Hampshire · England
Live paella catering in The Hangers, Hampshire
Bring the theatre of live paella to your event in The Hangers. We cook from scratch on site, then served hot from the pan.
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Big birthdays
- Family celebrations and christenings
Paella catering for The Hangers events
About our paella catering in The Hangers
You can keep it simple or build a full menu: paella on its own, or with canapés, table tapas, desserts and sangria. We will suggest what suits your event. We are often asked to cater leaving dos and retirements and anniversary celebrations, with seafood paella, paella Valenciana and mixed paella.
In a rural place like The Hangers, the setting does plenty of the work: a paella cooking in a garden or field feels right at home. Let us know about access and ground conditions. Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included, each in a separate pan and clearly labelled.
FAQs for The Hangers
How far is The Hangers from London?
About 60 miles from central London, and we cover it as standard.
Which station should guests use for The Hangers?
Botley station, about 4.7 miles south-west of the centre.
Which areas do you serve?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
What does paella catering cost?
We quote for each event, so you only pay for what you need. Give us your date, numbers and menu ideas and we’ll reply with a price.
Can you do sangria?
We can make sangria, and we can staff a bar with your drinks.
Do you provide plates and cutlery?
Yes, on request. Crockery, cutlery and napkins, or good-quality disposables can be added to your booking.
Do you bring everything you need?
Pans, burners and ingredients all come with us. You just need a suitable spot and access.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Yes, children are easy to cater for. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we’ll plan a pan with them in mind.
Why choose live paella in The Hangers?
Compared with a hog roast or barbecue, paella makes vegetarian, vegan and halal guests easier to cater for, because each paella has its own pan. Service from the pan keeps queues moving. Live paella pricing depends on the event. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. Your quote spells it all out.
Why us?
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
Read How we price Or Our guide to catering costs.
Prices and what affects them
Two events with the same number of guests can cost different amounts, depending on:
- The length of service
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Waiting and bar staff
- Distance and access to the venue
The cost per head typically falls as numbers rise, since the set-up is much the same either way. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Getting an accurate quote
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what’s useful:
- The address or venue name
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
Not sure what you need yet? No problem: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we will suggest a menu. Start when you are ready: send us your details through our quote form.
DIY paella versus live catering
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. The usual problems are a pan too big for the burner, too much rice and stirring once the rice is in. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
Planning for every diet
Paella is one of the easiest dishes for mixed diets, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. Here are a few tips for planning:
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Mention any other courses or food
A short rest after cooking helps, which is when we typically call guests over.
Add canapé tapas with the drinks or table tapas as a starter as the rice cooks.
Nearby places to The Hangers
What else we do in The Hangers
About the dishes
Black rice
Squid ink rice is bold and savoury, and is popular with adventurous guests.
Mixed paella
Paella mixta combines meat and seafood in one pan, and it’s often the first pan to empty.
Where we can cook in The Hangers
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so the cooking area needs a little planning. These are the things we check:
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- Somewhere close to park and unload
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before booking.
What we offer
- Vegan paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Chicken & chorizo paella
The Hangers: venues, travel and local tips
The Hangers is about 6 miles north-east of Hedge End, in Hampshire. Wherever your event is in the SO32 area, we can bring the pans to you. The Hangers is one of 683 places in Hampshire we cover. Our events stretch from The Hangers to Southampton (about 10 miles away).
If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Bishops Waltham Infant School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
We cater events across the SO32 postcode area. We also cook at events in Dean (1 mile west), Upper Swanmore (1 mile south-east), Swanmore (2 miles south), Hill Grove (2 miles south) and Droxford (2 miles east). Further out, we also cater in Winchester (8 miles north-west), Gosport (11 miles south), Havant (11 miles south-east), Eastleigh (7 miles west), Fareham (8 miles south) and Horndean (9 miles south-east).
Other landmarks nearby include Bishop's Waltham Museum (1.6 miles south-west). Not far away are Beacon Hill and Bishops Waltham Branch LNR.
- Nearby schools include Swanmore College of Technology (2 miles south)
Perfect for your event in The Hangers
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.
Big or small, live paella works well. Typical bookings include:
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Summer garden parties
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
For guests coming by train, Botley station is about 4.7 miles away.
Questions to ask before you book
- Allergen information for each dish
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- Exactly what’s included in the price
How the day works
The cooking is part of the entertainment. We start with the sofrito, add the stock and saffron, then spread the rice across the pan and leave it alone to cook while your guests chat. Evenings in The Hangers stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:10pm; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- Send us your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan a menu that covers every diet.
- We arrive early to set up the burners and pans.
- The sofrito, stock and rice go in, and guests gather to watch.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
Preparing for the day
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Share the running order, including any speeches
Ask for a quote
We need only a few details to quote: date, location, guest numbers and diets. To send them, use our quote form.
Planning help
- 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