Hampshire · England
Live paella catering in Wickham, Hampshire
Paella for every guest: separate pans for meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan guests. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Wickham.
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Summer garden parties
Book paella catering in Wickham
Paella catering for your event in Wickham
Paella was made for feeding a crowd: cooked outdoors in a wide, shallow pan and shared. That is exactly what we bring to your event in Wickham. Popular choices include vegetable paella, black rice and vegan paella, and we are regularly asked to cater company summer parties and garden parties and summer barbecues.
There may be a hall or club near Wickham if your garden is small; live paella can work at any of them, given permission and outdoor space. We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in a separate pan and clearly labelled.
Why live cooking beats a buffet
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. Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so your choice of paellas affects the total. Tell us your budget and we will suggest a menu.
Why book with us
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- Events in Wickham and across Hampshire
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
Take a look at Our prices page And The cost guide.
DIY paella versus live catering
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
Dishes our guests love
Vegetable and vegan paella
A slow sofrito, seasonal vegetables and a good vegetable stock make a proper main dish. Vegan versions use plant-based stock.
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, rather than seafood. It is a favourite with guests who don’t eat fish.
Perfect for your event in Wickham
Outdoor events and live paella go together: cooked outside, served hot and shared.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. People in Wickham book us for events such as:
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Naming days and family parties
- Garden get-togethers
- Leaving dos and retirements
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Wickham Church of England Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
What to look for in a quote
- Staff numbers and hours
- If the price includes VAT
- Allergen information for each dish
- Payment terms and deposit
Wickham: venues, travel and local tips
Wickham is about 3 miles north of Fareham, in Hampshire. Give us the address of your event in Wickham, and we will plan the journey and set-up. We cover 683 places in Hampshire, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is Southampton, about 9 miles away.
For guests coming by train, Fareham station is about 3.2 miles away. For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St Nicholas, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Paella catering in PO17 is planned around your venue and your guests. Streets in the area include The Square, Station Road and Bridge Street, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Main roads around Wickham include the A32 and A334, which makes travel to your event easy. Other places close to Wickham for paella catering include Shedfield (1 mile north-west), Shirrell Heath (2 miles north), Kingsmead (2 miles north-east), Woodend (2 miles north-east) and Mislingford (2 miles north). Further out, we also cater in Winchester (12 miles north-west), Gosport (7 miles south), Havant (9 miles east), Eastleigh (8 miles north-west), Fareham (3 miles south) and Horndean (8 miles east).
Other landmarks nearby include Fareham Shopping Centre (3.2 miles south) and Carron Row Farm Museum (3.5 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include St Clair's Meadow and Portsdown Hill.
- Local pubs include The Old House Hotel (less than half a mile west)
Wickham: your questions answered
How far is Wickham from London?
Roughly 63 miles from the centre of London, and well within our area.
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 normally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
Can you feed plenty of people?
It’s ideal. Large pans and fast service from the pan make it well suited to crowds.
Do we need to provide equipment?
Pans, burners and ingredients all come with us. You just need a suitable spot and access.
Which paellas suit our guests?
It depends on your guests. A chicken or mixed paella is usually the most popular, alongside seafood and vegetable or vegan pans.
Should we have more than one paella?
Two or three covers most guests. We will recommend a mix based on diets.
When should we book?
As soon as you have a date. Peak dates go quickly, so it pays to ask early.
Who clears up?
We pack down our cooking area after service. Clearing guests’ plates and tables can be added with waiting staff.
Nearby places to Wickham
Also in Wickham
Prices and what affects them
These are the factors that matter most:
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- How many guests are eating
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Distance and access to the venue
Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. We’ll send you a quote.
Getting an accurate quote
For a quote, it helps to have:
- The date and rough timings
- The address or venue name
- Which courses you have in mind
- A photo of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
To get a price, use our quote form. Tell us about your event in Wickham, and we will put together a menu and price.
Diets, allergies and planning
Most events have a mix of diets. To plan for them:
- Confirm allergies by email
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Give us separate numbers for children
Paella is best eaten as soon as it is ready, so we plan service for when guests are ready to eat.
Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana finish the meal.
How the day works
The cooking is part of the entertainment. We start with the sofrito, add the stock and saffron, then spread the rice across the pan and leave it alone to cook. Planning an evening event in Wickham? Sunset is around 8:55pm in late May, 9:20pm at midsummer and 7:10pm in late September; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- We start with a few details about your event.
- You get a menu and an itemised quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- On the day, we set up and cook in front of your guests.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
Preparing for the day
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Leave space around the cooking area
Ask for a quote
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. To send your details, fill in our quote form.
Related guides
For planners, venues and organisers
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we will explain how it works. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we’ll keep you updated on timings and set-up.
- 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