Hampshire · England
Live paella catering in Waltham Chase, Hampshire
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Waltham Chase and across Hampshire.
- Community events and fairs
- Garden get-togethers
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
Paella catering for Waltham Chase events
Paella catering in Waltham Chase, made fresh on the day
Keep it simple, or go all out: paella on its own, or with canapés, table tapas, desserts and sangria. We will recommend what fits your event. Typical bookings include company summer parties and leaving dos and retirements, with black rice, chicken and chorizo paella and mixed paella.
Somewhere as small as Waltham Chase, a garden or field is frequently the venue. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and a firm spot near where we park makes set-up easier. We cook every pan in full view of your guests, so it arrives hot and becomes part of the event.
Live paella in Waltham Chase: local details
Waltham Chase is about 5 miles east of Hedge End, in Hampshire. For paella catering in Waltham Chase, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices. We cover 683 places across Hampshire. Our nearest city page is Southampton, about 8 miles away.
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Botley station, about 2.7 miles south-west. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as St John the Baptist Church of England Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
Wherever your event is in SO32, we can cook for your guests. Your event could be at a home on Chase Grove, Club House Lane and Sandy Hill Close. For events just outside Waltham Chase, we cover Bishop's Waltham (2 miles north), Curdridge (2 miles south-west), Ashton (3 miles north), Durley Street (3 miles north-west) and Durley (3 miles west). Within a short drive, we also cover Winchester (10 miles north-west), Gosport (9 miles south), Havant (11 miles south-east), Eastleigh (7 miles west), Fareham (6 miles south) and Horndean (9 miles east).
Nearby you will also find Bishop's Waltham Museum (1.4 miles north-west) and Knowle Hospital (3.7 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Bishops Waltham Branch LNR.
- Local schools include Swanmore College of Technology (0.7 miles north-east)
- Pubs nearby include The Black Dog pub (0.5 miles south)
Occasions we cook for in Waltham Chase
Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets, so it suits all kinds of occasions. It also gives guests something to watch and talk about.
Big or small, live paella works well. Typical bookings include:
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Company summer parties
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Waltham Chase Methodist Church, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
What to look for in a quote
- Whether travel is included
- Space, access and power needs
- How each diet is kept separate
- The wet-weather plan
The process
Your timings come first. If speeches run late or the photos take longer, we hold the paella at the right stage so it’s served at its best. In Waltham Chase, the sun sets at about 9:20pm in late June and about 7:10pm in late September, so summer evening events are generally served 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.
- On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
Getting ready for the day
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
Ask for a quote
Most quotes start with a few simple details: date, location, guest numbers and diets. You can fill in our quote form.
Planning help
Waltham Chase: your questions answered
Is Waltham Chase too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
We are having a ceremony at Waltham Chase Methodist Church: 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.
What about pudding?
We can add a dessert. Tell us what you have in mind when you ask for a quote.
What is live paella catering?
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.
What does paella catering cost?
We quote for each event, so you only pay for what you need. Give us your date, numbers and menu ideas and we will reply with a price.
Which paellas suit our guests?
Most events choose two or three: chicken or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. See the sample menu.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Yes. Children frequently love a simple chicken paella. Include children in your numbers.
What equipment do you bring?
Pans, burners and ingredients all come with us. You provide a suitable spot and access.
A closer look at the menu
Paella Valenciana
In Valencia, the recipe is fiercely debated. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans.
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, cooked until the rice is golden. It’s usually the most photographed pan.
Catering for every guest
Allergies and diets are taken seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Ensure most guests can sit to eat
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Mention any other courses or food
After service, we pack down our cooking area, quietly and quickly.
Add canapé tapas with the drinks or table tapas as a starter while the paella cooks.
Space, weather and the venue
Most outdoor spaces and many venues work for live paella, but a few things matter:
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we will tell you honestly before booking.
Menu ideas
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
Paella compared with other options
Vans serve one order at a time. A paella pan serves many portions quickly, which suits weddings and parties where everyone eats together. The cost per head typically falls as numbers rise, since the set-up is much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
Why Waltham Chase hosts choose us
- A clear, itemised quote
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Catering across Hampshire, including Waltham Chase
Take a look at Our prices page And Our guide to catering costs.
Working with your venue
If you are planning an event on someone’s behalf, whether you are a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we are happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It saves passing messages back and forth.
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so everyone eats promptly. Let us know how long the food break is.
Nearby places to Waltham Chase
Other catering in Waltham Chase
Prices and what affects them
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- The length of service
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Distance and access to the venue
- Guest numbers
Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
What to tell us
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what to include:
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- Expected numbers
- The date and rough timings
Not sure what you need yet? That’s fine: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll make suggestions. Start when you’re ready: use 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