Hampshire · England
Paella Catering in Sway
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Sway and across Hampshire.
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Milestone birthday parties
- Naming days and family parties
Paella catering for Sway events
Paella catering in Sway, cooked live
Everything is cooked from scratch on site, beginning with a sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, followed by stock, saffron and rice. Popular choices include mixed paella, chicken and chorizo paella and vegan paella, and we are regularly asked to cater staff parties and work lunches and naming days and family parties.
There may be a hall or club near Sway if your garden is small; any can work for paella, with permission and somewhere outside to cook. We cook every pan in full view of your guests, so the food is hot, fresh and part of the occasion.
What’s in the pans
Mixed paella
Chicken and seafood together.
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea.
Other catering in Sway
Is live paella right for your event?
For something a little different, live paella adds colour, smell and theatre. The cost per head generally falls as numbers rise, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Why book with us
- Drinks service on request
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
Read Our pricing Or Our guide to catering costs.
Planning live paella in Sway
Sway is about 3 miles north-west of Lymington, in Hampshire. Events in Sway are planned around your venue and timings: a quote, a plan and live cooking on the day. We cook in all 683 towns and villages in Hampshire. We cook right across the region, from Sway to Southampton (about 13 miles away).
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like St Luke's Church of England Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. For guests coming by train, Sway has its own station, Sway station. Sway is within about 3 miles of the New Forest National Park. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking. The coast is within about 4 miles of Sway, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Coastal wind means we plan a sheltered spot.
Paella catering in SO41 is planned around your venue. We can cater an event on streets such as Station Road, Anderwood Drive and Cruse Close or the roads around them. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Mead End (1 mile west), Tiptoe (1 mile south-west), Hordle (2 miles south), Ashley (2 miles south-west) and Bashley (2 miles west). Larger places within reach include Totton (10 miles north-east), Lymington (3 miles south-east), Romsey (15 miles north), Hythe (10 miles north-east), New Milton (3 miles south-west) and Ringwood (9 miles north-west).
Nearby you’ll also find Lymington New Forest Hospital (2.9 miles south-east) and Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum (3.3 miles south-west). The countryside around Sway includes Milford on Sea LNR.
- Pubs nearby include Forest Heath Hotel (within half a mile south)
How it works
When we arrive, we set up the burners and pans and start cooking the sofrito and stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, so we time everything to your schedule. Evenings in Sway 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.
- 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.
- The paella cooks in front of your guests, with tapas first if you’ve chosen them.
- It is served straight from the pan, and we pack down afterwards.
Getting ready for the day
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Ensure the spot is clear of anything flammable
Get a quote
We quote for each event separately, so the price fits what you actually want. To ask for one, use our quote form.
Related guides
Occasions we cook for in Sway
Live paella is made for outdoor events: it is cooked in the open, served hot and eaten together.
Big or small, live paella works well. Common bookings include:
- Summer garden parties
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Birthday celebrations
- Family celebrations and christenings
For a christening or wedding at a church such as St Luke's Church, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Before you book anyone
- How late numbers can change
- Allergen information for each dish
- What happens if it rains
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
Should I cook it myself?
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it is 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.
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but there is shopping, prep and hours of cooking. We take care of all of it.
Working with your venue
Throwing a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we will tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
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 keeps things simple.
Catering for every guest
We take diets and allergies seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Tell us what else is being served
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Send allergies to us in writing
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
On the day, you shouldn’t have to think about the food. We arrive in good time, set up, cook and serve, and keep in touch with you or your venue about timings.
Add canapé tapas with the drinks or table tapas as a starter as the rice cooks.
How we price paella catering
Your quote will be clear and itemised. What affects it most:
- How many staff you need
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- The paellas you choose
There’s no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. Your quote spells it all out.
What to tell us
You do not need everything decided to ask for a quote, but these help:
- A picture of the space, if you can
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Roughly how many adults and children
- The address or venue name
Most quotes start with a few simple details: date, location, guest numbers and diets. To send them, send us your details through our quote form.
Questions from Sway
Can you cater a reception after a service at St Luke's Church?
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 usually elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
What about events near the coast?
Yes, with a sheltered cooking spot. Sea breezes cool the pan, so a windbreak, building or gazebo helps.
Can the paella be cooked in a hall?
Only in a suitable, well-ventilated area with the venue’s permission. Most events have us cooking outside or in a doorway or courtyard.
Can you provide dessert?
Yes, Spanish desserts can be added. Let us know if you’d like one when you ask for a quote.
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.
Can you do sangria?
Yes, sangria. For other drinks, we can provide bar staff to serve what you buy.
Do you cover Sway?
Yes, we do. Sway is one of the places we cover. Tell us your date and we will check availability.
What happens if it rains?
We cook under cover, like a gazebo or open-sided marquee. We plan for rain with you in advance.
- 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