Oxfordshire · England
Paella party catering in Lower Shiplake, Oxfordshire
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: paella catering for birthday parties, garden parties and private events in Lower Shiplake and the surrounding area.
- Neighbourhood celebrations
- Wakes and memorial gatherings
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
Planning an event in Lower Shiplake?
Events we cater in Lower Shiplake
It feels like a holiday in your own garden.
Whatever you are celebrating in Lower Shiplake, live paella can be the centrepiece. We often cook for:
- Family get-togethers
- Birthday parties
- Christenings and naming days
- Anniversary celebrations
After a christening at a church like Church of St Mary, a paella lunch is an easy way to feed family and friends.
Questions to ask before you book
- How bad weather is handled
- How each diet is kept separate
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- When final numbers are due
Paella party catering in Lower Shiplake, made fresh on the day
The smell of paella cooking is the best party invitation. People drift over with a drink to watch it cook. We are often asked to cater wakes and memorial gatherings and naming days and christenings, with tapas, vegetable paella and mixed paella.
In a small place like Lower Shiplake, a party in the garden or a nearby field is frequently the plan. Let us know about access, and we will plan the set-up. Everything is cooked from scratch at your party, never made in advance and reheated, and served the moment it is ready.
- Location
- Lower Shiplake (RG9)
- County
- Oxfordshire
- Dietary options
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Before you choose a spot
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We look for:
- A photo of the garden helps us check the space
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we will say what we think before you book.
What we offer
- Tapas
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Churros
- Vegetable paella
Is live paella right for your party?
A takeaway order is easy but forgettable. Live paella is something guests remember. Extras such as tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are priced separately, so you can choose exactly what you need.
Why us?
- A quote that spells everything out
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Fast service from the pan
Take a look at Our pricing Or Our guide to catering costs.
How the day works
We cook over gas burners in wide, shallow pans. We need a level, ventilated spot, and we agree where that is before the day. At midsummer, it is light in Lower Shiplake until about 9:25pm, which gives a garden party a long evening. In late September it’s dark by about 7:05pm; add lights for the evening.
- Tell us when and where, and how many.
- You get a menu and a quote.
- We arrive before your guests and set up.
- Guests watch the paella cook.
- We serve, then clear our area.
Getting ready for the day
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Leave space around the cooking area
How to get a price
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, along with any dietary needs, and you will get a menu idea and a price. To get started, use our quote form.
Related guides
What affects the price in Lower Shiplake
The price comes down to a few factors:
- How many guests are eating
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- Waiting and bar staff
Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so it helps to tell us about your venue. The full price is confirmed before you book.
What we need to know
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. Here’s what to include:
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- The date and rough timings
- A photo of the space, if you can
- The venue or postcode
Most quotes start with a few simple details: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. You can use our quote form.
Questions from Lower Shiplake
Is Lower Shiplake too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Can you cook in Mill Meadows?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, normally the council. Check with them, and we’ll provide our paperwork.
Do you provide drinks?
Sangria, yes. We can also supply bar staff for your own drinks.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes, and meat eaters frequently go back for seconds. They have their own pans, stock and spoons.
Should we have more than one paella?
Usually two or three, so every guest has a choice. We’ll recommend a mix based on diets.
Can the paella be cooked in a hall?
Normally we cook outdoors or under a ventilated cover, since the burners are gas. Some venues have suitable spaces; we’ll check with you and the venue.
Can you supply plates?
On request. Crockery or disposables are available.
Can you cook in my back garden?
Many gardens work. We need level ground, clearance and access. A photo helps.
Lower Shiplake parties: what to know
Lower Shiplake is about 4 miles north of Woodley, in Oxfordshire. Tell us where your party in Lower Shiplake will be, and we will plan the journey and set-up before the day. Lower Shiplake is one of 443 places in Oxfordshire where we cook. We cook right across the region, from Lower Shiplake to Reading (6 miles away).
Parks such as Mill Meadows normally need permission for cooking, so a garden or hired venue is frequently easier. Nearby historic houses include Greenlands (3.6 miles north) and Greys Court (3.8 miles north-west). If you are hiring a historic venue for a big birthday, check its rules on outside caterers first.
Wherever your party is in RG9, we can cook for your guests. That could mean a party in a garden on Station Road, Oaks Road and Quarry Lane. Main roads around Lower Shiplake include the A4155, so getting the burners and pans to your party is simple. For parties just outside Lower Shiplake, we cover Wargrave (1 mile south-east), Cockpole Green (2 miles north-east), Remenham Hill (2 miles north), Bowsey Hill (2 miles east) and Remenham (3 miles north). Further out, we also cater in Benson (12 miles north-west), Chinnor (13 miles north), Tilehurst (7 miles south-west), Wallingford (12 miles north-west), Little Heath (8 miles south-west) and Oakley (13 miles north).
Well-known places in the area include Frazer Nash Archives (1.3 miles north) and Royal Berkshire Hospital (5.2 miles south-west). The countryside around Lower Shiplake includes South Lake and Sonning Hill.
- Nearby schools include Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School (1.6 miles south-east)
- Local pubs include The Baskerville pub (less than half a mile east)
A closer look at the menu
Vegetable paella
A proper vegetable paella, not an afterthought.
Churros
Sugary churros with chocolate, a sweet finish.
Places near Lower Shiplake
Also in Lower Shiplake
For planners, venues and organisers
If you’re planning an event on someone’s behalf, whether you’re a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we will work directly with you and the venue. It saves passing messages back and forth.
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we will talk you through the process. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Should I cook it myself?
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, 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 there is shopping, prep and hours of cooking. 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