Surrey · England
Paella Catering for Stanford Common events
We cook live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event across Stanford Common and Surrey, catering for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests.
- Birthday celebrations
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Leaving dos and retirements
Paella catering in Stanford Common
Paella catering in Stanford Common, cooked live
Everything is cooked from scratch on site, beginning with a sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, then the stock, saffron and rice. Typical bookings include birthday celebrations and christenings and family gatherings, serving chicken and chorizo paella, seafood paella and black rice.
In a rural place like Stanford Common, the setting does a lot of the work: a huge pan in a garden or field fits perfectly. Let us know about access and ground conditions. Everything is cooked from scratch at your event, not reheated, and served the moment it’s ready.
Events we cater in Stanford Common
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.
Whatever you are celebrating in Stanford Common, live paella can be the centrepiece. We frequently cook for:
- Birthday celebrations
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Christenings and family gatherings
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St Michael and All Angels, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
What to look for in a quote
- The wet-weather plan
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- Payment terms and deposit
Places near Stanford Common
More for events in Stanford Common
Step by step
Watching it cook is half the fun. We start with the sofrito, add the stock and saffron, then spread the rice across the pan and leave it alone to cook. Around midsummer it stays light in Stanford Common until about 9:20pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:05pm, so summer evening events are generally served in daylight. In December it is dark by about 3:55pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- We start with a few details 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.
Before we arrive
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Ensure the spot is clear of anything flammable
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
Getting a price
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, plus any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. Just fill in our quote form.
Read more
Your questions about paella catering in Stanford Common
We’re having a ceremony at Church of St Michael and All Angels: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking generally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
Could we have live paella in Burner's Heath and Swallows Pond?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, usually the council. Check with them, and we will provide our paperwork.
Does paella work for big events?
Yes. Large pans and fast service from the pan make it well suited to crowds.
What if the weather’s bad?
A covered, ventilated spot keeps us cooking in the rain. We will make a plan B with you.
Do you bring everything you need?
We bring the pans, burners and ingredients. You provide a suitable spot and access.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes, and they’re popular with everyone. Each is cooked separately, with its own stock and utensils.
Can you supply plates?
Yes, on request. Proper crockery or quality disposables can be added to your booking.
Do you come to Stanford Common?
Yes. We cater across London and the South East, and Stanford Common is within our area and the rest of Surrey. To check your date, use our quote form.
Planners, venues and businesses
Hosting a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we’ll tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
Organising a club, school or community event in Stanford Common? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we will suggest a menu.
What paella catering costs
Every event is priced individually, and the price depends on a few things:
- Travel, parking and access
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- How many staff you need
- Timings and hours
Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so the menu you choose affects the price. We will suggest options to suit your budget.
Details that help
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what to include:
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Which courses you have in mind
- Anything your venue supplies
- The date and time of the event
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. To send your details, use our quote form.
Paella compared with other options
With a barbecue, food comes in waves. Paella is cooked as one big dish and served together. Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so tell us about the venue when you ask for a quote. The full price is confirmed before booking.
Why Stanford Common hosts choose us
- Catering across Surrey, including Stanford Common
- A clear, itemised quote
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
- Live cooking, not reheated food
Paella catering around Stanford Common
Stanford Common is about 4 miles north-west of Guildford, in Surrey. Events in Stanford Common are planned around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. We cover all 395 towns and villages in Surrey, from the larger towns to small villages.
Historic houses near Stanford Common include Wanborough Manor (3.5 miles south) and Guildford Castle (4.4 miles south-east). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you are booking one. Parks such as Burner's Heath and Swallows Pond usually need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there.
Here we cover the GU24 postcode area, so your event can be anywhere in it. That could mean an event in a garden on Ash Road, Upper Stanford Road and Aldershot Road or the roads around them. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Pirbright (1 mile north), Worplesdon (1 mile east), Willey Green (2 miles south), Fairlands (2 miles south-east) and Normandy (2 miles south-west). Further out, we also cater in Guildford (4 miles south-east), Woking (4 miles north-east), Camberley (5 miles north-west), Farnham (8 miles south-west), Egham (11 miles north) and Walton-on-Thames (12 miles north-east).
Well-known places in the area include Guildford Castle (4.4 miles south-east) and Brookwood Hospital (2.6 miles north-east). Open spaces near Stanford Common include Hog's Back and Ash Ranges.
- Nearby, you will find White Hart pub (0.9 miles north)
Before you choose a spot
If a space isn’t suitable, we will tell you, and help find another spot. What matters most:
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- Somewhere close to park and unload
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we’ll say what we think before you book.
Menu ideas
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
- Vegan paella
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
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.
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 for dozens of people takes experience. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
The menu, dish by dish
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. Shellfish goes in towards the end so it stays tender.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella is not an afterthought: artichokes, beans, peppers and saffron.
- 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