Hampshire · England
Paella Catering for Upper Swanmore events
Something for every guest: separate pans for meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan guests. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Upper Swanmore.
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Naming days and family parties
- Big birthdays
Paella catering for Upper Swanmore events
DIY paella versus live catering
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but you will still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. We take care of all of it.
Paella catering in Upper Swanmore, made fresh on the day
A single cooking set-up can feed a crowd, there’s very little waste, and the food arrives hot. It is why live paella suits so many kinds of event. Popular choices include chicken and chorizo paella, vegetable paella and mixed paella, and we are regularly asked to cater garden parties and summer barbecues and leaving dos and retirements.
Somewhere as small as Upper Swanmore, a garden or field is frequently the venue. Tell us about narrow lanes or long drives and we will plan for them, and a firm spot near where we park makes set-up easier. Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included, each in a separate pan and clearly labelled.
Prices and what affects them
The price comes down to a few factors:
- The paellas you choose
- How many courses
- Guest numbers
- Parking and unloading
Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you only pay for what you want.
Getting an accurate quote
To check availability and price, we need:
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Where the event is
- The date and time of the event
Not sure what you need yet? That is fine: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll make suggestions. Start when you are ready: fill in our quote form.
Places near Upper Swanmore
What else we do in Upper Swanmore
Planners, venues and businesses
Wedding planners and venue coordinators are welcome to contact us directly, and we’ll keep everyone informed on the day.
Throwing a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we’ll let you know if live paella is a good fit.
Space, weather and the venue
We cook in large pans over gas burners, so the cooking area needs a little planning. Here’s what we look for:
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think.
Popular choices
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
Events we cater in Upper Swanmore
Outdoor events and live paella go together: cooked outside, served hot and shared.
We can help if you are planning any of the following:
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Birthday celebrations
For guests coming by train, Botley station is about 4.4 miles away.
Before you book anyone
- The wet-weather plan
- Who provides the crockery
- Payment terms and deposit
- Exactly what’s included in the price
A closer look at the menu
Vegetable and vegan paella
The vegetable pan is a dish in its own right: artichokes, beans, peppers and saffron.
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, finished with lemon wedges. It is normally the most photographed pan.
Is live paella right for your event?
A cold buffet is simple but has no theatre, and food can sit out for a while. Paella is cooked in front of your guests and served hot. Live paella pricing depends on the event. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. Your quote spells it all out.
Why book with us
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Drinks service on request
Read How we price And The cost guide.
Catering an event in Upper Swanmore
Upper Swanmore is about 6 miles north-east of Hedge End, in Hampshire. For paella catering in Upper Swanmore, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices. Upper Swanmore is one of 683 places in Hampshire we cover. We cook right across the region, from Upper Swanmore to Southampton (about 10 miles away).
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Barnabas, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Swanmore Church of England Aided Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
This part of Hampshire takes in SO32, so your event can be anywhere in it. Your event could be at a home on Vicarage Lane, Green Lane and Well Lane or the roads around them. For events just outside Upper Swanmore, we cover Hill Grove (1 mile south), Swanmore (1 mile south-west), The Hangers (1 mile north-west), Droxford (2 miles north-east) and Dean (2 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Winchester (10 miles north-west), Gosport (10 miles south), Havant (10 miles south-east), Eastleigh (8 miles west), Fareham (7 miles south) and Horndean (8 miles south-east).
A little further out are Bishop's Waltham Museum (1.9 miles west) and Knowle Hospital (5.1 miles south). Green spaces nearby include St Clair's Meadow and Beacon Hill.
- Schools near Upper Swanmore include Swanmore College of Technology (1.1 miles south-west)
The process
When the rice goes in, it is left alone. That’s how the grains cook evenly and the toasted base, the socarrat, forms. Your guests will smell it before they see it. Around midsummer it stays light in Upper Swanmore until about 9:20pm; 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.
- You tell us the date, venue, guest numbers and any dietary needs.
- We put together a menu and a clear quote.
- We arrive early, set up the cooking area and start the stock.
- Your guests watch the paella cook, with any tapas served first.
- We serve from the pan, then clear our cooking area away.
Getting ready for the day
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Make sure we can park close by to unload
- Give us a contact for the day
Getting a price
We need only a few details to quote: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. You can fill in our quote form.
Planning help
Questions from Upper Swanmore
Is Upper Swanmore too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Let us know about access and parking.
What’s the nearest station to Upper Swanmore for guests?
The closest is Botley station, roughly 4.4 miles away.
Which paella is most popular?
Most events choose two or three: a mixed or chicken paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. See the sample menu.
Do you do starters?
Yes. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, while the rice is cooking.
Can you cook halal paella?
Yes. Halal paella is cooked with halal chicken and no pork or alcohol, in its own pan.
How much paella per person?
Pans are sized to your numbers and other courses. Tell us what else is being served. Our guide to portions explains more.
How much is live paella catering?
It depends on guest numbers, the menu, the courses, staff and travel. Tell us about your event and we’ll send a quote.
Should we have more than one paella?
Two or three is usual: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We’ll help you decide the split.
- 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