Hampshire · England
Paella Catering in Tadley
Love Paella cooks live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Tadley and nearby, catering for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests.
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Anniversary celebrations
Paella catering in Tadley
Paella catering in Tadley, cooked live
Watching it cook is part of the experience. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the aroma does the rest. We’re often asked to cater garden get-togethers and community events and fairs, serving black rice, paella Valenciana and vegan paella.
In Tadley, live paella normally means a garden, a hall with outdoor space or a hired venue. All of them work, provided we can park nearby and cook on level ground. The paella is served straight from the pan, so every plate is hot, and service is quick once it’s ready.
Why choose live paella in Tadley?
With a barbecue, food comes in waves. Paella is ready all at once, so everyone eats together. Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so the menu you choose affects the price. Tell us your budget and we will suggest a menu.
Why us?
- Catering across Hampshire, including Tadley
- A quote that spells everything out
- Drinks service on request
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
Before you choose a spot
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We look for:
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- Somewhere close to park and unload
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we will tell you honestly before you book.
Popular choices
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegan paella
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
What’s in the pans
Paella Valenciana
The original paella from Valencia is a countryside dish of chicken and vegetables, not seafood. It is frequently the most popular pan at an event.
Vegetable and vegan paella
The vegetable pan is a dish in its own right: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron.
Working with your venue
Throwing a party at home? Send us a photo of the garden and tell us about access, and we’ll let you know if live paella is a good fit.
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we will keep you updated on timings and set-up.
Planning for every diet
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. Our advice:
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
- Count adults and children separately
Paella is best eaten as soon as it’s ready, so we plan service for when guests are ready to eat.
Finish with churros, crema catalana or tarta de Santiago, or serve your own cake.
What affects the price in Tadley
These are the factors that matter most:
- Your choice of paellas
- Guest numbers
- Timings and hours
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you only pay for what you want.
Details that help
You do not need everything decided to ask for a quote, but these help:
- The date and rough timings
- Roughly how many adults and children
- The courses you’d like
- A photo of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
To get a price, fill in our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we’ll suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Tadley questions
Which station should guests use for Tadley?
Midgham station, about 3.3 miles north-west of the centre.
How far is Tadley from London?
About 46 miles from central London.
Should we have more than one paella?
Two or three covers most guests. Tell us about your guests’ diets and we will suggest the mix.
Is live paella good for a large crowd?
Very much so. We plan the number of pans and serving points around your numbers.
Which paella is most popular?
That depends on who’s coming. Chicken and mixed paellas tend to go first, with seafood and vegetable pans alongside.
Is paella a full meal?
Yes. With bread and salad, paella is a complete main, and tapas or dessert can be added.
Do you do desserts?
We can add a dessert. Tell us what you have in mind when you ask for a quote.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Yes. We cook vegetarian and vegan paellas in their own pans.
Step by step
Watching it cook is half the fun. Onion, garlic, peppers and tomato go in first, then the stock and saffron, then the rice, which cooks without stirring while your guests chat. In Tadley, the sun sets at about 9:25pm in late June and about 7:10pm in late September, so summer evening events are typically served in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 4:00pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- First, tell us about your event.
- You get a menu and an itemised quote.
- We agree timings, access and the cooking spot.
- On the day, we set up and cook in front of your guests.
- It is served straight from the pan, and we clear our area afterwards.
Getting ready for the day
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
How to get a price
Not sure what you need yet? That’s fine: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we will make suggestions. Start when you are ready: send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
Nearby places to Tadley
What else we do in Tadley
Should I cook it myself?
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and don’t stir once the rice goes in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Tadley: venues, travel and local tips
Tadley is about 6 miles north of Basingstoke, in Hampshire. We cook at events in gardens, halls and venues around Tadley. Tadley is one of 683 towns and villages in Hampshire we cover. We cook right across the region, from Tadley to Reading (10 miles away).
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Bishopswood Junior School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. For guests coming by train, Midgham station is about 3.3 miles away.
Anywhere in RG26 and RG7, we can bring paella catering to you, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Local streets include Church Road, Ambrose Road and Wickham Close; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Tadley sits on or near the A340 and B3051, so getting the burners and pans to your event is simple. For events just outside Tadley, we cover Baughurst (1 mile west), Pamber Heath (1 mile east), Heath End (1 mile west), Inhurst (2 miles west) and Aldermaston Soke (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Basingstoke (6 miles south), Fleet (14 miles south-east), Yateley (13 miles east), Hook (9 miles south-east), Popley (5 miles south-east) and Kempshott (8 miles south).
Well-known places in the area include Park Prewett Hospital (5.2 miles south) and Calleva Museum (1.9 miles east).
- Local schools include The Hurst School (1.4 miles west) and The Hurst School (1.4 miles west)
- Local pubs include The Falcon pub (0.5 miles north-west)
- 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