep an eye on your timings.
- We serve, then leave our area tidy.
Before we arrive
- Give us a contact for the day
- Make sure we can park close by to unload
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
How to get a price
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. To send your details, use our quote form.
Planning help
Live paella or other catering?
With a barbecue, food comes in waves. Paella is ready all at once, so everyone eats together. Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you only pay for what you want.
Why us?
- Real theatre, not just catering
- A clear, itemised quote
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
Take a look at Our prices page And The cost guide.
DIY paella versus live catering
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Shobley: venues, travel and local tips
Shobley is about 2 miles north-east of Ringwood, in Hampshire. Give us the address of your event in Shobley, and we’ll plan access and set-up. We cook in all 683 towns and villages across Hampshire. Our events stretch from Shobley to Southampton (16 miles away).
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Poulner Infant School, can book us as a food stall. Historic houses near Shobley include Avon Tyrrell House (3.9 miles south). Historic venues often limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one. Shobley is within about 3 miles of the New Forest National Park, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
Here we cover the BH24 postcode area, so your event can be anywhere in it. If your venue is just outside Shobley, we also cover Forest Corner (1 mile south-west), Hangersley (1 mile west), Foulford (1 mile south), Highwood (1 mile north-west) and Poulner (1 mile west). Further out, we also cater in Totton (11 miles east), Lymington (11 miles south-east), Romsey (15 miles north-east), Hythe (15 miles east), New Milton (8 miles south-east) and Barton on Sea (9 miles south-east).
Other landmarks nearby include St Leonard's Hospital (5.7 miles south-west). Not far away are Linbrook Lake and Blashford Lakes.
- Nearby schools include Ringwood School Academy (1.9 miles west)
What’s in the pans
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, finished with lemon wedges. It’s usually the most photographed pan.
Black rice
Arroz negro is coloured and flavoured with squid ink, traditionally with alioli. It’s a striking addition to a seafood menu.
For planners, venues and organisers
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so everyone eats promptly. Tell us how long you have for food.
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Common questions in Shobley
Can you cater a reception after a service at St John the Baptist?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is usually elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
Is Shobley 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.
Can we add tapas or canapés?
Yes, and it is a popular combination. Tapas first, paella to follow.
Do you provide drinks?
We can make sangria, and we can staff a bar with your drinks.
Which paella is most popular?
Most events choose two or three: chicken or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. Our menu lists the options.
Are premium seafood options available?
Tell us your preferences and we will suggest seafood options to suit your menu and budget. Premium options are available.
What is live paella catering?
We set up a cooking area at your venue, cook the paella from scratch in large pans while your guests watch, and serve it straight from the pan.
How long does the paella take?
It depends on the menu and numbers. We will agree arrival, cooking and serving times with you.
Diets, allergies and planning
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. Our advice:
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
- Count adults and children separately
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
The rice takes about 20 minutes once it goes in, 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.
What affects the price in Shobley
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- The number of people
- Travel, parking and access
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we will put together a menu that fits. Even a simple menu can be a feast.
Details that help
For a quote, it helps to have:
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Anything your venue supplies
- A picture of where we’d cook
- The date and time of the event
We need only a few details to quote: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. To send them, fill in our quote form.
Where we can cook in Shobley
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so the cooking area needs a little planning. These are the things we check:
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before booking.
On the menu in Shobley
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
Also near Shobley
Also in Shobley
- 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