Hampshire · England
Live paella catering in South Hayling, Hampshire
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in South Hayling: paella cooked from scratch in huge pans, in full view of your guests.
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Anniversary celebrations
Planning an event in South Hayling?
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but you will still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. A caterer handles all of that.
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.
Paella catering in South Hayling, made fresh on the day
Paella has always been food for a crowd: cooked outdoors in a wide, shallow pan and shared. That’s exactly what we bring to your event in South Hayling. Popular choices include seafood paella, mixed paella and paella Valenciana, and we are regularly asked to cater company summer parties and summer garden parties.
In and around South Hayling, gardens and local halls are common choices. If access is tight, we’ll plan around it. The paella is served straight from the pan, so every plate is hot, and a queue moves quickly.
Planning live paella in South Hayling
South Hayling is about 5 miles east of Portsmouth, in Hampshire. Wherever your event is in the PO11 area, we can bring the pans to you. We cover 683 places across Hampshire. Our events stretch from South Hayling to Southampton (about 20 miles away).
Historic houses near South Hayling include Warblington Castle (3.9 miles north). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you are booking one. For guests coming by train, Fratton station is about 4.3 miles away. The coast is within about a mile of South Hayling, and seafood paella always feels right near the sea. Coastal wind means we plan a sheltered spot.
Wherever your event is in PO11, we can cook for your guests, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Streets in the area include Church Road, Station Road and St Leonard's Avenue, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Close by, we cover events in West Town (1 mile west), Tourner Bury (1 mile north-east), Tye (2 miles north), Stoke (2 miles north) and North Hayling (2 miles north). Larger places within reach include Gosport (8 miles west), Havant (5 miles north), Fareham (11 miles north-west), Horndean (8 miles north), Waterlooville (7 miles north) and Petersfield (15 miles north).
Nearby you will also find St James Hospital (3.3 miles west) and Eastney Beam Engine House (3.1 miles west). Not far away are Hayling Billy.
- Nearby schools include The Hayling College (0.5 miles north) and The Hayling College (0.5 miles north)
- Pubs nearby include Newton House Hotel (0.6 miles north-west)
For planners, venues and organisers
Throwing a party at home? Send a picture of the space and tell us about parking, and we will tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can hold the date.
How we price paella catering
Two events with the same number of guests can cost different amounts, because of:
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- How many staff you need
- The paellas you choose
- The number of people
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’ll suggest a menu.
What to tell us
When you get in touch, it helps to tell us:
- The courses you’d like
- Expected numbers
- The address or venue name
- Any dietary needs and allergies
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, along with any dietary needs, and we will reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, use our quote form.
Step by step
We take care of the food from set-up to service, so you can enjoy your event. Any tapas or canapés are served first as the rice is cooking. Around midsummer it stays light in South Hayling until about 9:20pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:05pm, so summer evening events are typically served in daylight. In December it’s dark by about 4:00pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- First, you send us your date, venue, numbers and diets.
- We put together a menu and a clear quote.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up and start the stock.
- Your guests watch the paella cook, with any tapas served first.
- We serve from the pan, then clear our cooking area away.
How to prepare
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Name one person we can ask on the day
Ask for a quote
We quote for each event separately, so you only pay for what you need. To ask for one, fill in our quote form.
Read more
Dishes our guests love
Black rice
Squid ink rice is bold and savoury.
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, rather than seafood. It is frequently the most popular pan at an event.
Common questions in South Hayling
We’re having a ceremony at St Mary's Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is normally elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
Can you cook near the sea around South Hayling?
Yes, with a sheltered cooking spot. Wind is the main issue on the coast, so we plan shelter.
What areas do you cover?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including South Hayling.
What does paella catering cost?
The price depends on numbers, menu, courses, staff and travel. Send us the details for a quote.
Is paella enough as a main?
Paella is a meal in itself. Many hosts add tapas first or dessert after.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We clear our cooking area away when service is finished. Clearing guests’ plates and tables can be added with waiting staff.
How much space do you need?
Not a lot: a flat spot away from anything flammable, with space to serve. Send us a picture if you’re not sure.
Do you offer halal options?
We can. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and we’ll cook a separate pan.
Live paella or other catering?
For something a little different, live paella adds colour, smell and theatre to your event in South Hayling. Extras such as tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are priced separately, so you can choose exactly what you need.
Why South Hayling hosts choose us
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Fast service from the pan
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
See How we price And Our guide to catering costs.
Where we can cook in South Hayling
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We look for:
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think.
Menu ideas
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
Occasions we cook for in South Hayling
It suits relaxed, sociable events, with guests mingling as it cooks before sitting down to eat.
Big or small, live paella works well. Common bookings include:
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Office lunches and staff parties
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Mengham Junior School, can book us as a food stall.
Questions to ask before booking
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- A clear list of what’s included
- If the price includes VAT
Towns and villages near South Hayling
Other catering in South Hayling
- 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