Hampshire · England
Wedding Paella Catering in Emery Down
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 turns food into part of your wedding in Emery Down.
- Marquee and garden weddings
- Wedding receptions after a small ceremony
- Barn and farm weddings
Wedding paella catering near Emery Down
Wedding paella catering for your wedding in Emery Down
Timing is everything with paella: the rice needs about 20 minutes and is best served immediately. We plan it around your speeches and photos. On the menu are table tapas, canapé tapas and Spanish desserts, and we are frequently booked for sharing-style wedding meals and garden and marquee weddings.
Rural weddings around Emery Down have a magic of their own, and paella cooking in the open air adds to it. Plan for access and a wet-weather cover. Tapas, canapés, desserts, sangria and staff can all be added, so one booking can cover the whole menu.
Dietary needs and planning tips
Paella is one of the easiest dishes for mixed diets, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. Here are a few tips for planning:
- Decide whether guests queue at the pans or are served at the tables
- Tell us when speeches will be
- Check the venue’s rules for outside caterers
- Give us separate day and evening numbers
Evening guests can be served from fresh pans later on, timed for after the first dance.
We can provide crockery and waiting staff.
Prices and what affects them
These are the factors that matter most:
- Travel, parking and access
- How many staff you need
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Guest numbers
There is no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. We itemise everything in your quote.
What we need to know
For a quote, it helps to have:
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- The date and time of the event
- Where the event is
- Anything your venue supplies
Every quote is put together for your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll confirm whether we are available that day.
Paella compared with other options
A buffet can leave food sitting out. Paella goes straight from pan to plate when guests are ready. Extras such as tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are priced separately, so you can choose exactly what you need.
Why us?
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
Space, weather and the venue
Most gardens and venues can host live paella, but a few things matter:
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- Level ground for the pans and burners
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise.
On the menu in Emery Down
- Sangria & bar staff
- Dessert
- Canapé tapas
- Paella wedding breakfast
- Evening paella
- Table tapas
Places near Emery Down
Other catering in Emery Down
Working with your venue
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.
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we’ll keep everyone informed on the day.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. We are happy to give you a quote to compare.
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 enjoy the party, let us cook.
How it works
We take care of the food from set-up to service, so you are free to enjoy your wedding. Any tapas or canapés are served first while the paella cooks. At midsummer, sunset in Emery Down is about 9:25pm, so we can time the evening paella around your photos. In late May, sunset is about 8:55pm, and in late September about 7:10pm.
- We check availability for your date.
- You choose canapés, tapas, paellas and desserts.
- We confirm everything with your venue.
- Guests watch the paella cook during the reception.
- We serve, then pack down.
Before we arrive
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
How to get a price
It’s easy to get a price: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We’ll come back with a clear quote.
Read more
Why choose wedding paella catering in Emery Down?
It suits outdoor and rustic venues particularly well, where a plated meal can be hard to pull off.
If you’re planning any of these, we can help:
- Food for evening guests
- Garden and marquee weddings
- Farm and barn venues
- Sharing-style wedding meals
Copythorne Common nearby makes a lovely backdrop for photos, and the countryside around Emery Down suits an outdoor reception.
Before you book anyone
- If the price includes VAT
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- Whether travel is included
- What the price includes, item by item
Emery Down: your questions answered
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.
Do you come out to small places like Emery Down?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Can you cater the whole day?
Any part of the day, or all of it, from canapés to evening food.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Yes. We cook vegetarian and vegan paellas in their own pans.
What if the timings change?
We adapt. We keep in touch with your venue on the day and time the rice so it’s served at its best.
What do you need at the venue?
A level space for the pans, burners and a serving table, outdoors or in a marquee or well-ventilated area, and the venue’s permission for live cooking.
Can we have a tasting?
Ask us about tastings when you get in touch.
Do you do starters?
Of course. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, served while the paella cooks.
Getting married in Emery Down?
Emery Down is about 5 miles south-west of Totton, in Hampshire. Wherever your wedding is in the SO43 area, we can cook for your guests. We cater in 683 places in Hampshire, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is Southampton, about 9 miles away.
Put the station on your invitation: the nearest station is Ashurst New Forest station, about 2.9 miles north-east. If you are marrying at a church near Emery Down, such as Christ Church, a reception in a garden, marquee or hired venue nearby keeps the day flowing: the paella can be cooking while you have photos taken, so the meal is ready when you arrive. With the New Forest National Park within about a mile, there are country venues, barns and gardens nearby. Check vehicle access and cooking rules with the venue.
We cater weddings across the SO43 postcode area and the streets around it. Your wedding could be at a home on Garden Close, Northerwood Avenue and Silver Street or the roads around them. Close by, we cover weddings in Lyndhurst (1 mile east), Balmerlawn (3 miles south), Ashurst (4 miles north-east), Brockenhurst (4 miles south) and Colbury (4 miles north-east). Larger places within reach include Eastleigh (12 miles north-east), Totton (5 miles north-east), Chandler's Ford (12 miles north-east), Hedge End (13 miles east), Lymington (8 miles south) and Romsey (10 miles north-east).
Nearby you will also find Ashurst Hospital (3.1 miles north-east) and National Dairy Museum (3.9 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Copythorne Common.
- Local pubs include The Swan Inn (less than half a mile south)
- 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