Surrey · England
Wedding Paella Catering for Thames Ditton events
Planning wedding paella catering in Thames Ditton? We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook in front of your guests.
- Rustic barn weddings
- Destination-style celebrations at home
- Weddings with lots of dietary needs
Book wedding paella catering in Thames Ditton
Diets, allergies and planning
With a little notice, every diet is easy. We suggest:
- Introduce us to your venue coordinator
- Decide whether guests queue at the pans or are served at the tables
- Count day and evening guests separately
- Check the venue’s rules for outside caterers
We generally set up where guests can watch, which makes a lovely backdrop for photos.
We can provide crockery and waiting staff.
Wedding paella catering for your wedding in Thames Ditton
A wedding paella is food and entertainment at once. Guests drift over to watch the pans while the photos are being taken, and the meal arrives hot and generous. We are often asked to cater spanish-themed and destination-style weddings and receptions after an intimate ceremony, with Spanish desserts, a paella wedding breakfast and canapé tapas.
For a smaller place like Thames Ditton, a garden or farm wedding is often the dream. We need level ground and access. We serve straight from the pan, so it is hot and generous, and a queue moves quickly.
The process
Here’s how the day usually runs: we set up the pans and start the sofrito, your guests watch the rice cook, and it is served hot from the pan at the agreed time. In Thames Ditton, midsummer sunset is about 9:20pm, and by late September it’s nearer 7:05pm, which means evening paella is usually 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.
- We plan a menu with you, course by course, and confirm a quote.
- 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.
Preparing for the day
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
Ask for a quote
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. To send your details, use our quote form.
Read more
DIY paella versus live catering
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. Ask us for a quote and compare.
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 for dozens of people takes experience. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
Places near Thames Ditton
What else we do in Thames Ditton
What we need at the venue
Most outdoor spaces and many venues work for live paella, but there are a few things to check:
- Somewhere close to park and unload
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- A cooking spot outside the marquee, not inside it
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly.
Menu ideas
- Dessert
- Table tapas
- Evening paella
- Sangria & bar staff
- Paella wedding breakfast
- Canapé tapas
Why choose live paella in Thames Ditton?
Food trucks serve one order at a time, which can mean long queues at a wedding. Paella pans serve many guests quickly. Cost depends on guest numbers, the menu and the courses, plus any staff, crockery and travel. Every event gets its own quote.
Why book with us
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- A clear, itemised quote
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
Take a look at Our pricing Or What paella catering costs.
What wedding paella catering costs
The price comes down to a few factors:
- The paellas you choose
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- How many staff you need
- The length of service
Live paella pricing depends on the event. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. We itemise everything in your quote.
What to tell us
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what’s useful:
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- The courses you’d like
- Where the event is
To get a price, send us your details through our quote form. Tell us about your wedding in Thames Ditton, and we will suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Organising for someone else?
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so guests are fed quickly. Tell us how long you have for food.
Hosting a party at home? Send a picture of the space and tell us about parking, and we will let you know if live paella is a good fit.
Your questions about wedding paella catering in Thames Ditton
Is Thames Ditton close to London?
Roughly 13 miles from the centre of London.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St. Nicholas?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is usually elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
Can you cook indoors?
Typically we cook outdoors or under a ventilated cover, since the burners are gas. We will check whether your venue has a suitable space.
How long do you need on site?
It depends on the menu and numbers. We’ll agree arrival, cooking and serving times with you.
Is the paella cooked on site?
Yes, always. We cook from scratch in large pans at your venue, where your guests can watch.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes, we do. We use halal chicken and leave out pork and alcohol, in a separate pan.
Where do you cater?
We cater across London and the South East, Surrey included. See all areas.
What if our speeches run late?
We plan for it. We time the rice to the actual running order, so it is served at its best.
Occasions we cook for in Thames Ditton
Paella feels relaxed and generous, which is why couples choose it, and because guests remember it.
We can help if you’re planning any of the following:
- Weddings in a marquee or garden
- Big weddings with every diet
- Barn and farm weddings
- Destination-style celebrations at home
Couples marrying at local churches such as Church of St. Nicholas often hold the reception nearby: we can be cooking during the photos, so it’s ready as guests arrive.
Before you book anyone
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- Staff numbers and hours
Thames Ditton weddings: local tips
Thames Ditton is about 1 mile west of Surbiton, in Surrey. Wherever your wedding is in the KT7 area, we can bring the pans to you. Thames Ditton is one of 395 towns and villages in Surrey we cover. You can also see our page for London, about 13 miles away.
For guests travelling by train, Thames Ditton station is in Thames Ditton itself. For outdoor photos, The Wood is close by, and the countryside around Thames Ditton suits an outdoor reception.
Here we cover the KT7 postcode area, and we can cater your wedding anywhere in it. That could mean a wedding in a garden on High Street, Watts Road and Ditton Close or the roads around them. You’ll find Thames Ditton on the A307, which makes it straightforward to bring the equipment. Neighbouring places where we cater weddings include Weston Green (1 mile south-west), Long Ditton (1 mile east), Hinchley Wood (1 mile south), Seething Wells (1 mile east) and Molesey (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Guildford (14 miles south-west), Woking (12 miles south-west), Epsom (5 miles south-east), Redhill (13 miles south-east), Ewell (4 miles south-east) and Egham (10 miles west).
Nearby you’ll also find Tolworth Hospital (2 miles east) and Bentall Centre (2 miles north-east). The countryside around Thames Ditton includes The Wood and The Lake.
- Local schools include Esher College (0.5 miles west) and Shrewsbury House School (1.3 miles south-east)
- Local pubs include George and Dragon pub (under half a mile north)
- Parks and local facilities nearby include Municipal Borough of Surbiton (1.8 miles south-east)
- 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