Hampshire · England
Paella Catering for The Frenches events
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in The Frenches and across Hampshire.
- Big birthdays
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Retirement celebrations
Live paella catering in The Frenches
Who books paella catering in The Frenches?
Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets, so it suits all kinds of occasions. It also gives guests something to watch and talk about.
Whatever the occasion, paella can be the star of the food. We regularly cater:
- Milestone birthday parties
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Naming days and family parties
If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like Church of All Saints, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
Questions to ask before you book
- What happens if it rains
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- When payment is due
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
How our paella catering works in The Frenches
One cooking area feeds a lot of people, there’s very little waste, and the food is served hot. That is why it works for so many events. Typical bookings include family celebrations and christenings and garden parties and summer barbecues, with black rice, vegetable paella and paella Valenciana.
Somewhere as small as The Frenches, a garden or field is frequently the venue. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and a firm spot near where we park makes set-up easier. All the cooking equipment comes with us, and we clear our cooking area away afterwards.
Organising for someone else?
Organising a club, school or community event in The Frenches? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we’ll suggest a menu.
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so guests are fed quickly. Let us know how long the food break is.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. Ask us for a quote and compare.
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
What paella catering costs
These are the factors that matter most:
- Waiting and bar staff
- The paellas you choose
- How long we’re needed on site
- Whether you need crockery
Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so your choice of paellas affects the total. We’ll suggest options to suit your budget.
What to tell us
When you get in touch, it helps to tell us:
- Your date and when you want to eat
- A photo of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- Where the event is
It’s easy to get a price: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We’ll come back with a clear quote.
A closer look at the menu
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella isn’t an afterthought: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron.
Paella Valenciana
In Valencia, the recipe is fiercely debated. The classic version is chicken, green beans and butter beans with saffron, and it’s a crowd-pleaser.
Towns and villages near The Frenches
What else we do in The Frenches
FAQs for The Frenches
What’s the nearest station to The Frenches for guests?
Mottisfont & Dunbridge station, about 2.5 miles north of the centre.
We are having a ceremony at Church of All Saints: can you cater afterwards?
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.
Which paellas suit our guests?
It depends on your guests. A chicken or mixed paella is typically the most popular, alongside seafood and vegetable or vegan pans.
Can we choose the seafood?
We’ll suggest seafood to suit your menu and budget. Premium options are available.
When should we book?
As early as you can, especially for summer weekends. Ask about your date even if it’s soon.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
We can cook a gluten-free paella in its own pan. Tell us about any coeliac guests when you book so we can plan it carefully.
Where do you cater?
We cater across London and the South East, including Hampshire. See all areas.
How much space do you need?
Not a lot: a level spot clear of fences, hedges and branches, with room for a serving table. If in doubt, send a photo.
Step by step
It is a relaxed, well-organised set-up. We agree arrival and serving times in advance, set up the pans and burners, and get on with cooking and serving. In The Frenches, the sun sets at about 9:25pm in late June and about 7:10pm in late September, so summer evening events are normally served in daylight. For winter events, when it’s dark by about 4:00pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- Contact us with the basics: when, where and how many.
- We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
- A week or so before, we confirm the plan.
- We set up, cook from scratch and keep an eye on your timings.
- We serve, then leave our area tidy.
Before we arrive
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
- Share the running order, including any speeches
How to get a price
Thinking about paella catering for your event in The Frenches? Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll come back with ideas and a quote. To get in touch, send us your details through our quote form.
Planning help
Paella compared with other options
For something a little different, 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, along with staff, extras and travel. We quote for each event individually.
What you get with us
- Drinks service on request
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
Take a look at How we price And What paella catering costs.
Catering an event in The Frenches
The Frenches is about 3 miles west of Romsey, in Hampshire. For an event in The Frenches, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices. The Frenches is one of 683 places in Hampshire where we cook. Our events stretch from The Frenches to Southampton (about 9 miles away).
Historic houses near The Frenches include Mottisfont Abbey (3.1 miles north) and Landford Manor (3.2 miles south-west). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one. If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Embley, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
We cover events in every part of the SO51 postcode area. If your venue is just outside The Frenches, we also cover Shootash (1 mile east), Plaitford Green (2 miles west), West Wellow (2 miles south-west), East Wellow (2 miles south) and Blackhill (3 miles south). Further out, we also cater in Winchester (11 miles east), Eastleigh (10 miles east), Andover (15 miles north), Totton (6 miles south-east), Chandler's Ford (8 miles east) and Hedge End (13 miles south-east).
Other landmarks nearby include Romsey Community Hospital (3.4 miles east) and Romsey Extra (3 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Copythorne Common.
Space, weather and the venue
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We look for:
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
Menu ideas
- Vegan paella
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable 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