Oxfordshire · England
Live paella catering in Tackley, Oxfordshire
From the first sizzle of the sofrito to the last spoonful of crispy rice, live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event turns food into part of your event in Tackley.
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
Paella catering in Tackley
About our paella catering in Tackley
There’s something generous about paella: big pans, bright colours and a crispy base everyone wants a spoonful of. It turns a meal into an occasion. For office lunches and staff parties and retirement and leaving parties, we can cook mixed paella, seafood paella and vegan paella for your guests.
In a hamlet or village like Tackley, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Mention gates and soft ground when you contact us. You’ll know exactly what’s included before booking: menu, staff, crockery and anything else you choose, with no surprises on the day.
- Location
- Tackley (OX5)
- Area hub
- Oxfordshire
- Diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Also available
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quotes
- Contact us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
What we need at the venue
We will agree the cooking spot with you before the day. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
Popular choices
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegan paella
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable paella
What happens on the day
When the rice goes in, it is left alone. That’s what gives paella its separate grains and crispy base. Your guests will smell it before they see it. Around midsummer it stays light in Tackley until about 9:30pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:10pm, so summer evening events are usually served in daylight. In December it is dark by about 3:55pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- You tell us the date, venue, guest numbers and any dietary needs.
- You get a suggested menu and an itemised quote.
- 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 from the pan, then clear our cooking area away.
Getting ready for the day
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
- Give us a contact for the day
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
How to get a price
Still deciding on the menu? That is fine: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll suggest a menu. Start when you’re ready: use our quote form.
Read more
About the dishes
Mixed paella
A mix of chicken and seafood, for guests who want a bit of everything.
Paella Valenciana
The original paella from Valencia is a countryside dish of chicken and vegetables, not seafood. It’s a favourite with guests who do not eat fish.
Who books paella catering in Tackley?
There is no kitchen needed, so it’s at home in gardens, fields and marquees where other catering struggles.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. In Tackley, people book us for events such as:
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Naming days and family parties
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
For guests coming by train, Tackley station is in Tackley itself.
What your quote should include
- When payment is due
- What the price includes, item by item
- Whether VAT is included
- How late numbers can change
Prices and what affects them
There are no hidden charges: the price is based on:
- How many courses
- How long we are needed on site
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Your choice of paellas
Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so your choice of paellas affects the total. Tell us your budget and we’ll suggest a menu.
What to tell us
The more we know about your event, the better we can plan. Try to include:
- Where the event is
- A picture of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- The date and time of the event
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. When you are ready, send us your details through our quote form.
Should I cook it myself?
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and don’t stir once the rice goes in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and handles separate pans for each diet.
Diets, allergies and planning
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To make it work smoothly:
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
- Count adults and children separately
- Put allergy details in writing
- Tell us what else is being served
If you’ve booked staff, they’ll serve, clear and help keep things moving, so you can enjoy your guests.
Bread, salad and lemon wedges make the meal go further.
Places near Tackley
Also in Tackley
Live paella in Tackley: local details
Tackley is about 6 miles west of Bicester, in Oxfordshire. We cater events at homes, gardens and venues in Tackley and nearby villages. We cover 443 places across Oxfordshire. We cook right across the region, from Tackley to Oxford (about 10 miles away).
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St Nicholas, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Tackley Church of England Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
We cook at events all over the OX5 postcode area and the streets around it. Local streets include Nethercote Road, St Nicholas Road and St Johns Road; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Close by, we cover events in Bunkers Hill (2 miles south), Shipton-on-Cherwell (2 miles south), Wootton (3 miles west), Thrupp (3 miles south) and Woodstock (3 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Oxford (10 miles south), Banbury (13 miles north), Bicester (6 miles east), Abingdon-on-Thames (14 miles south), Witney (10 miles south-west) and Carterton (15 miles south-west).
Other landmarks nearby include Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum (3.4 miles south-west). The countryside around Tackley includes Woodsides Meadow.
- Nearby, you’ll find The Gardiner Arms (within half a mile west)
Your questions about paella catering in Tackley
What’s the nearest station to Tackley for guests?
Tackley has its own station: Tackley station.
Do you come out to small places like Tackley?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Let us know about access and parking.
Can you cook indoors?
Normally we cook outdoors or under a ventilated cover, because we use gas burners. We will check whether your venue has a suitable space.
Who clears up?
We pack down our cooking area after service. Waiting staff can clear tables if you book them.
How do you work out quantities?
Pans are sized to your numbers and other courses. Tell us what else is being served. Our guide to portions explains more.
Can you cook halal paella?
Yes, we do. We use halal chicken and leave out pork and alcohol, in a separate pan.
Do you cook it at the event?
Yes, always. Every paella is cooked from scratch on site, in front of your guests.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Yes, and meat eaters frequently go back for seconds. They have their own pans, stock and spoons.
For event organisers in Tackley
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, 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.
- 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