Hampshire · England
Wedding Paella Catering for Forestside events
Paella catering for weddings, from canapés to the wedding breakfast and evening food in Forestside: paella cooked from scratch in giant pans, in full view of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Evening food for extra guests
- Barn and farm weddings
- Garden and marquee weddings
Book wedding paella catering in Forestside
Wedding paella catering for your wedding in Forestside
Paella has a natural rhythm: once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, and it’s best served right away. We time it around your speeches and photos. Popular choices include evening paella, canapé tapas and a paella wedding breakfast, and typical bookings are for weddings in a marquee or garden and wedding receptions after a small ceremony.
A wedding in a small place like Forestside frequently means a field, a barn or a family garden. Live paella is made for that: no kitchen, just a level, sheltered spot. Tell us about lanes, gates and ground conditions. Timings are planned around your event, whether that is speeches, a lunch break or a festival schedule.
Should I cook it myself?
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but you will still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. A caterer handles all of that.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it is harder than it looks. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
Step by step
A typical event goes like this: we arrive, set up and start cooking, your guests watch the rice cook, and it’s served hot from the pan when you are ready to eat. Golden-hour photos in Forestside at midsummer come around 9:20pm, so we can time the evening paella around your photos. In late May, sunset is about 8:55pm, and in late September about 7:05pm.
- Tell us your date, venue and numbers.
- We plan your menu course by course.
- Timings are agreed with your venue.
- On the day, we cook and serve each course.
- We pack down, and staff stay as agreed.
How to prepare
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
Getting a price
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. To send your details, send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
Diets, allergies and planning
With a little notice, every diet is easy. We suggest:
- Send us the running order and speech times
- Collect dietary needs on the RSVP
- Include any suppliers you’re feeding
- Ask whether your venue allows outside caterers
We typically set up where guests can watch, which makes a lovely backdrop for photos.
A table tapas starter gets everyone sharing.
Forestside weddings: local tips
Forestside is about 4 miles east of Horndean, in Hampshire. For wedding paella catering in Forestside, we plan around your venue and timings: a quote, a plan and live cooking on the day. We cover 683 places in Hampshire. Our events stretch from Forestside to Southampton (about 21 miles away).
If you are hoping for photos in Stansted Park, check whether the park needs permission for photography or gatherings. Couples marrying at local churches such as Christ Church often hold the reception nearby: the paella can be cooking while you have photos taken, so the meal is ready when you arrive. With the South Downs National Park within about 5 miles, there are country venues, barns and gardens nearby. Check vehicle access and cooking rules with the venue.
Anywhere in PO9, we can cook for your guests. Local streets include Lodge Lane and Forestside; a wedding at home on any of them works well with live paella. Nearby, we also cater weddings in West Marden (1 mile north-east), Chalton (3 miles north-west), Blendworth (3 miles west), Buriton (5 miles north) and Nursted (5 miles north). We also cook in nearby towns such as Gosport (13 miles south-west), Havant (5 miles south-west), Fareham (13 miles west), Horndean (4 miles west), Waterlooville (6 miles west) and Petersfield (7 miles north).
Other landmarks nearby include Clanfield Earthwork (4 miles north-west) and Havant War Memorial Hospital (5 miles south-west). Open spaces near Forestside include Compton Down and Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve.
For event organisers in Forestside
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: where cooking is allowed, access times and the paperwork they need. Send us your venue’s requirements and we’ll follow them.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Perfect for your wedding in Forestside
Mixed diets are easy, which matters with a big guest list.
Live paella suits almost any gathering. In Forestside, people book us for occasions like:
- Sharing-style wedding meals
- Wedding receptions after a small ceremony
- Food for evening guests
- Weddings in a marquee or garden
For guests travelling by train, the nearest station is Rowlands Castle station, about 2.2 miles south-west.
Before booking anyone
- When payment is due
- Whether VAT is included
- The wet-weather plan
- Travel and parking costs
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Live paella is less formal than a plated meal, but with canapés, table tapas and good crockery, it still feels special. Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
What you get with us
- A clear, itemised quote
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Fast service from the pan
Read Our prices page And What paella catering costs.
Forestside questions
Do you cater in the South Downs National Park?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We will follow the site rules.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Christ Church?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking typically happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
What if photos overrun?
Tell us and we will adjust. We stay in touch with your coordinator so the paella is served fresh.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Yes. Vegetarian and vegan paellas are cooked in separate pans.
Is paella too casual for a wedding?
It can be as relaxed or as polished as you like, depending on presentation and service.
How much does wedding paella catering cost in Forestside?
We quote for each event, based on what you actually want. Tell us your date and numbers and we will reply with a price.
Can we have a tasting?
Mention a tasting in your enquiry, and we’ll explain how it works.
Do you cater for young children?
Yes. Children frequently love a simple chicken paella. Tell us how many are coming.
Space, weather and the venue
Before the day, we will agree where we cook. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Somewhere close to park and unload
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think.
What we offer
- Sangria & bar staff
- Dessert
- Table tapas
- Evening paella
- Paella wedding breakfast
- Canapé tapas
What affects the price in Forestside
The price comes down to a few factors:
- Travel, parking and access
- How many courses
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Your choice of paellas
Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so it helps to tell us about your venue. The full price is confirmed before booking.
Getting an accurate quote
To speed things up, tell us:
- Anything your venue supplies
- The venue or postcode
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- Which courses you have in mind
Thinking about wedding paella catering for your wedding in Forestside? Tell us what you have in mind and we will reply with a menu and a clear price. Just fill in our quote form.
Places near Forestside
Other catering in Forestside
- 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