Hampshire · England
Paella Catering in Toothill
Bring the theatre of live paella to your event in Toothill. Everything is cooked fresh on the day, and serve it straight from the pan.
- Retirement celebrations
- Company summer parties
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
Paella catering in Toothill
Paella catering for your event in Toothill
One cooking area feeds a lot of people, very little goes to waste, and the food is served hot. It’s why live paella suits so many kinds of event. For family celebrations and christenings and office lunches and staff parties, we can cook mixed paella, black rice and seafood paella and more.
Somewhere as small as Toothill, a garden or field is often the venue. Tell us about narrow lanes or long drives and we’ll plan for them, and cooking close to where we can park helps. Your quote spells out exactly what’s included: the menu, the staff and any extras.
FAQs for Toothill
What’s the nearest station to Toothill for guests?
Romsey station, about 2.3 miles north-west of the centre.
Is Toothill too small for live paella?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Let us know about access and parking.
What happens with live paella?
We set up a cooking area at your venue, cook the paella from scratch in large pans while your guests watch, and serve it straight from the pan.
Which paellas suit our guests?
It depends on your guests. A chicken or mixed paella is usually the most popular, with seafood and vegetable pans alongside.
Can you bring crockery?
We can. Tell us what your venue provides and we’ll include the rest in the quote.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Yes. A simple chicken paella is normally popular with children. Include children in your numbers.
What if the weather’s bad?
A covered, ventilated spot keeps us cooking in the rain. We’ll talk it through before the day.
How much paella per person?
We size the pans for your numbers and the rest of the menu. Tell us what else is being served. See how much paella per person.
Why choose paella catering in Toothill?
Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets, so it suits all kinds of occasions. It gives people something to gather round, too.
Big or small, live paella works well. Common bookings include:
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Summer garden parties
- Milestone birthday parties
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as The Mountbatten School, can book us as a food stall.
What to look for in a quote
- How bad weather is handled
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- Staff numbers and hours
- When payment is due
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Cold buffets are easy but forgettable, and food can sit out for a while. Paella is cooked live and served hot. The cost per head typically falls as numbers rise, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Why Toothill hosts choose us
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
See How we price And Our guide to catering costs.
Working with your venue
Venues often have their own rules about outside caterers: where cooking is allowed, access times and the paperwork they need. Send us your venue’s requirements and we will follow them.
If you are booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will explain how it works. We are happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
What affects the price in Toothill
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- Guest numbers
- Your choice of paellas
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Waiting and bar staff
The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, plus any staff, crockery and travel. We quote for each event individually.
Details that help
You don’t need everything decided to ask for a quote, but these help:
- A picture of where we’d cook
- The courses you’d like
- The date and rough timings
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
We quote for each event separately, so you only pay for what you need. To ask for one, fill in our quote form.
Other catering in Toothill
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Not sure whether to cook yourself or book a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. We’re happy to give you a quote to compare.
Planning the cooking area
Before the day, we will agree where we cook. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Somewhere close to park and unload
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly.
On the menu in Toothill
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegetable paella
Step by step
Serving is fast: the paella goes straight from the pan to the plate, so even a long queue moves. When service is finished, we pack down. Around midsummer it stays light in Toothill until about 9:25pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:10pm, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. In December it is dark by about 4:00pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- Contact us with the basics: when, where and how many.
- We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
- Closer to the day, we confirm timings and the cooking spot.
- We set up, cook from scratch and keep an eye on your timings.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
Before we arrive
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
Get a quote
Planning paella catering in Toothill? Send us the details and we will reply with a menu and a clear price. Just use our quote form.
Planning help
Toothill: venues, travel and local tips
Toothill is about 2 miles south of Romsey, in Hampshire. We cook at events in homes, gardens and venues in Toothill and the surrounding area. We cover all 683 towns and villages in Hampshire.
Nearby historic houses include South Stoneham House (4.3 miles south-east). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St John, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. Toothill is within about 8 miles of the New Forest National Park, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours. Toothill is within about 6 miles of the sea, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Coastal wind means we plan a sheltered spot.
Wherever your event is in SO51, we can cook for your guests. Nearby, we also cater events in Ashfield (1 mile west), Upton (1 mile south), Lee (1 mile west), Rownhams (1 mile south-east) and North Baddesley (1 mile north-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Winchester (9 miles north-east), Eastleigh (5 miles east), Fareham (14 miles south-east), Totton (4 miles south-west), Chandler's Ford (4 miles north-east) and Hedge End (8 miles south-east).
A little further out are Romsey Extra (1.8 miles north-west) and King Johns House (2.4 miles north-west). The countryside around Toothill includes Emer Bog and Baddesley Common.
Diets, allergies and planning
Paella is one of the easiest dishes for mixed diets, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. A few tips:
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
Once the rice is in, it needs about 20 minutes, so we start it at the right moment for your event. If plans change, tell us and we will adjust.
Sangria and bar staff can be added for your own drinks.
- 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