Hampshire · England
Wedding paella catering in Hensting, Hampshire
Something for every guest: separate pans for meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan guests. Paella catering for weddings, from canapés to the wedding breakfast and evening food in Hensting.
- Marquee and garden weddings
- Informal wedding breakfasts
- Barn and farm weddings
Wedding paella catering near Hensting
Wedding paella catering for your wedding in Hensting
Paella has a natural rhythm: once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, and it’s best served right away. We plan it around your speeches and photos. Popular choices include canapé tapas, evening paella and table tapas, and we are often booked for destination-style celebrations at home and evening wedding food.
There is something special about a country wedding near Hensting, and an open-air paella adds to it. Plan for access and a wet-weather cover. We cook every pan in full view of your guests, so the food is hot, fresh and part of the occasion.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but there’s shopping, prep and hours of cooking. A caterer handles all of that.
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
More for events in Hensting
Wedding venues and ceremonies near Hensting
Hensting is about 3 miles north-east of Eastleigh, in Hampshire. Weddings in Hensting are planned around your venue and timings: a quote, a plan and live cooking on the day. We cater in all 683 towns and villages across Hampshire, from the larger towns to small villages. We cook right across the region, from Hensting to Southampton (7 miles away).
Put the station on your invitation: Shawford station is about 2.2 miles away. Couples marrying at local churches such as Church of the Holy Trinity frequently hold the reception nearby: the paella can be cooking while you have photos taken, so it’s ready as guests arrive.
We cater weddings across the SO50 postcode area. If your venue is just outside Hensting, we also cover Owslebury (1 mile north-east), Owslebury Bottom (1 mile north-east), Baybridge (2 miles east), Morestead (2 miles north) and Lane End (4 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Winchester (4 miles north), Gosport (15 miles south-east), Eastleigh (3 miles south-west), Fareham (11 miles south), Horndean (14 miles south-east) and Totton (11 miles south-west).
A little further out are St John's Rooms And Chapel (4.3 miles north) and Eastleigh Museum (3.5 miles south-west). The countryside around Hensting includes Shawford Down and Twyford Down.
- Nearby, you’ll find Ship Inn (1 mile north-east)
Before you choose a spot
Most gardens and venues can host live paella, but a few things matter:
- An open-sided catering gazebo next to the marquee
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise.
Menu ideas
- Paella wedding breakfast
- Dessert
- Canapé tapas
- Table tapas
- Evening paella
- Sangria & bar staff
How we price wedding paella catering
Every event is priced individually, based on a few main things:
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Your choice of paellas
- Timings and hours
- The number of people
Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so your choice of paellas affects the total. Tell us your budget and we’ll suggest a menu.
Details that help
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what to include:
- A photo of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
- The courses you’d like
- What the venue already provides
- The address or venue name
Every event is quoted individually, so the price fits what you actually want. To ask for one, fill in our quote form.
Diets, allergies and planning
Good planning keeps every guest safe and happy. Here’s how:
- Collect dietary needs on the RSVP
- Give us separate day and evening numbers
- Tell us when speeches will be
- Ask whether your venue allows outside caterers
Paella can be served at the pans or carried to the tables by staff, whichever suits your day.
A table tapas starter gets everyone sharing.
How the day works
Your timings come first. If speeches run late or the photos take longer, we hold the paella at the right stage so it’s still served fresh. Golden-hour photos in Hensting at midsummer come around 9:25pm, which helps us time evening food around your photos. In late May, sunset is about 8:55pm, and in late September about 7:10pm.
- First, we check your date.
- You choose canapés, tapas, paellas and desserts.
- We confirm the plan with your coordinator.
- The pans cook while guests enjoy the drinks.
- We serve and clear our cooking area.
Before we arrive
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
Getting a price
It is easy to get a price: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We’ll send a clear, itemised quote.
Related guides
Why choose wedding paella catering in Hensting?
It fills the gap between ceremony and meal: watch the pans.
Here are some of the events we cook for around Hensting:
- Weddings in a marquee or garden
- Wedding receptions after a small ceremony
- Relaxed sharing-style wedding breakfasts
- Destination-style celebrations at home
Shawford Down nearby makes a lovely backdrop for photos.
Questions to ask before you book
- The deadline for final numbers
- Allergen information for each dish
- Travel and parking costs
- The wet-weather plan
The menu, dish by dish
Paella wedding breakfast
The main event: paellas for every diet, served hot and generous.
Evening paella
Evening paella is hot, filling and fun, especially after a few hours on the dance floor.
Questions from Hensting
Is Hensting too small for live paella?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Let us know about access and parking.
Is Hensting close to London?
About 62 miles from central London, and well within our area.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Children are welcome. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we will plan a pan with them in mind.
Can you cater the whole day?
Any part of the day, or all of it, from the drinks reception to the evening.
Is paella smart enough for a wedding?
It can be dressed up or kept relaxed, depending on how it’s served.
Do you provide plates and cutlery?
We can. Let us know what you have, and we will quote for the rest.
Can you feed our photographer and band?
Yes, include them in your numbers. Let us know when they need feeding.
Is halal food available?
Yes. We use halal chicken and leave out pork and alcohol, in its own pan.
Paella compared with other options
Buffets can mean food sitting for a while. Paella is served hot from the pan when guests are ready. Live paella pricing depends on the event. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. We itemise everything in your quote.
Why choose Love Paella in Hensting
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Drinks service on request
Take a look at Our pricing Or Our guide to catering costs.
- 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