Hampshire · England
Paella Party Catering in Dibden
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: paella catering for birthday parties, garden parties and private events in Dibden and the surrounding area.
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Family reunions
Paella party catering near Dibden
Paella party catering in Dibden, made fresh on the day
Add tapas to start, churros for afters and a jug of sangria, and the party menu is complete. Typical bookings include retirement and leaving parties and birthday parties, with chicken and chorizo paella, seafood paella and tapas.
Parties around Dibden are frequently relaxed, garden-and-gazebo affairs. Live paella fits right in. We serve straight from the pan, so it is hot and generous, and a queue moves quickly.
FAQs for Dibden
Do you cater in the New Forest National Park?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We will follow the site rules.
Which station should guests use for Dibden?
The closest is Southampton Town Quay station, roughly 2.2 miles away.
Can you do a kids’ option?
Most children enjoy paella, especially a mild chicken one. Tell us how many and their ages.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We take our equipment and leave the cooking area tidy. Ask us about table clearing if you need it.
How early should we book?
Early for summer weekends. Ask about your date.
How many different paellas?
Two or three is usual: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We’ll help you decide the split.
When do you arrive?
It depends on the menu and numbers. We agree the timings in advance.
What areas do you cover?
London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
Live paella or other catering?
A takeaway order is easy but forgettable. Live paella gives guests a show. The cost per head generally falls as numbers rise, since the set-up is much the same either way. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Why us?
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Sangria and bar staff available
Take a look at How we price And What paella catering costs.
Should I cook it myself?
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
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 be with your guests, we’ll do the cooking.
Places near Dibden
Other catering in Dibden
Diets, allergies and planning
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because every paella has its own pan. Here are a few tips for planning:
- Let the neighbours know
- Ask guests about diets when you invite them
- Plan a covered spot for wet weather
- Count adults and children separately
If you’ve booked staff, they’ll help serve and clear so you can relax.
Tapas and nibbles while the paella cooks keep guests happy.
Prices and what affects them
Two events with the same number of guests can cost different amounts, depending on:
- Travel, parking and access
- Whether you need crockery
- Your choice of paellas
- Waiting and bar staff
Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you only pay for what you want.
What to tell us
To check availability and price, we need:
- The address or venue name
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Your date and when you want to eat
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. To send your details, send us your details through our quote form.
Step by step
The paella is cooked in giant, shallow pans over gas burners. It needs a level spot with some shelter and good ventilation, which we agree with you beforehand. A summer party in Dibden stays light until about 9:25pm at midsummer, so a garden party can run well into the evening. By late September sunset is around 7:10pm, so plan festoon lights for later parties.
- Send us the date, the address, numbers and diets.
- We suggest a menu and confirm a quote.
- We arrive, set up in your garden or venue and start the sofrito.
- Your guests watch the paella cook, with tapas first if you’ve chosen them.
- It’s served from the pan, and we clear our area afterwards.
Before we arrive
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Tell us when you want to eat
Getting a price
Every quote is put together for your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we’ll check availability at the same time.
Planning help
Organising for someone else?
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we’ll talk you through the process. We’re happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
If you’re organising for someone else, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we are happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It saves passing messages back and forth.
Events we cater in Dibden
It suits mixed ages and mixed diets, from children to grandparents.
Live paella works for big and small events alike. Typical bookings include:
- Anniversary celebrations
- Wakes and celebrations of life
- Retirement celebrations
- Street and neighbourhood parties
Historic houses near Dibden include Medieval Merchant's House (2.5 miles north) and Southampton Tudor House and Garden (2.5 miles north). If you are hiring a historic venue for a big birthday, check its rules on outside caterers first.
Comparing caterers
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- Allergen information for each dish
- Staff numbers and hours
Planning a party in Dibden
Dibden is about 1 mile west of Hythe, in Hampshire. Give us the address of your party in Dibden, and we’ll plan access and set-up before the day. We cook in all 683 towns and villages across Hampshire.
Christenings and naming days frequently start at a local church such as Church of All Saints, with a paella lunch at home or in a hall afterwards. If guests are coming by rail, the nearest station is Southampton Town Quay station, about 2.2 miles north-east. The New Forest National Park is within about 4 miles of Dibden, so many gardens around here have a great outlook. The coast is within about 3 miles, so seafood paella often features, with shelter from the breeze planned in.
We cater parties across the SO45 postcode area. From Cavalier Close, Cathay Gardens and Canterbury Drive or anywhere nearby, we will bring the pans to you. If your venue is just outside Dibden, we also cover Dibden Purlieu (1 mile south-east), Hythe (1 mile east), Marchwood (2 miles north-west), Beaulieu (3 miles south) and The Hummicks (4 miles south). Further out, we also cater in Winchester (14 miles north), Gosport (13 miles east), Eastleigh (8 miles north-east), Fareham (10 miles east), Totton (5 miles north-west) and Chandler's Ford (8 miles north).
Nearby you will also find Royal South Hants Hospital (3.5 miles north) and Westquay (2.8 miles north).
- Nearby schools include Testwood School (within half a mile south-west) and Orchard Junior School (0.6 miles south-east)
Dishes our guests love
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich stock, for the fish lovers.
Vegetable paella
Vegetable paella in its own right.
- 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