Reading · England
Wedding Paella Catering for Whitley events
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: paella catering for weddings, from canapés to the wedding breakfast and evening food in Whitley and the surrounding area.
- Weddings in a marquee or garden
- Rustic barn weddings
- Relaxed sharing-style wedding breakfasts
Wedding paella catering for Whitley events
Planning the cooking area
Before the day, we’ll agree where we cook. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- A separate open-sided gazebo if the meal is in a marquee
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we’ll say what we think before you book.
On the menu in Whitley
- Table tapas
- Paella wedding breakfast
- Canapé tapas
- Dessert
- Evening paella
- Sangria & bar staff
How our wedding paella catering works in Whitley
Your wedding menu is planned with you, course by course, to suit your guests, venue and budget. On the menu are evening paella, canapé tapas and Spanish desserts, and typical bookings are for barn and farm weddings and destination-style celebrations at home.
For a smaller place like Whitley, a garden or farm wedding is often the dream. We’ll need a level spot and a way to reach it. We cook every pan in full view of your guests, so it arrives hot and becomes part of the event.
FAQs for Whitley
Could we have live paella in Pearman's Copse?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, typically the council. Ask them first, and we’ll send any information they need.
How far is Whitley from London?
About 38 miles from central London, and we cover it as standard.
Is the paella cooked on site?
Yes, always. Every paella is cooked from scratch on site, in front of your guests.
How much space do you need?
Level ground for the burners, pans and a table, in the open air or a ventilated covered area, and the venue’s permission for live cooking.
Can you cater the whole day?
Any part of the day, or all of it, from canapés to evening food.
When do you arrive?
We get there in good time to set up. The rice itself takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
What about pudding?
We do. Churros, crema catalana and tarta de Santiago are popular choices.
Can you do sangria?
Sangria, yes. We can also supply bar staff for your own drinks.
Should I cook it myself?
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather be with your guests, we’ll do the cooking.
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
How it works
We cook over gas burners in wide, shallow pans. We need a level, ventilated spot, which we agree with you beforehand. Golden-hour photos in Whitley at midsummer come around 9:25pm, which helps us time evening food around your photos. Sunset is around 8:55pm in late May and 7:05pm in late September.
- We start with your date, venue, numbers and ideas.
- Together we plan each course and confirm the price.
- We fit our timings around your speeches, photos and venue.
- We cook live on the day and serve every course on cue.
- Afterwards we clear our area; any staff you’ve booked stay as planned.
Getting ready for the day
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Have a level space ready for the pans
How to get a price
Planning wedding paella catering in Whitley? Tell us what you have in mind and we will reply with a menu and a clear price. Just use our quote form.
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Getting married in Whitley?
Whitley is about 1 mile west of Earley, in Reading. From the centre of Whitley to the outskirts, we offer the same service: live cooking, separate pans for every diet and a clear price. Whitley is one of 34 places in Reading we cover.
Planning photos in Pearman's Copse? It’s worth checking the park’s rules first. Couples marrying at local churches such as St Agnes frequently hold the reception nearby: we can be cooking during the photos, so the meal is ready when you arrive.
We cook at weddings all over the RG2, RG1 and RG19 postcode area and the streets around it. Local streets include Litton Road, Totnes Road and Winton Road; a wedding at home on any of them works well with live paella. Neighbouring places where we cater weddings include Whitley Wood (1 mile south), Earley (1 mile east), Green Park (1 mile west), Great Lea Common (1 mile south-west) and Reading (2 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Caversham (3 miles north), Norcot (4 miles north-west), Tilehurst Within (4 miles north-west), Arborfield Garrison (4 miles south-east), Caversham Heights (4 miles north) and Horncastle (3 miles north-west).
Nearby you’ll also find Royal Berkshire Hospital (1.6 miles north) and The Oracle (1.8 miles north). Not far away are Fobney Island Wetland Reserve and Sonning Hill.
- Schools near Whitley include Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School (under half a mile north-west) and Crosfields School (0.7 miles south-east)
- Pubs nearby include World Turned Upside Down pub (under half a mile west)
- Other local spots include University of Reading library (1.1 miles north-east)
Towns and villages near Whitley
Other catering in Whitley
Occasions we cook for in Whitley
It works as a wedding breakfast or evening food, so it fits any plan.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. People in Whitley book us for occasions like:
- Weddings with lots of dietary needs
- Sharing-style wedding meals
- Wedding receptions after a small ceremony
- Weddings in a marquee or garden
Longwater nearby makes a lovely backdrop for photos.
Before booking anyone
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- Whether travel is included
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- The deadline for final numbers
For planners, venues and organisers
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so guests are fed quickly. Let us know how long the food break is.
If you are booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will talk you through the process. We’re happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
What wedding paella catering costs
There are no hidden charges: the price is based on:
- How many guests are eating
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Distance and access to the venue
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
Larger events usually 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 we need to know
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- The venue or postcode
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- A picture of where we’d cook
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, along with any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. Just fill in our quote form.
Planning for every diet
Allergies and diets are taken seriously. Here’s how you can help:
- Choose pan-side or table service
- Ask about your date as soon as you have one
- Ask whether your venue allows outside caterers
- Introduce us to your venue coordinator
Guests can queue at the pans, or staff can serve the tables, whichever suits your day.
Add sangria, or bar staff to serve your own drinks.
About the dishes
Desserts
To finish: churros, crema catalana or your wedding cake.
Table tapas
Bowls and boards set down in the middle of each table, from bravas to croquetas and Manchego.
- 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