Reading · England
Paella Catering for Southcote events
Love Paella cooks live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Southcote and nearby, with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal options.
- Birthday celebrations
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Summer garden parties
Book paella catering in Southcote
How the day works
Your timings come first. If speeches run late or the photos take longer, we adjust the cooking so it is still served fresh. Around midsummer it stays light in Southcote until about 9:25pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:10pm, so summer evening events are usually served in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 3:55pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- It starts with your date, venue, numbers and any dietary needs.
- We suggest a menu and confirm a quote, including what’s included.
- On the day, we set up the burners and pans and get the stock going.
- Your guests watch the paella cook, with any tapas served first.
- We serve it hot from the pan and clear our area when service ends.
Preparing for the day
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Name one person we can ask on the day
Ask for a quote
Not sure what you need yet? No problem: give us the basics about your event, and we will suggest a menu. To start, use our quote form.
Read more
Paella catering for your event in Southcote
Two or three pans side by side cover every guest: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. Each is cooked separately. Typical bookings include festivals, fairs and school events and leaving dos and retirements, serving mixed paella, chicken and chorizo paella and paella Valenciana.
There may be a hall or club near Southcote if your garden is small; 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.
Places near Southcote
Also in Southcote
Organising for someone else?
If you’re planning an event on someone’s behalf, whether you’re a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we will work directly with you and the venue. It saves passing messages back and forth.
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we’ll explain how it works. We’re happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
Live paella in Southcote: local details
Southcote is about 2 miles west of Reading, in Reading. Wherever your event is in the RG30 area, we can cook for your guests. Southcote is one of 34 places in Reading where we cook.
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Manor Primary School, can book us as a food stall. Historic houses near Southcote include Mapledurham House (3.1 miles north). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
Anywhere in RG30, RG31 and RG1, we can bring paella catering to you. That could mean an event in a garden on Bath Road, Dwyer Road and Brunel Road or the roads around them. For events just outside Southcote, we cover Fords Farm (1 mile west), Horncastle (1 mile west), Burghfield Bridge (1 mile south-west), Tilehurst Within (1 mile north-west) and Norcot (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Caversham (3 miles north-east), Shinfield (4 miles south-east), Arborfield Garrison (6 miles south-east), Caversham Heights (3 miles north), Whitley Wood (3 miles south-east) and Sonning Common (5 miles north).
Other landmarks nearby include Beaumys Castle (4.7 miles south) and Battle Hospital (1.3 miles north-east). Open spaces near Southcote include Sonning Hill and South Lake.
- Schools near Southcote include Prospect School (0.5 miles north-west) and Elvian School (0.6 miles north-east)
- Nearby, you’ll find The Happy Prospect pub (within half a mile east)
Questions from Southcote
We are having a ceremony at St Matthew's: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking usually happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
Is Southcote close to London?
Roughly 40 miles from the centre of London, and we cover it as standard.
What does paella catering cost?
The price depends on numbers, menu, courses, staff and travel. Send us the details for a quote.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Yes. Children frequently love a simple chicken paella. Include children in your numbers.
Do you cater in Southcote?
We do. We cook at events in Southcote and across Reading. Tell us your date and we’ll check availability.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We pack down our cooking area after service. Clearing guests’ plates and tables can be added with waiting staff.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
We can cook a gluten-free paella in its own pan. Let us know about coeliac guests in advance so we can plan it carefully.
What areas do you cover?
We cater across London and the South East, Reading included. See all areas.
Perfect for your event in Southcote
Paella is quick to serve and suits mixed diets, so it suits all kinds of occasions. It also gives guests something to watch and talk about.
Live paella suits almost any gathering. In Southcote, people book us for occasions like:
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Birthday celebrations
- Summer garden parties
- Christenings and family gatherings
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Reading Green Park station, about 1.1 miles south.
What your quote should include
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- Space, access and power needs
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- Allergen information for each dish
What paella catering costs
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, depending on:
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Parking and unloading
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- How long we are needed on site
The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, along with staff, extras and travel. We quote for each event individually.
Details that help
When you get in touch, it helps to tell us:
- Anything your venue supplies
- Expected numbers
- A photo of the space, if you can
- The date and rough timings
Every quote is put together for your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we will confirm whether we’re available that day.
The menu, dish by dish
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella isn’t an afterthought: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Mixed paella
A mix of chicken and seafood.
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Food trucks and street-food vans serve one portion at a time. A big pan serves many guests fast, which suits weddings and parties where everyone eats together. Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so tell us about the venue when you ask for a quote. Everything is confirmed in writing.
Why book with us
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- Fast service from the pan
- A clear, itemised quote
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
Read Our prices page And The cost guide.
Planning the cooking area
Before the day, we will agree where we cook. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we will tell you honestly.
Menu ideas
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and handles separate pans for each diet.
- 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