Surrey · England
Live paella catering in The Chart, Surrey
Paella for every guest: separate pans for meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan guests. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in The Chart.
- Birthday celebrations
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Retirement and leaving parties
Paella catering in The Chart
Paella catering in The Chart, cooked live
Keep it simple, or go all out: paella on its own, or with canapés, table tapas, desserts and sangria. We’ll suggest what suits your event. We are often asked to cater anniversaries and engagement parties and wedding breakfasts and evening food, serving chicken and chorizo paella, vegetable paella and paella Valenciana.
Somewhere like The Chart, a field or garden is often the perfect setting. Mention gates and soft ground when you get in touch. We plan the timings around your day, whether that is speeches, a lunch break or a festival schedule.
Live paella or other catering?
If you want something different from the usual buffet or roast, live paella brings colour, aroma and a touch of Spain. The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, plus any staff, crockery and travel. Every event gets its own quote.
Why us?
- Events in The Chart and across Surrey
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- A quote that spells everything out
See Our pricing Or The cost guide.
Live paella in The Chart: local details
The Chart is about 6 miles south-east of Caterham, in Surrey. Events in The Chart are planned around your venue and timings: a quote, a plan and live cooking on the day. The Chart is one of 395 places in Surrey we cover. We cook right across the region, from The Chart to London (about 18 miles away).
For a christening or wedding at a church such as St Andrew's, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Limpsfield CofE Infant School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
For paella catering in RH8, we plan around your venue and timings. From Stoneleigh Road, St Andrews Way and Ridlands Lane or a nearby road, we can cook there. We also cook at events in Pains-Hill (1 mile west), Moorhouse Bank (1 mile north-east), Goodley Stock (1 mile east), Limpsfield (1 mile north-west) and Crockham Hill (1 mile south-east). Larger places within reach include Epsom (15 miles north-west), Horley (10 miles south-west), Redhill (9 miles west), Ewell (15 miles north-west), Reigate (10 miles west) and Caterham (6 miles north-west).
A little further out are Tandridge Priory (0.6 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Botley Hill and Bay Pond.
- Local schools include Hazelwood School (1.3 miles west) and Oxted School (1.9 miles west)
- Nearby, you’ll find Carpenters Arms (less than half a mile south)
The process
Serving is fast: we serve straight from the pan, so even a long queue moves. When service is finished, we pack down. Evenings in The Chart stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:05pm; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- You tell us the date, venue, guest numbers and any dietary needs.
- We put together a menu and a clear quote.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up and start the stock.
- The rice cooks in full view, while tapas or canapés go round.
- We serve from the pan, then clear our cooking area away.
Before we arrive
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
- Plan cover in case of rain
How to get a price
Not sure what you need yet? That is fine: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll suggest a menu. To start, use our quote form.
Related guides
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
Occasions we cook for in The Chart
There is no kitchen needed, so it works in gardens, fields and marquees where other catering struggles.
We can help if you’re planning any of the following:
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Birthday celebrations
For guests coming by train, Hurst Green station is about 1.6 miles away.
Before booking anyone
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- Space, access and power needs
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
Dishes our guests love
Mixed paella
A mix of chicken and seafood.
Paella Valenciana
In Valencia, the recipe is fiercely debated. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans.
Your questions about paella catering in The Chart
How far is The Chart from London?
Roughly 18 miles from the centre of London.
Can you cater a reception after a service at St Andrew's?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is typically elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
Can paella be the only main course?
It can be. Paella with bread and salad makes a full main course, and tapas or dessert can be added.
Should we have more than one paella?
Typically two or three, so every guest has a choice. We’ll recommend a mix based on diets.
What areas do you cover?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
How much paella per person?
We size the pans for your numbers and the rest of the menu. Let us know about any other food. Our guide to portions explains more.
Can the paella be cooked in a hall?
Usually we cook outdoors or under a ventilated cover, because we use gas burners. We will check whether your venue has a suitable space.
Do you do desserts?
We can add a dessert. Tell us what you have in mind when you ask for a quote.
Catering for every guest
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. We suggest:
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
- Give us separate numbers for children
- Have seats for most of your guests
If you’ve booked staff, they’ll serve, clear and help keep things moving, so you can relax.
Tapas or canapés make a good start as the rice cooks.
Planners, venues and businesses
If you’re planning an event on someone’s behalf, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we’ll work directly with you and the venue. It saves passing messages back and forth.
Wedding planners and venue coordinators are welcome to contact us directly, and we will keep you updated on timings and set-up.
More for events in The Chart
Planning the cooking area
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so the cooking area needs a little planning. Here’s what we look for:
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we will say what we think.
Menu ideas
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- 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