Oxfordshire · England
Live paella catering in Shotover Hill, Oxfordshire
Planning paella catering in Shotover Hill? We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook while your guests watch.
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Birthday celebrations
Live paella catering in Shotover Hill
Paella catering for your event in Shotover Hill
You can keep it simple or build a full menu: just paella, or paella with tapas, desserts and drinks. We’ll recommend what fits your event. Typical bookings include milestone birthday parties and retirement celebrations, with vegan paella, vegetable paella and chicken and chorizo paella.
A place like Shotover Hill frequently has a hall, a club or a pub garden nearby; live paella can work at any of them, given permission and outdoor space. We cook every pan in full view of your guests, so the food is hot, fresh and part of the occasion.
- Location
- Shotover Hill (OX3)
- County
- Oxfordshire
- Diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Also available
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Price
- Ask us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
About the dishes
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella is not an afterthought: artichokes, beans, peppers and saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Seafood paella
The secret is a well-made seafood stock. The shellfish is added late so it stays tender.
Planning the cooking area
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so we need a suitable spot. These are the things we check:
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Somewhere close to park and unload
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly before booking.
Popular choices
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
What paella catering costs
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, depending on:
- How many courses
- Your choice of paellas
- Timings and hours
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
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 will suggest a menu.
What to tell us
You don’t need everything decided to ask for a quote, but these help:
- A picture of the space, if you can
- Expected numbers
- Which courses you have in mind
- Diets and allergies you know about
Every quote is put together for your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we will confirm whether we’re available that day.
FAQs for Shotover Hill
What’s the nearest station to Shotover Hill for guests?
Oxford station, about 3.3 miles west of the centre.
We are having a ceremony at Holy Trinity Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is generally elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
Do you do vegan paella?
Yes, and meat eaters frequently go back for seconds. Each is cooked separately, with its own stock and utensils.
How much paella per person?
We plan quantities from your guest numbers, timings and other courses, with a sensible margin. Give us accurate numbers for the best result.
Should we have more than one paella?
Two or three is usual: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We’ll suggest a split based on your guests.
Which paella is most popular?
Most events choose two or three: a mixed or chicken paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. See the sample menu.
Is the paella gluten-free?
We can, if you tell us in advance. Rice is naturally gluten-free, but stock and some ingredients may not be, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
Can you cook halal paella?
Yes, we do. We use halal chicken and leave out pork and alcohol, in a separate pan.
Diets, allergies and planning
With a little notice, every diet is easy. We suggest:
- Request clear labels at the serving table
- Tell us what else is being served
- Confirm allergies by email
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
If you’ve booked staff, they’ll serve, clear and help keep things moving, so you can relax.
Finish with churros, crema catalana or tarta de Santiago, or serve your own cake.
What happens on the day
From set-up to serving, we look after the food, so you are free to enjoy your event. If you’ve chosen tapas or canapés, they go out first while the paella cooks. Evenings in Shotover Hill stay light until about 9:25pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:10pm; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- You share your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan a menu that covers every diet.
- We arrive in good time to set up.
- The paella cooks as guests gather round.
- Service is straight from the pan, then we pack down.
Getting ready for the day
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Leave space around the cooking area
How to get a price
Not sure what you need yet? No problem: give us the basics about your event, and we will suggest a menu. Start when you’re ready: use our quote form.
Planning help
Shotover Hill: venues, travel and local tips
Shotover Hill is about 2 miles east of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. From the centre of Shotover Hill to the outskirts, we offer the same service: live cooking, separate pans for every diet and a clear price. We cater in all 443 towns and villages in Oxfordshire.
If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like Holy Trinity Church, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. Parks such as Stansfeld Park usually need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there.
Here we cover the OX3 postcode area, so your event can be anywhere in it. Your event could be at a home on Old Road, Mark Road and York Road. Other places close to Shotover Hill for paella catering include Risinghurst (1 mile north), Barton (1 mile north), Horspath (1 mile south-east), Littleworth (2 miles east) and Forest Hill (2 miles north-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Didcot (10 miles south), Bicester (10 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (6 miles south-west), Witney (13 miles west), Thame (9 miles east) and Wantage (15 miles south-west).
Other landmarks nearby include Rumble Museum (1.2 miles west) and Templars Square (1.7 miles south-west). The countryside around Shotover Hill includes Shotover and CS Lewis Nature Reserve.
- Nearby schools include Headington Quarry Foundation Stage School (0.5 miles north-west) and Cheney School (1.2 miles west)
- Nearby, you will find Crown & Thistle pub (under half a mile west)
Places near Shotover Hill
What else we do in Shotover Hill
For event organisers in Shotover Hill
If you are organising for someone else, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we’ll work directly with you and the venue. It saves passing messages back and forth.
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Send us your venue’s requirements and we’ll follow them.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. Ask us for a quote and compare.
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Compared with a hog roast or barbecue, live paella is easier for vegetarian, vegan and halal guests, because each paella has its own pan. It’s served quickly from the pan, so queues move. Got a budget? Let us know, and we will put together a menu that fits. Even a simple menu can be a feast.
Why choose Love Paella in Shotover Hill
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Events in Shotover Hill and across Oxfordshire
Read How we price Or What paella catering costs.
- 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