Waverley Staff Celebration with Paella amor at St Catherine’s School

Tim and Alli
Aug 5
3 min read

On Monday 21st July 2025, our team at Paella amor had the absolute pleasure of catering for the staff at St Catherine’s School in Waverley during their Staff Professional Development Day. With 230 guests in attendance, our brief was clear - provide a delicious, inclusive and visually striking lunch that would leave a lasting impression.

Spoiler alert: mission accomplished.

A Paella Catering to Warm a Winter’s Day

To meet the needs of a large and diverse team, we served three generous paellas - each with distinct flavours, cooked fresh onsite and served hot straight from the pan.

Here’s what we prepared for the day:

1.3m Chicken & Chorizo Paella
A robust and satisfying crowd-pleaser, this paella was rich with chorizo and tender boneless chicken thigh, infused with our house made soffritto, saffron, and heirloom tomatoes.
90cm Seafood Paella
This one turned heads - packed with salmon, prawns, squid and mussels, it brought the flavours of the Spanish coast right to the heart of Waverley.
70cm Vegetarian Paella
A colourful, fully plant-based and vegan paella with asparagus, red and yellow capsicum, snow peas, and mushrooms, all simmered in a flavourful, vegan-friendly stock.

All of our paellas are gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and egg-free, making them a perfect solution for events with dietary considerations - no special menus or separate meals required.

To round out the offering, we also served complimentary:

Pane di Casa bread with butter
Fresh mixed leaf salad with balsamic dressing

This simple but well-balanced spread gave everyone something to enjoy and provided just the right mix of warm, hearty and fresh.

Set-Up on the the school lawn

The event took place outdoors on the Cloisters Lawn, a flat grassy space perfect for our signature live paella cooking experience. With no equipment required from the school, we brought everything with us - including gas burners, marquee (just in case), serving tables, biodegradable bowls, wooden forks, and napkins.

Lunch was served starting right on time. As the pans began to bubble and the aromas of saffron, garlic and paprika filled the air, staff gathered with excitement, watching the paellas come together in real time.

Easy Logistics and Professional Execution

Thanks to the detailed coordination from our team and the school, everything ran like clockwork.

We packed down quickly after the meal and departed, leaving the site clean, tidy, and full of happy guests.

Why Paella Works for Large School Events and Large Event Catering

This St Catherine’s event was a perfect demonstration of why paella catering is ideal for Sydney school functions and other large events:

Scalable service for 12 to 500+ guests (up to 2000 guests are possible)
Fast, seamless bump-in and out
Live cooking adds theatre and energy
Dietary-friendly without compromise
Sustainable service ware and all waste removed by the Paella amor team

Our signature cooking style makes a great impression with staff who want something different from the usual sandwich platters or buffet trays and when it’s cooked live outdoors, it becomes a true shared experience.

Local Paella Catering in Waverley and Eastern Suburbs

We love working in Waverley and the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney - from Bronte to Bondi, Randwick to Coogee. If you’re planning a staff development day, school celebration, corporate lunch, or private function, Paella amor brings flavour and joyful service to you.

We handle everything - food, staff, equipment, setup and cleanup - so you can focus on what matters: connection, conversation and celebration.

A Huge Thank You to St Catherine’s School

A big shout-out to Zaynab, the team behind the scenes and all the staff at St Catherine’s School. Your professionalism, warmth and incredible energy made this day a pleasure to be part of. We hope to serve you again in the future!

Looking to book paella catering in Waverley or Sydney?

0434 917 069
info@paellaamor.com.au