Hampshire · England
Wedding Paella Catering for Matchams events
Love Paella cooks paella catering for weddings, from canapés to the wedding breakfast and evening food in Matchams and nearby, catering for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests.
- Relaxed sharing-style wedding breakfasts
- Barn and farm weddings
- Weddings with mixed diets
Live wedding paella catering in Matchams
About our wedding paella catering in Matchams
Paella suits relaxed, sociable weddings, long tables and garden or barn venues. It feels generous without being stuffy. We’re often asked to cater receptions after an intimate ceremony and weddings with lots of dietary needs, with evening paella, Spanish desserts and canapé tapas.
Near Matchams, weddings are often in fields, barns or gardens. That is exactly where live paella shines: no kitchen needed, just a level, sheltered spot. Tell us about lanes, gates and ground conditions. Every pan is cooked in front of your guests, so it arrives hot and becomes part of the event.
How the day works
We take care of the food from set-up to service, so you can enjoy your wedding. If you’ve chosen tapas or canapés, they go out first as the rice is cooking. At midsummer, sunset in Matchams 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.
- Send us your wedding date, venue and numbers.
- Together we plan each course.
- We agree timings with you and your venue.
- We cook live on the day and serve each course.
- We pack down, and staff stay as agreed.
Getting ready for the day
- Give us a contact for the day
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
Getting a price
It’s easy to get a price: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We will send a clear, itemised quote and a suggested menu.
Read more
Working with your venue
If you are planning an event on someone’s behalf, whether you’re a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we are happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It keeps things simple.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can hold the date.
About the dishes
Table tapas
Bowls and boards set down in the middle of each table, from bravas to croquetas and Manchego.
Desserts
To finish: Spanish desserts or your own cake.
Planning the cooking area
We cook in large pans over gas burners, so we need a suitable spot. These are the things we check:
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before you book.
Popular choices
- Paella wedding breakfast
- Table tapas
- Sangria & bar staff
- Canapé tapas
- Dessert
- Evening paella
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
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.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and do not stir once the rice goes in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Matchams weddings: local tips
Matchams is in Hampshire. For wedding paella catering in Matchams, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices. Matchams is one of 683 places in Hampshire we cover. Our events stretch from Matchams to Southampton (20 miles away).
Nearby historic houses include Avon Tyrrell House (3.6 miles east). If your reception is at a historic house or estate, ask early about its rules on caterers and live cooking. Planning photos in Avon Heath Country Park? It’s worth checking the park’s rules first. With the New Forest National Park within about 6 miles, there are country venues, barns and gardens nearby. Ask your venue about access and cooking rules.
Wherever your wedding is in BH24, we can cook for your guests. That could mean a wedding in a garden on Maple Walk, Ash Tree Close and Sycamore Way or the roads around them. If your venue is just outside Matchams, we also cover Avon Castle (1 mile north-east), St Ives (1 mile north), St Leonards (1 mile north-west) and Ashley Heath (2 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Totton (15 miles north-east), Lymington (12 miles east), New Milton (8 miles south-east), Ringwood (3 miles north-east), Barton on Sea (8 miles south-east) and Ashley (9 miles south-east).
A little further out are St Leonard's Hospital (1.7 miles west). Green spaces nearby include St Catherine's Hill and Blashford Lakes.
Also near Matchams
What else we do in Matchams
Paella compared with other options
Live paella is less formal than a plated meal, but with canapés, table tapas and good crockery, it still feels special. Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so it helps to tell us about your venue. Everything is confirmed in writing.
Why us?
- Events in Matchams and across Hampshire
- Fast service from the pan
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
Read Our pricing Or Our guide to catering costs.
Matchams questions
Can you cook at venues in the New Forest National Park?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We’ll work to whatever the site needs.
Is Matchams too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Let us know about access and parking.
What about supplier meals?
Just add them to your numbers. Tell us when they’ll eat.
Should we have more than one paella?
Two or three is usual: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We’ll suggest a split based on your guests.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
We can, if you tell us in advance. Rice is naturally gluten-free, but stock and some ingredients may not be, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
Can paella feel formal?
It can be dressed up or kept relaxed, depending on presentation and service.
What areas do you cover?
We cover London and the South East, Hampshire included. Find your area.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes. We use halal chicken and leave out pork and alcohol, in a separate pan.
Why choose wedding paella catering in Matchams?
It fills the gap between ceremony and meal: watch the pans.
Whatever the occasion, paella can be the star of the food. We frequently cook for:
- Evening wedding food
- Big weddings with every diet
- Farm and barn venues
- Parties after a register office wedding
Linbrook Lake nearby makes a lovely backdrop for photos.
What your quote should include
- The wet-weather plan
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- Allergen information for each dish
- The deadline for final numbers
Catering for every guest
A little planning makes sure everyone can eat. Try these:
- Ask whether your venue allows outside caterers
- Tell us how many evening guests to expect
- Decide whether guests queue at the pans or are served at the tables
- Share your running order, including speeches
After service, we pack down our cooking area; any staff stay as long as agreed.
Canapés during the photos keep hunger at bay.
- 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