Hampshire · England
Paella Catering for Up Nately events
Planning paella catering in Up Nately? We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook in front of your guests.
- Anniversary celebrations
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Weddings and evening receptions
Paella catering for Up Nately events
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. We are happy to give you a quote to compare.
Some hosts like to cook themselves. 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 be with your guests, we’ll do the cooking.
Paella catering in Up Nately, made fresh on the day
Watching it cook is part of the experience. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the smell does the rest. On the menu are seafood paella, paella Valenciana and black rice, and we are frequently booked for big birthdays and retirement and leaving parties.
In a rural place like Up Nately, the setting does a lot of the work: a paella cooking in a garden or field feels right at home. Let us know about access and ground conditions. We serve straight from the pan, so it is hot and generous, and a queue moves quickly.
A closer look at the menu
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. The shellfish is added late so it stays tender.
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.
Your questions about paella catering in Up Nately
We’re having a ceremony at Church of St. Stephen: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking typically happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
Is Up Nately too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Let us know about access and parking.
Do you cook inside?
Only in a suitable, well-ventilated area with the venue’s permission. Most events have us cooking outside or in a doorway or courtyard.
Is the paella gluten-free?
We can, if you tell us in advance. The rice is gluten-free, but stocks and chorizo can contain gluten, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
Can you provide dessert?
Yes. Churros, crema catalana and tarta de Santiago are popular choices, or you can serve your own cake.
Can you do sangria?
Yes, sangria. We can also supply bar staff for your own drinks.
How many different paellas?
Two or three covers most guests. Tell us about your guests’ diets and we’ll suggest the mix.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes. Vegetarian and vegan paellas are cooked in separate pans, alongside the meat and seafood pans.
Planning for every diet
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To get it right:
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
A short rest after cooking helps, which is when we generally call guests over.
Need plates or staff? We can provide them.
Paella compared with other options
With a barbecue, food comes in waves. Paella is cooked as one big dish and served together. Extras such as tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are priced separately, so you can choose exactly what you need.
What you get with us
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- We cover Up Nately and the whole of Hampshire
- No hidden extras in your quote
See Our prices page Or The cost guide.
What affects the price in Up Nately
These are the factors that matter most:
- Whether you need crockery
- The length of service
- Travel, parking and access
- Waiting and bar staff
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.
Details that help
To speed things up, tell us:
- Your date and when you want to eat
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- The courses you’d like
- What the venue already provides
Send us the date, your venue or RG27 postcode and guest numbers, plus any dietary needs, and you will get a menu idea and a price. To get started, use our quote form.
Where we can cook in Up Nately
Before the day, we’ll agree where we cook. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
What we offer
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
Nearby places to Up Nately
Also in Up Nately
Catering an event in Up Nately
Up Nately is about 5 miles east of Basingstoke, in Hampshire. From the centre of Up Nately to the outskirts, we offer the same service: paella cooked live, every diet catered for and a clear quote. Up Nately is one of 683 places in Hampshire we cover. Our events stretch from Up Nately to Reading (13 miles away).
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Hook station, about 1.7 miles north-east. If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Robert May's School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
Anywhere in RG27, we can cook for your guests, from busy streets to quiet lanes. From Heather Lane, Wood Lane and Greywell Road or a nearby road, we can cook there. Other places close to Up Nately for paella catering include Nately Scures (1 mile north), Greywell (1 mile south-east), Newnham (1 mile north), Hook Common (1 mile north-east) and Warnborough Green (1 mile east). Larger places within reach include Basingstoke (5 miles west), Farnborough (10 miles east), Fleet (7 miles east), Aldershot (10 miles east), Alton (8 miles south) and Yateley (9 miles north-east).
Well-known places in the area include Basing House (2.6 miles west) and Odiham Castle (1.4 miles east). Open spaces near Up Nately include The Mill Field and Tundry Hill.
Step by step
Once the rice is in, we don’t stir it. That’s what gives paella its separate grains and crispy base. Your guests will smell it before they see it. In Up Nately, the sun sets at about 9:25pm in late June and about 7:10pm in late September, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 4:00pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- You share your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan a menu that covers every diet.
- We arrive in good time to set up.
- The paella cooks as guests gather round.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
Before we arrive
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Make sure the spot is clear of anything flammable
- Give us a contact for the day
Ask for a quote
Every event is quoted individually, so you only pay for what you need. To ask for one, fill in our quote form.
Planning help
Occasions we cook for in Up Nately
Few dishes cope with mixed diets like paella, thanks to separate pans for each version. Nobody gets a token ‘special meal’.
These are some of the occasions we cater around Up Nately:
- Community events and fairs
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Big birthdays
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St. Stephen, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
Comparing caterers
- How each diet is kept separate
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- Space, access and power needs
- VAT, if it applies
- 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