Surrey · England
Wedding Paella Catering for Abinger Hammer events
From the first sizzle in the pan to the last crispy spoonful, paella catering for weddings, from canapés to the wedding breakfast and evening food makes the food a highlight of your wedding in Abinger Hammer.
- Weddings with a Spanish theme
- Food for evening guests
- Informal wedding breakfasts
Wedding paella catering in Abinger Hammer
FAQs for Abinger Hammer
Is Abinger Hammer too small for live paella?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Is Abinger Hammer close to London?
Roughly 24 miles from the centre of London, and we cover it as standard.
Will there be enough food?
Quantities depend on numbers, timing and courses, with a little extra built in. Accurate numbers help.
How much space do you need?
Level ground for the burners, pans and a table, outdoors or in a marquee or well-ventilated area, and the venue’s permission for live cooking.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Yes. A simple chicken paella is usually popular with children. Tell us how many are coming.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We pack down our cooking area after service. Clearing guests’ plates and tables can be added with waiting staff.
How long does the paella take?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
What if our speeches run late?
We plan for it. The rice goes in at the last sensible moment, so it is ready when you are.
Wedding paella catering in Abinger Hammer, made fresh on the day
We can do the whole day or just one part: canapés, a tapas starter, a paella wedding breakfast, evening food and dessert. For barn and farm weddings and receptions after an intimate ceremony, we will put together a menu of evening paella, canapé tapas and table tapas for your guests.
Rural weddings around Abinger Hammer have a magic of their own, and an open-air paella adds to it. Plan for access and a wet-weather cover. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and handles separate pans for each diet.
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather be with your guests, we’ll do the cooking.
About the dishes
Desserts
A sweet finish: Spanish desserts or your own cake.
Evening paella
Fresh pans for evening guests, quick to serve and filling.
Working with your venue
Events in public spaces, like parks, typically need permission. We’ll provide any information the landowner or council asks for.
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we’ll keep everyone informed on the day.
Towns and villages near Abinger Hammer
What else we do in Abinger Hammer
What we need at the venue
Every venue is different, so we ask about the space when you contact us. Generally, we look for:
- A separate open-sided gazebo if the meal is in a marquee
- Somewhere close to park and unload
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think.
Popular choices
- Dessert
- Paella wedding breakfast
- Sangria & bar staff
- Table tapas
- Evening paella
- Canapé tapas
Getting married in Abinger Hammer?
Abinger Hammer is about 5 miles west of Dorking, in Surrey. We cook at weddings in gardens, halls and venues around Abinger Hammer. We cover all 395 towns and villages across Surrey. Our nearest city page is Guildford, about 6 miles away.
For outdoor photos, Combe Bottom is close by, and the countryside around Abinger Hammer suits an outdoor reception. Planning photos in Colekitchen Down? It is worth checking the park’s rules first. With the Surrey Hills National Landscape within about 2 miles, there are country venues, barns and gardens nearby. Ask your venue about access and cooking rules.
Here we cover the RH5 postcode area, so your wedding can be anywhere in it. Streets in the area include Guildford Road, Hackhurst Lane and Felday Road, and we can cook for a wedding on any of them. Other places close to Abinger Hammer for wedding paella catering include Gomshall (1 mile west), Hoe (1 mile south), Sutton Abinger (1 mile south), Abinger (1 mile south-east) and Shere (1 mile west). Further out, we also cater in Guildford (6 miles west), Woking (9 miles north-west), Camberley (15 miles north-west), Epsom (11 miles north-east), Horley (12 miles east) and Redhill (12 miles east).
A little further out are St. Luke’s Hospital (5.7 miles west) and Shere Museum (1.3 miles west). The countryside around Abinger Hammer includes Leith Hill and Combe Bottom.
- Nearby, you’ll find Abinger Arms (under half a mile north-west)
Why choose live paella in Abinger Hammer?
Buffets can mean food sitting for a while. Paella goes straight from pan to plate when guests are ready. When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
What you get with us
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Fast service from the pan
Take a look at Our prices page And Our guide to catering costs.
How it works
Expect a friendly, organised team. Arrival and serving times are agreed beforehand, set up our cooking area, and get on with cooking and serving. At midsummer, sunset in Abinger Hammer is about 9:20pm, which helps us time evening food around your photos. Sunset is around 8:50pm in late May and 7:05pm in late September.
- We check availability for your date.
- You pick the courses and dishes.
- We confirm everything with your venue.
- The pans cook while guests enjoy the drinks.
- We serve, then pack down.
How to prepare
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
Get a quote
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, plus any dietary needs, and you’ll get a menu idea and a price. To get started, send us your details through our quote form.
Planning help
What affects the price in Abinger Hammer
Every event is priced individually, based on a few main things:
- How many guests are eating
- Travel, parking and access
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
Larger events usually cost less per head, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
What to tell us
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. Here’s what’s useful:
- A photo of the space, if you can
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Anything your venue supplies
- The date and time of the event
We need only a few details to quote: date, location, guest numbers and diets. You can use our quote form.
Diets, allergies and planning
Paella is one of the easiest dishes for mixed diets, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. A few tips:
- Connect us with your coordinator
- Book early for summer Saturdays
- Choose pan-side or table service
- Collect dietary needs on the RSVP
We keep in touch with your venue coordinator or toastmaster on the day, so you do not have to.
Crockery, cutlery and waiting staff are available if your venue does not.
- 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