West Berkshire · England
Live paella catering in Wickham, West Berkshire
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Wickham and the surrounding area.
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Big birthdays
- Leaving dos and retirements
Live paella catering in Wickham
A closer look at the menu
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich fish stock, finished with lemon wedges. It is generally the most photographed pan.
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, rather than seafood. It’s often the most popular pan at an event.
Paella catering in Wickham, made fresh on the day
Two or three pans side by side cover every guest: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. Each is cooked separately, so diets are easy to manage. On the menu are vegetable paella, black rice and mixed paella, and typical bookings are for weddings, from canapés to evening food and fairs, fêtes and festivals.
In a rural place like Wickham, the setting does a lot of the work: a paella cooking in a garden or field feels right at home. Tell us about access and the ground. We plan the timings around your day, whether that’s speeches, a lunch break or a festival schedule.
- Where
- Wickham (RG20)
- County
- West Berkshire
- Special diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Price
- Ask us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Your questions about paella catering in Wickham
What’s the nearest station to Wickham for guests?
Kintbury station, about 3 miles south of the centre.
Is Wickham too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Let us know about access and parking.
Are premium seafood options available?
We will talk through seafood options when we plan your menu.
When should we book?
As early as you can, especially for summer weekends. Even if it is short notice, it is worth asking.
Is live paella good for a large crowd?
Yes, that’s what it’s made for. We plan the number of pans and serving points around your numbers.
Do you cater for young children?
Yes. A simple chicken paella is usually popular with children. Tell us how many are coming.
Which paellas suit our guests?
Most events choose two or three: a mixed or chicken paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. Our menu lists the options.
How do you work out quantities?
We size the pans for your numbers and the rest of the menu. Tell us what else is being served. See how much paella per person.
Diets, allergies and planning
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because every paella has its own pan. A few tips:
- Make sure each pan is labelled
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Send allergies to us in writing
- Count adults and children separately
After service, we pack down our cooking area.
Finish with churros, crema catalana or tarta de Santiago, or serve your own cake.
Planners, venues and businesses
Wedding planners and venue coordinators are welcome to contact us directly, and we will keep you updated on timings and set-up.
If you’re booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will explain how it works. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Before you choose a spot
Every venue is different, so we will ask about yours before we confirm. In general, we need:
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we’ll say what we think.
Menu ideas
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
What paella catering costs
Each event is quoted on its own, based on a few main things:
- How many staff you need
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Distance and access to the venue
- Your choice of paellas
Live paella frequently compares well with a sit-down meal, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. We’ll send you a quote.
Details that help
To speed things up, tell us:
- Expected numbers
- A picture of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
We need only a few details to quote: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. To send them, send us your details through our quote form.
Who books paella catering in Wickham?
Live paella is made for outdoor events: cooked outside, served hot and shared.
Big or small, live paella works well. Typical bookings include:
- Company summer parties
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Naming days and family parties
- Birthday celebrations
Nearby historic houses include Benham Park (3.7 miles south-east). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one.
What to look for in a quote
- Space, access and power needs
- Allergen information for each dish
- Travel and parking costs
- How long the team stays
Towns and villages near Wickham
More for events in Wickham
Live paella in Wickham: local details
Wickham is about 6 miles north-west of Newbury, in West Berkshire. Wherever your event is in the RG20 area, we will come to your venue or garden. Wickham is one of 155 towns and villages in West Berkshire where we cook. Our events stretch from Wickham to Reading (about 20 miles away).
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Welford and Wickham C.E. Primary School, can book us as a food stall. For a christening or wedding at a church such as Church of St Swithin, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. The North Wessex Downs National Landscape is within about 7 miles of Wickham, 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.
Anywhere in RG20, we can cook for your guests, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Whether your event is on Welford Road, Baydon Road and Mant Close or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. Other places close to Wickham for paella catering include Easton (1 mile east), Weston (1 mile north), Clapton (1 mile south-west), East Shefford (2 miles north) and Shefford Woodlands (2 miles north-west). Larger places within reach include Newbury (6 miles south-east), Thatcham (8 miles east), Speenhamland (5 miles south-east), Hungerford (4 miles south-west), Lambourn (6 miles north-west) and Shaw (6 miles south-east).
Other landmarks nearby include Hamstead Marshall 3 (3.4 miles south-east). The countryside around Wickham includes Sole Common Pond.
- Local pubs include The Five Bells pub (less than half a mile west)
Step by step
When we arrive, we set up our cooking area, light the burners and start the sofrito. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, so the timing is planned around your event. Around midsummer it stays light in Wickham until about 9:25pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:10pm, so summer evening events are typically served in daylight. For winter events, when it’s dark by about 4:00pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- Send us your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including every diet.
- We arrive in good time to set up.
- The paella cooks as guests gather round.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
Preparing for the day
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Give us a contact for the day
Getting a price
The quickest way to a quote is to send us your details through our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we will suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Related guides
Should I cook it myself?
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but you’ll still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. We take care of all of it.
- 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