Hampshire · England
Paella Catering in Southwood
Treat your guests to live paella at your event in Southwood. We cook from scratch on site, and serve it straight from the pan.
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Naming days and family parties
- Weddings and evening receptions
Paella catering in Southwood
Prices and what affects them
We will give you a clear, itemised quote. The main things that affect it are:
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- The paellas you choose
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Timings and hours
Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so it helps to tell us about your venue. The full price is confirmed before you book.
Getting an accurate quote
You don’t need everything decided to ask for a quote, but these help:
- The courses you’d like
- Expected numbers
- Diets and allergies you know about
- What the venue already provides
Every event is quoted individually, so the price fits what you actually want. To ask for one, send us your details through our quote form.
Paella catering in Southwood, made fresh on the day
We cook every paella from scratch on the day, starting with a slow sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, then the stock, saffron and rice. For weddings, from canapés to evening food and leaving dos and retirements, we can cook black rice, mixed paella and vegetable paella for your guests.
There may be a hall or club near Southwood if your garden is small; any can work for paella, with permission and somewhere outside to cook. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
Occasions we cook for in Southwood
Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets, so it suits all kinds of occasions. It gives people something to gather round, too.
These are some of the occasions we cater in Southwood and Hampshire:
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Milestone birthday parties
- Summer garden parties
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like St John the Baptist, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
Before booking anyone
- VAT, if it applies
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- Staff numbers and hours
Places near Southwood
Also in Southwood
For planners, venues and organisers
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so guests are fed quickly. 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 plan ahead.
Dietary needs and planning tips
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. Our advice:
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Tell us what else is being served
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
After service, we pack down our cooking area, quietly and quickly.
Add canapé tapas with the drinks or table tapas as a starter while the paella cooks.
FAQs for Southwood
Can you cater a reception after a service at St John the Baptist?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking generally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
What’s the nearest station to Southwood for guests?
Fleet station, about 1.5 miles west of the centre.
Do you do desserts?
Yes, Spanish desserts can be added. Let us know if you’d like one when you ask for a quote.
Do you do vegan paella?
Yes. We cook vegetarian and vegan paellas in their own pans, alongside the meat and seafood pans.
Is halal food available?
Yes. We use halal chicken and leave out pork and alcohol, in a separate pan.
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.
Are premium seafood options available?
We will suggest seafood to suit your menu and budget. Premium options are available.
Can you do gluten-free paella?
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.
How the day works
Service is quick: we serve straight from the pan, so even a long queue moves. When service is finished, we pack down. In Southwood, the sun sets at about 9:25pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. In December it’s dark by about 3:55pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- First, tell us about your event.
- You get a menu and an itemised quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- On the day, we set up and cook in front of your guests.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
How to prepare
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Name one person we can ask on the day
Getting a price
Still deciding on the menu? No problem: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll make suggestions. Start when you are ready: fill in our quote form.
Related guides
Paella catering around Southwood
Southwood is about 1 mile west of Farnborough, in Hampshire. Across the GU14 area, we can bring the pans to you. We cover 683 places across Hampshire, from the larger towns to small villages. Our events stretch from Southwood to Guildford (about 10 miles away).
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Southwood Infant School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. For guests coming by train, Fleet station is about 1.5 miles away.
Anywhere in GU14 and GU51, we can bring paella catering to you. Local streets include Fleet Road, Kennels Lane and Summit Avenue; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. If your venue is just outside Southwood, we also cover Cove (1 mile north), Farnborough (1 mile east), North Camp (2 miles east), Mytchett (3 miles east) and Aldershot (3 miles south-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Basingstoke (13 miles west), Alton (12 miles south-west), Yateley (4 miles north-west), Bordon (13 miles south), Hook (7 miles west) and Popley (12 miles west).
Well-known places in the area include Hart Shopping Centre (2.1 miles west) and Royal Army Dental Corps Historical Museum (2.6 miles south-east). Not far away are Aunt's Pool and Ball Hill.
- Local schools include Cove School (1 mile north-east)
- Parks and local facilities nearby include National Aerospace Library (1.7 miles east)
DIY paella versus live catering
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it is 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.
Planning the cooking area
Before the day, we’ll agree where we cook. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we’ll say what we think.
Menu ideas
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
What’s in the pans
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, rather than seafood. It is often the most popular pan at an event.
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. Shellfish goes in towards the end so it stays tender.
- 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