Reading · England
Paella Party Catering in Sonning Common
From the first sizzle in the pan to the last crispy spoonful, paella catering for birthday parties, garden parties and private events turns food into part of your party in Sonning Common.
- Naming days and christenings
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Birthday parties
Book paella party catering in Sonning Common
About our paella party catering in Sonning Common
Paella is relaxed food: served from the pan, shared and enjoyed, without any fuss. We are often asked to cater engagement and anniversary parties and wakes and memorial gatherings, serving seafood paella, vegetable paella and mixed paella.
Around Sonning Common, a garden and a gazebo is all you need. Live paella fits right in. You will know exactly what’s included before booking: menu, staff, crockery and anything else you choose, with no surprises on the day.
Prices and what affects them
There’s nothing hidden: the price is based on:
- How many guests are eating
- How many courses
- The length of service
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, along with staff, extras and travel. We quote for each event individually.
What we need to know
You do not need everything decided to ask for a quote, but these help:
- Where the event is
- Expected numbers
- A photo of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- Which courses you have in mind
Not sure what you need yet? No problem: give us the basics about your party, and we will suggest a menu. Start when you’re ready: fill in our quote form.
How it works
Watching it cook is half the fun. Onion, garlic, peppers and tomato go in first, then the stock and saffron, then the rice, which cooks without stirring. For a late-May party in Sonning Common, sunset is around 8:55pm; at midsummer it is about 9:25pm. If the party runs past dark, we’ll need light where we cook and serve.
- It starts with your date, address, numbers and any diets.
- You get a menu suggestion and a clear price.
- 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.
- We serve it hot from the pan, then pack down.
Preparing for the day
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
How to get a price
Send us the date, your venue or RG4 postcode and guest numbers, plus any dietary needs, and you will get a menu idea and a price. To get started, use our quote form.
Planning help
Occasions we cook for in Sonning Common
It’s the easiest way to feed a party without being stuck in the kitchen, and it’s a talking point.
In Sonning Common and nearby, we cater all sorts of events. Popular bookings include:
- Street and neighbourhood parties
- Anniversary celebrations
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Family reunions
After a christening at a church like The Church of Christ the King, a paella lunch is an easy way to feed family and friends.
Comparing caterers
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- The deadline for final numbers
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- Staff numbers and hours
Planning for every diet
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. We suggest:
- Have enough chairs for most guests
- Plan a covered spot for wet weather
- Put out bins for general waste and recycling
- Let the neighbours know
If you’ve booked staff, they’ll help serve and clear so you can relax.
Tapas to start keep guests happy.
Questions from Sonning Common
How far is Sonning Common from London?
Roughly 38 miles from the centre of London, and well within our area.
What’s the nearest station to Sonning Common for guests?
Henley-On-Thames station, about 3.7 miles east of the centre.
Can you cook indoors?
Mostly outside or under an open cover, since the burners are gas. We will check whether your venue has a suitable space.
How many different paellas?
Two or three is usual: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We will help you decide the split.
Can we add tapas or canapés?
Yes. Canapés with drinks or tapas for the tables, served while the paella cooks.
Can you bring crockery?
If you need them, yes. Crockery, cutlery and napkins, or good-quality disposables can be added to your booking.
How long do you need on site?
We get there in good time to set up. The rice itself takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
Can you do sangria?
Sangria, yes. We can also supply bar staff for your own drinks.
Places near Sonning Common
More for events in Sonning Common
The menu, dish by dish
Seafood paella
The seafood pan is frequently the showpiece, and is best served with lemon.
Tapas
Bravas, tortilla, croquetas and more while the paella cooks.
Planners, venues and businesses
Venues frequently have their own rules about outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Send us your venue’s requirements and we’ll follow them.
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
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.
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
Why choose live paella in Sonning Common?
Hog roasts don’t suit vegetarians and vegans. Separate paella pans cover everyone. Larger events typically cost less per head, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
Why book with us
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
Take a look at How we price Or Our guide to catering costs.
Parties in Sonning Common: gardens, venues and local tips
Sonning Common is about 3 miles north of Caversham, in Reading. For a party in Sonning Common, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices in and around Sonning Common. We cover all 34 towns and villages across Reading.
If guests are coming by rail, the nearest station is Henley-On-Thames station, about 3.7 miles east. Historic houses near Sonning Common include Greys Court (2.2 miles north-east) and Mapledurham House (3.2 miles south-west). Grand settings like these frequently have strict catering rules, so for most parties a garden or hired hall is simpler.
We cater parties across RG4 and RG9. From Wood Lane, Green Lane and Woodbury Close or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. Nearby, we also cater parties in Peppard Hill (1 mile north-west), Rotherfield Peppard (1 mile north), Kidmore End (1 mile south-west), Kingwood Common (1 mile north-west) and Shepherd's Green (2 miles north). We also cook in nearby towns such as Caversham (3 miles south), Norcot (4 miles south-west), West Reading (4 miles south), Tilehurst Within (5 miles south-west), Shinfield (8 miles south) and Arborfield Garrison (10 miles south). Sonning Common is one of the larger places we cover in Reading, with lots of choice for parties.
Other landmarks nearby include Frazer Nash Archives (3.8 miles east) and Battle Hospital (4.1 miles south). Open spaces near Sonning Common include Sonning Hill and Warburg Nature Reserve.
- Local schools include Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge (0.5 miles south-west) and The Warwick School (0.5 miles south-west)
- Nearby, you will find Hare & Hounds pub (within half a mile north)
- 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