Surrey · England
Live paella catering in Westborough, Surrey
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 Westborough.
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Company summer parties
Paella catering in Westborough
What happens on the day
From set-up to serving, we look after the food, so you can enjoy your event. Any tapas or canapés are served first while the paella cooks. Around midsummer it stays light in Westborough until about 9:20pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:05pm, so summer evening events are typically served in daylight. In December it is dark by about 3:55pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- First, you send us your date, venue, numbers and diets.
- You get a suggested menu and an itemised quote.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up and start the stock.
- The rice cooks in full view, while tapas or canapés go round.
- We serve it hot from the pan and clear our area when service ends.
Getting ready for the day
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Make sure the spot is clear of anything flammable
Getting a price
The quickest way to a quote is to use our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we’ll put together a menu and price.
Read more
How our paella catering works in Westborough
We cook every paella from scratch on the day, starting with a slow sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, followed by stock, saffron and rice. We’re often asked to cater office lunches and staff parties and garden get-togethers, with seafood paella, mixed paella and chicken and chorizo paella.
Around Westborough, events are frequently in gardens, local halls or nearby venues. If access is tight, we’ll plan around it. Tapas, canapés, desserts, sangria and staff can all be added, so the whole menu comes from one caterer.
Your questions about paella catering in Westborough
Can you cook at venues in the Surrey Hills National Landscape?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We will follow the site rules.
Can you cater a reception after a service at St Francis Church?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is normally elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
Can you cater for children?
Children are welcome. Let us know numbers and ages, and we’ll plan a pan with them in mind.
Is halal food available?
Yes. Halal paella is cooked with halal chicken and no pork or alcohol, in its own pan.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We pack down our cooking area after service. Waiting staff can clear tables if you book them.
What if the weather’s bad?
We cook under cover, like a gazebo or open-sided marquee. We’ll agree a wet-weather plan with you.
Which paellas suit our guests?
That depends on who’s coming. A chicken or mixed paella is usually the most popular, with seafood and vegetable pans alongside.
Can you cook indoors?
Mostly outside or under an open cover, since the burners are gas. We will check whether your venue has a suitable space.
What’s in the pans
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea.
Mixed paella
Mixed paella brings meat and seafood together.
Live paella in Westborough: local details
Westborough is about 1 mile west of Guildford, in Surrey. We cook at events in homes, gardens and venues in Westborough and nearby villages. We cater in all 395 towns and villages across Surrey, from the larger towns to small villages.
Historic houses near Westborough include Guildford Castle (1.4 miles south-east) and Loseley Park (2.1 miles south). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. For guests coming by train, Guildford station is about 1 mile away. The Surrey Hills National Landscape is within about 7 miles of Westborough, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
This part of Surrey takes in GU2, GU1 and GU3, so your event can be anywhere in it. From Cabell Road, Clover Road and Weston Road or anywhere nearby, we will bring the pans to you. Westborough sits on or near the A323, which makes travel to your event easy. Close by, we cover events in Stoughton (1 mile north), Bellfields (1 mile north-east), Guildford (1 mile east), Abbotswood (2 miles east) and Jacobs Well (2 miles north-east). Further out, we also cater in Woking (5 miles north), Camberley (8 miles north-west), Farnham (9 miles west), Egham (13 miles north), Walton-on-Thames (13 miles north-east) and Dorking (12 miles east).
A little further out are Royal Surrey County Hospital (0.6 miles south-west) and Guildford Cathedral Treasury (0.5 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Littlefield Common and Pewley Hill.
- Nearby schools include Kings College Guildford (less than half a mile west) and Rydes Hill Preparatory School (within half a mile north)
- Pubs nearby include Hare and Hounds pub (0.6 miles north-west)
For event organisers in Westborough
Events in public spaces, like parks, generally need permission. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: where cooking is allowed, access times and the paperwork they need. Send us your venue’s requirements and we will follow them.
Where we can cook in Westborough
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We look for:
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before booking.
Menu ideas
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
DIY paella versus live catering
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
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.
Dietary needs and planning tips
Most events have a mix of diets. To cater well for them:
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Give us separate numbers for children
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Ensure each pan is labelled
Once the rice is in, it needs about 20 minutes, so we start it at the right moment for your event. If plans change, tell us and we’ll adjust.
Bread, salad and lemon go well alongside.
Perfect for your event in Westborough
Live paella is made for outdoor events: cooked outside, served hot and shared.
Whatever the occasion, live paella can be the centrepiece. We regularly cater:
- Retirement celebrations
- Garden get-togethers
- Milestone birthday parties
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
For a christening or wedding at a church such as St Francis Church, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
What to look for in a quote
- The deposit and payment dates
- How late numbers can change
- Travel and parking costs
- How each diet is kept separate
Paella compared with other options
A cold buffet is simple but has no theatre, and the food sits out. Paella is cooked in front of your guests and served hot. Larger events normally cost less per head, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
What you get with us
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- Events in Westborough and across Surrey
Read Our prices page And The cost guide.
Nearby places to Westborough
Also in Westborough
- 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