Hen Party Cooking Class & Private Chef in Marbella — The Best Villa Activity for Your Hen Do
An afternoon cooking authentic paella at a private finca, or a private chef BBQ at your villa while you sunbathe by the pool. Two ways to make the food the highlight of the hen weekend — not just an afterthought.
Planning a Hen Do in Marbella? Here's What Actually Works
You're the maid of honour. You've got 12 WhatsApp messages from 12 different bridesmaids, a bride who wants something "fun but not cheesy", and a list of Marbella activities that all look the same on Instagram.
Boat trips: expensive, weather-dependent, and half the group gets seasick. Beach clubs: good for one afternoon, less good if the group doesn't drink. Cocktail-making classes: everywhere, usually in a basement. Spa days: lovely, but you've eaten nothing by 4pm and someone's getting grumpy.
The hen parties that get remembered in Marbella tend to involve three things: good food, a great setting, and something everyone can actually do together. A paella cooking class at a private finca in the hills above Marbella hits all three. So does a private chef BBQ at the villa — where the organiser finally gets to stop organising for a few hours and someone else takes care of everything.
Chef Paco has hosted more hen parties than he can count. He knows the dynamic — the non-drinker, the nervous cook, the one who wants to be involved in everything, the one who wants to sit back with a glass of wine. The class adapts to the group. The food is always exceptional. And the photos — aprons, flour, a golden paellera with socarrat — look better than anything you'll find at a beach club.
From €50/pp. Groups of 4–30. We come to your villa, or you come to ours.
2 Hen Party Experiences to Choose From
Most Booked for Hen PartiesPaella Cooking Class at Our Private Finca
- •Private finca in Ojén, Sierra de las Nieves — exclusive to your group
- •Welcome sangria & tapas on arrival, then hands-on paella cooking with Chef Paco
- •3-hour experience: aperitif, cooking, sit-down meal, recipe booklet to take home
- •Groups of 4–30, entirely private — no other bookings running in parallel
- •From €70/pp (Valenciana & Végétarienne) · €70/pp (Mariscos) · From €120/pp (Royale)
- •Optional transport: €20/pp within 30km of Ojén
- •Optional add-ons: sangria-making workshop, flamenco demonstration (ask for availability)
Best for Villa Hen WeekendsPrivate Chef at Your Villa
- •Chef arrives at your Marbella villa, Airbnb, or finca — you stay exactly where you are
- •Choice of live paella (from €50/pp) or BBQ brasero (from €60/pp)
- •Perfect for the Friday evening before a big Saturday night out, or a relaxed Sunday finale
- •Groups of 6–30 within 30km of Ojén
- •Setup, full cooking service, and cleanup included — nothing for the organiser to manage
- •Dietary adaptations: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal, kosher — confirmed at booking
Two Ways to Plan Your Hen Weekend Around the Food
These aren't scripts — they're starting points. Most hen groups mix elements from both.
The Relaxed Hen Do
Best for groups who want a mix of activity, culture, and a night out
Pool time at the villa, lazy brunch with pastries
Transfer to the finca in Ojén (20 minutes from Marbella)
Private paella cooking class with Chef Paco — welcome sangria, cooking, full meal, recipe booklets
Freshen up at the villa, then dinner in Marbella Old Town or Puerto Banús
Whatever happens, happens
What makes it work: the cooking class fills the afternoon and the dinner so there's no dead time, no scramble for a restaurant, and no stress for whoever's organising. Everyone arrives at the evening already full of sangria and good food.
The Villa Hen Party
Best for groups who want to stay at the villa the whole time
Late wake-up, villa pool, homemade cocktails
Paella delivery for a poolside lunch (from €18/pp, minimum 6 guests) — see delivery menu
Pool games, music, afternoon nap for whoever needs it
Private chef BBQ brasero at the villa — Paco arrives, sets up the grill, serves over two to three hours, and leaves the terrace clean
Puerto Banús, or a night in — the group decides
What makes it work: nobody moves from the villa. Two food moments, entirely catered, no coordination required. The organiser gets to enjoy the weekend too.
Practical Information for the Organiser
| Cooking Class at Finca | Private Chef at Villa | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Private finca, Ojén (20 min from Marbella) | Your villa/Airbnb/rental property |
| Group size | 4–30 guests | 8–30 guests |
| Duration | ~3 hours | ~2–3 hours service |
| Transport | Optional (€20/pp within 30km) | We come to you |
| Deposit | 30% at booking | 30% at booking |
| Cancellation | Full refund >48h; weather refund | Full refund >48h |
| Dietary needs | Vegetarian, vegan, GF, halal, kosher | Vegetarian, vegan, GF, halal, kosher |
| Drinks | All drinks included — unlimited | All drinks included — unlimited |
| Booking lead time | 1 week minimum; 2+ weeks July–August | 48h minimum; 1 week+ in peak season |
Bookings via the enquiry form or WhatsApp. We reply within a few hours. For custom arrangements — combining experiences across multiple days, large group logistics, dietary complexity — WhatsApp is the fastest route.
What Hen Party Organisers Need to Know
We're a Chef, Not a Catering Company
Chef Paco does the cooking. Not an agency, not a hired pair of hands — the same person who takes the booking cooks the paella. That matters for quality, and it matters for the atmosphere.
Private Means Private
The finca is exclusively yours. No other groups, no shared terraces, no strangers in the background of your photos. The cooking class and the villa chef service both operate as completely private bookings.
One Price, No Additions
The price per person covers ingredients, equipment, setup, service, and cleanup. For the cooking class, it includes the welcome aperitif, full meal, and recipe materials. You won't receive an invoice with extras after the event.
We've Done This Before
We regularly host hen groups. We know the format — how to manage a group of varying energy levels, how to keep the cooking fun without it feeling like a lesson, how to adapt to the bride's preferences on the day.
★ 4.9 — 120 verified reviews
“We did the paella cooking class for a hen do in June. Paco was the highlight of the whole weekend — genuinely hilarious, incredibly knowledgeable, and the food was unreal.”
“We had Paco come to our villa on the Friday evening. 14 of us, paella and then the BBQ — he set everything up, cooked for two and a half hours, and cleared everything away.”
“The finca is absolutely stunning. We arrived expecting a nice cooking class and ended up staying four hours.”
Live from Si Catering
Frequently Asked Questions — Hen Party in Marbella
Ready to Make Food the Highlight of the Hen Weekend?
Paella Cooking Class at the Finca
From €70/pp · 4–30 guests · Ojén, 20 min from Marbella · ~3 hours
Book the Cooking ClassPrivate Chef at Your Villa
Paella from €50/pp · BBQ from €60/pp · 8–30 guests · We come to you
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