Hampshire · England
Live paella catering in Wittensford, Hampshire
Treat your guests to live paella at your event in Wittensford. We cook from scratch on site, and serve it straight from the pan.
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Milestone birthday parties
Paella catering in Wittensford
How our paella catering works in Wittensford
The cooking is half the fun. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the aroma does the rest. We’re often asked to cater weddings and evening receptions and community events and fairs, with vegan paella, vegetable paella and paella Valenciana.
In a rural place like Wittensford, the setting does a lot of the work: a huge pan in a garden or field fits perfectly. Tell us about access and the ground. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
Planners, venues and businesses
Events in public spaces, like parks, usually need permission. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
If you are booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will explain how it works. We are happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
Why choose live paella in Wittensford?
Plated meals need a kitchen and a bigger team. Live paella needs a level, ventilated spot and the venue’s permission to cook, and it’s entertaining too. When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
Why choose Love Paella in Wittensford
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Catering across Hampshire, including Wittensford
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
Take a look at How we price And What paella catering costs.
Catering an event in Wittensford
Wittensford is about 4 miles west of Totton, in Hampshire. Tell us where your event in Wittensford will be, and we will plan access and set-up. Wittensford is one of 683 towns and villages in Hampshire where we cook. Our events stretch from Wittensford to Southampton (about 9 miles away).
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Ashurst New Forest station, about 3.8 miles south-east. Wittensford is within about 4 miles of the New Forest National Park, 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.
Here we cover the SO43 postcode area, and we can cater your event anywhere in it. If your venue is just outside Wittensford, we also cover Cadnam (1 mile east), Newbridge (1 mile north-east), Minstead (2 miles south), Bartley (2 miles east) and Copythorne (2 miles east). Larger places within reach include Winchester (15 miles north-east), Eastleigh (11 miles east), Totton (4 miles east), Chandler's Ford (10 miles north-east), Hedge End (13 miles east) and Lymington (12 miles south).
A little further out are Tatchbury Mount Hospital (3 miles east). Not far away are Copythorne Common.
- Pubs nearby include Sir John Barleycorn Inn (0.5 miles east)
Other catering in Wittensford
Dietary needs and planning tips
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To get it right:
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Make sure each pan is labelled
- Put allergy details in writing
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
The rice takes about 20 minutes once it goes in, so we start it at the right moment for your event. If timings shift, we adapt.
Finish with churros, crema catalana or tarta de Santiago, or serve your own cake.
How it works
Watching it cook is half the fun. 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 Wittensford? Sunset is around 8:55pm in late May, 9:25pm at midsummer and 7:10pm in late September; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- You share 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.
Getting ready for the day
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
- Make sure the spot is clear of anything flammable
Ask for a quote
We quote for each event separately, so the price fits what you actually want. To ask for one, fill in our quote form.
Read more
Wittensford: your questions answered
Do you cater in the New Forest National Park?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We will work to whatever the site needs.
Which station should guests use for Wittensford?
The closest is Ashurst New Forest station, roughly 3.8 miles away.
What do you need at the venue?
Not a lot: a flat spot away from anything flammable, with space to serve. Send us a photo if you are not sure.
What happens with live paella?
We arrive with pans, burners and ingredients, cook in front of your guests, and serve at the time you want.
What does paella catering cost?
It depends on guest numbers, the menu, the courses, staff and travel. Tell us about your event and we’ll send a quote.
Do you provide drinks?
Yes, sangria. We can also supply bar staff for your own drinks.
Do you offer halal options?
We can. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and it’s cooked separately.
Who clears up?
We take our equipment and leave the cooking area tidy. Ask us about table clearing if you need it.
Events we cater in Wittensford
There is no kitchen needed, so it’s at home in gardens, fields and marquees where other catering struggles.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. In Wittensford, people book us for events such as:
- Anniversary celebrations
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Birthday celebrations
- Company summer parties
Historic houses near Wittensford include Landford Manor (4.2 miles north). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
Comparing caterers
- How long the team stays
- The deadline for final numbers
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- What happens if it rains
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. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
A closer look at the menu
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella is not an afterthought: artichokes, beans, peppers and saffron.
Black rice
Arroz negro is coloured and flavoured with squid ink, and is typically served with alioli. It is a striking addition to a seafood menu.
Prices and what affects them
Your quote will be clear and itemised. What affects it most:
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Parking and unloading
- Your choice of paellas
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
Compared with a plated meal, live paella is frequently good value, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. Ask us for a quote.
What we need to know
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- A photo of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- The address or venue name
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- The date and rough timings
Send us the date, your venue or SO43 postcode and guest numbers, plus any dietary needs, and you will get a menu idea and a price. Just send us your details through 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