Hampshire · England
Paella Catering in Upper Chute
Paella for every guest: meat, seafood, vegetarian and vegan pans side by side. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Upper Chute.
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Engagement and anniversary parties
Paella catering near Upper Chute
Paella catering in Upper Chute, cooked live
Live paella catering means we bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients to your event and cook in front of your guests. Once it is ready, we serve it hot from the pan. On the menu are mixed paella, vegetable paella and vegan paella, and we are often booked for weddings and evening receptions and fairs, fêtes and festivals.
Somewhere like Upper Chute, a field or garden is often the perfect setting. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. All the cooking equipment comes with us, and we clear our cooking area away afterwards.
How it works
The paella is cooked in giant, shallow pans over gas burners. It needs a level spot with some shelter and good ventilation, and we agree where that is before the day. Around midsummer it stays light in Upper Chute until about 9:25pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:10pm, so summer evening events are generally served in daylight. In December it’s dark by about 4:00pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- Contact us with the basics: when, where and how many.
- 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
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Make sure the spot is clear of anything flammable
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
Ask for a quote
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, along with any dietary needs, and we will reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
Before you choose a spot
Before the day, we’ll agree where we cook. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before booking.
Menu ideas
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
Live paella in Upper Chute: local details
Upper Chute is about 6 miles north-west of Andover, in Hampshire. Wherever your event is in the SP11 area, we’ll come to your venue or garden. We cook in 683 places across Hampshire. Our nearest city page is Southampton, about 26 miles away.
This part of Hampshire takes in SP11. Other places close to Upper Chute for paella catering include Chute Forest (2 miles south-east), Tangley (2 miles east), Redenham (3 miles south), Faberstown (3 miles south) and Clanville (3 miles south-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Andover (6 miles south-east), Tidworth (5 miles south-west), Ludgershall (3 miles south-west), Whitchurch (11 miles east), East Anton (6 miles south-east) and Overton (14 miles east).
Well-known places in the area include Andover War Memorial Hospital (5.8 miles south-east) and Ludgershall Castle (2.8 miles south-west).
- Local pubs include Hatchet Inn (0.9 miles south-east)
Prices and what affects them
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, depending on:
- How many guests are eating
- Travel, parking and access
- Your choice of paellas
- How many courses
When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
What to tell us
You don’t need everything decided to ask for a quote, but these help:
- A photo of the space, if you can
- Expected numbers
- Your date and when you want to eat
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. To send your details, use our quote form.
Questions from Upper Chute
We are having a ceremony at Church of St Nicholas: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking generally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
Is Upper Chute close to London?
About 65 miles from central London, and well within our area.
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 is live paella catering?
Every event is quoted individually, based on what you actually want. Tell us your date and numbers for a clear quote.
Is halal food available?
Yes, on request. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and we will cook a separate pan.
What seafood can we have?
Seafood choices are agreed when we plan the menu, including premium options if you want them.
Which paellas do you recommend?
It depends on your guests. A chicken or mixed paella is usually the most popular, with seafood and vegetable pans alongside.
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.
A closer look at the menu
Black rice
Squid ink rice is bold and savoury, and is popular with adventurous guests.
Paella Valenciana
The original paella from Valencia is a countryside dish of chicken and vegetables, not seafood. It’s often the most popular pan at an event.
Planning for every diet
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To make it work smoothly:
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
Let the paella rest for a few minutes before serving, which is when we normally call guests over.
Sangria and bar staff can be added to serve drinks you provide.
Places near Upper Chute
Other catering in Upper Chute
Who books paella catering in Upper Chute?
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’.
These are some of the occasions we cater:
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Birthday celebrations
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Nicholas, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
What your quote should include
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- Allergen information for each dish
- When final numbers are due
- What happens if it rains
DIY paella versus live catering
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.
Weighing up DIY against 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.
Planners, venues and businesses
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
If you’re planning an event on someone’s behalf, whether you’re a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we are happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It keeps things simple.
- 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