Isle of Wight · England
Live paella catering in Thorncross, Isle of Wight
Bring the theatre of live paella to your event in Thorncross. Everything is cooked fresh on the day, then served hot from the pan.
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Retirement and leaving parties
Live paella catering in Thorncross
Paella compared with other options
Next to 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. Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you only pay for what you want.
Why choose Love Paella in Thorncross
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- A clear, itemised quote
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
Read Our pricing And The cost guide.
How our paella catering works in Thorncross
The cooking is half the fun. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the smell does the rest. We’re often asked to cater family celebrations and christenings and garden parties and summer barbecues, with vegan paella, chicken and chorizo paella and mixed paella.
In a rural place like Thorncross, the setting does plenty of the work: a huge pan in a garden or field fits perfectly. Let us know about access and ground conditions. We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in a separate pan.
- Where
- Thorncross (PO30)
- County
- Isle of Wight
- Special diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Extras
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Price
- Ask us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Questions from Thorncross
Can you cater a reception after a service at St. Mary's Church?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking usually happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
Is Thorncross too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Do you cater in Thorncross?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, including Thorncross and the rest of the Isle of Wight. For a quote, fill in our quote form.
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 picture.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes, and they’re popular with everyone. They have their own pans, stock and spoons.
How many paellas should we have?
Two or three covers most guests. We will recommend a mix based on diets.
Is it really cooked live?
Yes. We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook it there and then, serving it hot from the pan.
Is paella a full meal?
It is a full meal on its own. Many hosts add tapas first or dessert after.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but there is shopping, prep and hours of cooking. We take care of all of it.
Places near Thorncross
What else we do in Thorncross
Planning live paella in Thorncross
Thorncross is about 6 miles south-west of Newport, in the Isle of Wight. For an event in Thorncross, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices in and around Thorncross. Thorncross is one of 125 places in the Isle of Wight we cover. Our events stretch from Thorncross to Southampton (20 miles away).
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Brighstone Church of England Aided Primary School, can book us as a food stall. If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like St. Mary's Church, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
Wherever your event is in PO30, we can cook for your guests. Close by, we cover events in Brighstone (1 mile north-west), Moortown (1 mile north-west), Shorwell (1 mile north-east), Little Atherfield (2 miles south-east) and Atherfield Green (2 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Newport (6 miles north-east), Ryde (11 miles north-east), Cowes (9 miles north), Sandown (10 miles east), Shanklin (9 miles east) and Ventnor (8 miles east). Remote venues take a little more planning, so contact us in good time.
Nearby you will also find Whitecroft Hospital (4.4 miles north-east) and The Dinosaur Farm Museum (0.5 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Brighstone Down.
- Nearby, you will find The Countryman pub (0.7 miles north)
Where we can cook in Thorncross
Most outdoor spaces and many venues work for live paella, but a few things matter:
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
Thorncross is a more remote spot, so tell us early and we will plan the journey.
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think.
On the menu in Thorncross
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegan paella
Step by step
Expect a friendly, organised team. Arrival and serving times are agreed beforehand, set up the pans and burners, and get on with cooking and serving. Around midsummer it stays light in Thorncross until about 9:20pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:10pm, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 4:05pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- It starts with your date, venue, 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.
- The rice cooks in full view, while tapas or canapés go round.
- It’s served straight from the pan, and we pack down afterwards.
Preparing for the day
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
How to get a price
Each quote is tailored to your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll check availability at the same time.
Read more
A closer look at the menu
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella is not an afterthought: artichokes, beans, peppers and saffron.
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. Shellfish goes in towards the end so it stays tender.
Catering for every guest
A little planning makes sure everyone can eat. Try these:
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
- Mention any other courses or food
- Send allergies to us in writing
After service, we pack down our cooking area.
Need plates or staff? We can provide them.
Organising for someone else?
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Thorncross? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Give us the details and we will suggest a plan.
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
Who books paella catering in Thorncross?
It is ideal for relaxed, sociable occasions, where guests can mingle while it cooks before sitting down to eat.
If you’re planning any of these, we can help:
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Garden get-togethers
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Festivals, fairs and school events
Historic houses near Thorncross include Wolverton Manor (1 mile north-east) and Westcourt Manor (1 mile north-east). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
What your quote should include
- VAT, if it applies
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- Space, access and power needs
- The wet-weather plan
- 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