Oxfordshire · England
Wedding paella catering in Shirburn, Oxfordshire
Paella catering for weddings, from canapés to the wedding breakfast and evening food in Shirburn: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, right in front of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Barn and farm weddings
- Civil partnerships and vow renewals
- Food for evening guests
Wedding paella catering for Shirburn events
Where we can cook in Shirburn
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We need:
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
Menu ideas
- Paella wedding breakfast
- Sangria & bar staff
- Table tapas
- Canapé tapas
- Evening paella
- Dessert
How our wedding paella catering works in Shirburn
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. We’re often asked to cater barn and farm weddings and blessings and vow renewals, with Spanish desserts, canapé tapas and evening paella.
A wedding in a small place like Shirburn often means a field, a barn or a family garden. That’s exactly where live paella shines: no kitchen, just a level, sheltered spot. Let us know about access and ground. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, never made in advance and reheated, and served the moment it is ready.
- Location
- Shirburn (OX49)
- Area hub
- Oxfordshire
- Special diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Also available
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Price
- Ask us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Common questions in Shirburn
How far is Shirburn from London?
Roughly 40 miles from the centre of London.
Do you come out to small places like Shirburn?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
When do you arrive?
We get there in good time to set up. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
How much is live paella catering?
The price depends on numbers, menu, courses, staff and travel. Tell us about your event and we’ll send a quote.
What about supplier meals?
Just add them to your numbers. Tell us when they’ll eat.
Do you offer tastings?
Ask us when you enquire and we’ll explain the options.
Is it really cooked live?
Yes. Every paella is cooked from scratch on site, in front of your guests.
Can you liaise with the venue coordinator?
Yes, it makes life easier. Introduce us and we will sort the details.
Places near Shirburn
What else we do in Shirburn
Who books wedding paella catering in Shirburn?
Paella can work for the wedding breakfast, the evening, or both, so it’s flexible.
Here are some of the events we cook for:
- Civil partnerships and vow renewals
- Evening wedding food
- Weddings with lots of dietary needs
- Informal wedding breakfasts
Bald Hill nearby makes a lovely backdrop for photos.
Before you book anyone
- VAT, if it applies
- Who provides the crockery
- When final numbers are due
- How each diet is kept separate
Organising for someone else?
Organising a club, school or community event in Shirburn? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we will suggest a menu.
If you’re organising for someone else, whether you’re a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we’re happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It keeps things simple.
The process
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 at the agreed time. In Shirburn, midsummer sunset is about 9:25pm, and by late September it is nearer 7:10pm, which means evening paella is generally served in daylight in June and July. For autumn and winter weddings, when it is dark by about 3:55pm in December, plan lighting for the cooking area.
- Share your date, venue, numbers and plans for the day.
- Together we plan each course and confirm the price.
- We fit our timings around your speeches, photos and venue.
- On the day we set up, cook live and serve each course as planned.
- Afterwards we clear our area; any staff you’ve booked stay as planned.
How to prepare
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
Get a quote
The quickest way to a quote is to fill in our quote form. Tell us about your wedding in Shirburn, and we will suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Planning help
Wedding venues and ceremonies near Shirburn
Shirburn is about 6 miles south of Thame, in Oxfordshire. Weddings in Shirburn are planned around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. We cook in 443 places across Oxfordshire. Our events stretch from Shirburn to Oxford (12 miles away).
Historic houses near Shirburn include Adwell House (2.4 miles north) and Stonor Park (4.9 miles south-east). If your reception is at a historic house or estate, ask early about its rules on caterers and live cooking. Couples marrying at local churches such as All Saints Church often hold the reception nearby: we can be cooking during the photos, so the meal is ready when you arrive. The Chilterns National Landscape is within about 2 miles of Shirburn, with plenty of rural wedding settings. Ask your venue about access and cooking rules.
We cater weddings across the OX49 postcode area and the streets around it. From Watlington Road, Castle Road and Blenheim Road or a nearby road, we will bring the pans to you. Other places close to Shirburn for wedding paella catering include Lewknor (1 mile north-east), South Weston (2 miles north), Christmas Common (2 miles south-east), Postcombe (2 miles north) and Howe Hill (3 miles south). Larger places within reach include Oxford (12 miles north-west), Didcot (11 miles west), Abingdon-on-Thames (13 miles west), Thame (6 miles north), Henley-on-Thames (9 miles south-east) and Benson (5 miles south-west).
The countryside around Shirburn includes Aston Rowant NNR and Bald Hill.
- Nearby schools include Watlington Primary School (1 mile south-west)
- Nearby, you’ll find The Chequers pub (0.9 miles south-west)
What affects the price in Shirburn
There is nothing hidden: the quote reflects:
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- The number of people
- How many staff you need
- Starters, canapés and desserts
The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, plus any staff, crockery and travel. Every event gets its own quote.
Details that help
You don’t need everything decided to ask for a quote, but it helps to know:
- The date and rough timings
- Where the event is
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- A picture of the space, if you can
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. To send your details, fill in our quote form.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and handles separate pans for each diet.
Paella compared with other options
Food trucks serve one order at a time, which can mean long queues at a wedding. Paella pans serve many guests quickly. Larger events generally cost less per head, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
What you get with us
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- We cover Shirburn and the whole of Oxfordshire
- No hidden extras in your quote
Read How we price Or What paella catering costs.
Planning for every diet
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. We suggest:
- Decide whether guests queue at the pans or are served at the tables
- Ask whether your venue allows outside caterers
- Include any suppliers you are feeding
- Tell us how many evening guests to expect
Fresh pans can be cooked for evening guests, timed for after the first dance.
Table tapas make a sociable starter.
- 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