Hampshire · England
Paella Catering for Totton events
We cook live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event across Totton and Hampshire, with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal options.
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Retirement celebrations
- Weddings and evening receptions
Paella catering near Totton
How our paella catering works in Totton
We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook the paella in front of your guests. Once it is ready, we serve it hot from the pan. On the menu are seafood paella, black rice and paella Valenciana, and typical bookings are for birthday celebrations and office lunches and staff parties.
In Totton, gardens come in all sizes, and most can work for live paella. A gazebo over the cooking spot covers you for rain. The paella is served straight from the pan, so it is hot and generous, and service is quick once it is ready.
Dishes our guests love
Paella Valenciana
In Valencia, the recipe is fiercely debated. The classic version is chicken, green beans and butter beans with saffron.
Mixed paella
Paella mixta combines meat and seafood in one pan.
Planners, venues and businesses
If you’re organising for someone else, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we are happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It keeps things simple.
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: where cooking is allowed, access times and the paperwork they need. Send us your venue’s requirements and we’ll follow them.
Diets, allergies and planning
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To get it right:
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Make sure each pan is labelled
Let the paella rest for a few minutes before serving, and that is when we invite guests up.
We can add sangria and bar staff for your own drinks.
FAQs for Totton
We are having a ceremony at Church of St Winfred: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking normally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
Do you cater in the New Forest National Park?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We will work to whatever the site needs.
Do you do starters?
Of course. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, while the rice is cooking.
Can you provide dessert?
Yes, Spanish desserts can be added. Tell us what you have in mind in your enquiry.
How do you work out quantities?
Quantities depend on numbers, timing and courses, with a sensible margin. Give us accurate numbers for the best result.
Which paellas suit our guests?
Two or three is usual: chicken or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. See the sample menu.
How many paellas should we have?
Most events have two or three: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We’ll help you decide the split.
Can you serve drinks?
Sangria can be added, and provide bar staff to serve drinks you supply.
Perfect for your event in Totton
Paella is one of the few dishes that handles mixed diets easily, because each version is cooked in its own pan. Nobody gets a token ‘special meal’.
Whatever you are celebrating in Totton, live paella can be the centrepiece. We regularly cater:
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Big birthdays
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St Winfred, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Comparing caterers
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- How late numbers can change
- The deposit and payment dates
- A clear list of what’s included
Nearby places to Totton
More for events in Totton
The process
A typical event goes like this: we arrive, set up and start cooking, your guests watch the rice cook, and it is served hot from the pan when you are ready to eat. Evenings in Totton stay light until about 9:25pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:10pm; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- Start with the date, the place and the numbers.
- Expect a menu idea and a clear, itemised price.
- A week or so before, we confirm the plan.
- On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
- We serve, then leave our area tidy.
Before we arrive
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Ensure we can park close by to unload
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
Get a quote
We quote for each event separately, so you only pay for what you need. To ask for one, send us your details through our quote form.
Planning help
Paella catering around Totton
Totton is about 5 miles west of Southampton, in Hampshire. Anywhere in SO40, we will come to your venue or garden. We cater in all 683 towns and villages across Hampshire, from the larger towns to small villages.
Historic houses near Totton include Southampton Tudor House and Garden (4.5 miles east) and Medieval Merchant's House (4.6 miles east). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one. For guests coming by train, Totton station is about 1 mile away. The New Forest National Park is within about 5 miles of Totton. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours. The coast is within about 5 miles of Totton, and seafood paella always feels right near the sea. Sea breezes can be strong, so we plan a sheltered cooking spot.
We cook at events all over the SO40 postcode area and the streets around it. Streets in the area include High Street, Station Road South and Tedder Way, and we can cook for an event on any of them. You will find Totton on the A35 and A36, which makes it straightforward to bring the equipment. We also cook at events in Ashurst Bridge (1 mile south-west), Hounsdown (1 mile south), Netley Marsh (1 mile west), Hillstreet (2 miles north) and Woodlands (2 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Winchester (13 miles north-east), Eastleigh (8 miles north-east), Fareham (14 miles east), Chandler's Ford (7 miles north-east), Hedge End (9 miles east) and Lymington (11 miles south).
A little further out are Tatchbury Mount Hospital (1.3 miles north-west) and Eling Experience (0.8 miles east). Not far away are Testwood Lakes.
- Local schools include Hounsdown School (1.1 miles south-east)
- Pubs nearby include The Cross Keys Public House (0.8 miles east)
DIY paella versus live catering
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it is in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but you will still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. We take care of all of it.
Planning the cooking area
Before the day, we will agree where we cook. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we will tell you honestly.
Popular choices
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
What paella catering costs
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, because of:
- Your choice of paellas
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Parking and unloading
- How many guests are eating
Cost depends on guest numbers, the menu and the courses, plus any staff, crockery and travel. We quote for each event individually.
Details that help
These details help us quote quickly:
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- The date and rough timings
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- The venue or postcode
We need only a few details to quote: date, location, guest numbers and diets. You can fill in our quote form.
- 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