Hampshire · England
Paella Catering in Water End
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Water End: paella cooked from scratch in giant pans, in full view of your guests.
- Birthday celebrations
- Retirement celebrations
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
Book paella catering in Water End
Paella catering in Water End, made fresh on the day
We cook every paella from scratch on the day, beginning with a sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, followed by stock, saffron and rice. We cook seafood paella, chicken and chorizo paella and vegetable paella, and we’re regularly asked to cater fairs, fêtes and festivals and retirement and leaving parties.
In a rural place like Water End, the setting does plenty of the work: a paella cooking in a garden or field feels right at home. Let us know about access and ground conditions. Tapas, canapés, desserts, sangria and staff can all be added, so one booking can cover the whole menu.
How we price paella catering
These are the factors that matter most:
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Travel, parking and access
- Guest numbers
Cost depends on guest numbers, the menu and the courses, plus any staff, crockery and travel. We quote for each event individually.
What we need to know
The more we know about your event, the better we can plan. Please include:
- A photo of the space, if you can
- The date and time of the event
- Where the event is
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. When you are ready, fill in our quote form.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
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 enjoy the party, let us cook.
About the dishes
Seafood paella
The secret is a well-made seafood stock. Shellfish goes in towards the end so it stays tender.
Black rice
Squid ink rice is bold and savoury, and is popular with adventurous guests.
FAQs for Water End
We’re having a ceremony at St Swithun's church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is generally elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
How far is Water End from London?
Roughly 42 miles from the centre of London.
When do you arrive?
It depends on the menu and numbers. We’ll agree arrival, cooking and serving times with you.
Do we need to provide equipment?
Pans, burners and ingredients all come with us. You just need a suitable spot and access.
Can you serve drinks?
We can make sangria, and provide bar staff to serve drinks you supply.
What is live paella catering?
We arrive with pans, burners and ingredients, cook in front of your guests, and serve when you are ready to eat.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
A gluten-free pan is no problem. Let us know about coeliac guests in advance so we take the right care.
What seafood can we have?
Tell us your preferences and we’ll suggest seafood options to suit your menu and budget. Premium shellfish can be added.
What happens on the day
When we arrive, we set up the burners and pans and start cooking the sofrito and stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, so the timing is planned around your event. In Water End, the sun sets at about 9:25pm in late June and about 7:10pm in late September, so summer evening events are usually served in daylight. In December it’s dark by about 4:00pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- Send us your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including every diet.
- We arrive early to set up the burners and pans.
- The sofrito, stock and rice go in, and guests gather to watch.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
How to prepare
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
Getting a price
We quote for each event separately, so you only pay for what you need. For a quote, send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
For event organisers in Water End
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Water End? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we’ll suggest a menu.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
Nearby places to Water End
Other catering in Water End
Why choose live paella in Water End?
Next to a hog roast or barbecue, paella makes vegetarian, vegan and halal guests easier to cater for, because each paella has its own pan. Service from the pan keeps queues moving. The cost per head typically falls as numbers rise, since the set-up is much the same either way. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Why book with us
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Catering across Hampshire, including Water End
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
Read How we price Or What paella catering costs.
Space, weather and the venue
If a space is not suitable, we will tell you, and suggest an alternative. What matters most:
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Level ground for the pans and burners
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think.
On the menu in Water End
- Vegan paella
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
Paella catering around Water End
Water End is about 4 miles east of Basingstoke, in Hampshire. We bring paella catering to gardens, halls and venues around Water End. Water End is one of 683 places in Hampshire we cover. You can also see our page for Reading, about 12 miles away.
If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like St Swithun's church, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. Historic houses near Water End include The Vyne (4.1 miles north-west). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
Here we cover the RG24 postcode area, so your event can be anywhere in it. For events just outside Water End, we cover Andwell (1 mile south-west), Mapledurwell (1 mile south), Old Basing (2 miles west), Wildmoor (2 miles north) and Lychpit (2 miles west). Larger places within reach include Basingstoke (4 miles west), Farnborough (11 miles east), Fleet (7 miles east), Aldershot (11 miles east), Alton (9 miles south) and Yateley (9 miles north-east).
Well-known places in the area include Basing House (1.9 miles west) and Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital (4.4 miles west). Not far away are Dogmersfield Lake and The Mill Field.
Why choose paella catering in Water End?
It suits relaxed, sociable events, with guests mingling as it cooks and then sit down to share.
Whatever the occasion, paella can be the star of the food. We frequently cook for:
- Big birthdays
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Engagement and anniversary parties
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Hook station, about 2.1 miles east.
Comparing caterers
- Staff numbers and hours
- A clear list of what’s included
- If the price includes VAT
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- 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