East Sussex · England
Festival Paella Catering in Down Street
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: paella street food for festivals, fairs, markets and community events in Down Street and the surrounding area.
- Feeding crew and volunteers
- Christmas and farmers’ markets
- School and charity events
Festival paella catering for Down Street events
Festival paella catering in Down Street, cooked live
We arrive with our equipment and follow the site rules, from arrival times to waste. On the menu are churros, vegan paella and seafood paella, and we’re regularly asked to cater sports club events and community events and open days.
Near Down Street, events may be far from shops and cafés, so a hot-food stall is a big help. We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, with each paella cooked in its own pan.
- Area
- Down Street (TN22)
- Area hub
- East Sussex
- Dietary options
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Extras
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Should I cook it myself?
Some hosts like to cook themselves. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather be with your guests, we will do the cooking.
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but you will still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. A caterer handles all of that.
How the day works
Watching it cook is half the fun. We start with the sofrito, add the stock and saffron, then spread the rice across the pan and leave it alone to cook while your guests chat. Summer events in Down Street have daylight until about 9:20pm at midsummer and about 7:05pm by late September, so evening trading typically finishes in daylight in high summer. For winter markets, dark by about 3:55pm, the pitch needs lighting.
- Tell us about the event, the crowd and the pitch.
- You get our stall menu and what we need on site.
- We send the documents the event asks for.
- We time the first pans for the lunchtime rush.
- When trading ends, the pitch is cleared and left clean.
Getting ready for the day
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
- Ensure the spot is clear of anything flammable
Get a quote
Every event is quoted individually, so you only pay for what you need. To ask for one, fill in our quote form.
Related guides
Prices and what affects them
Two events with the same number of guests can cost different amounts, depending on:
- Distance and access to the venue
- Whether you need crockery
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- How many courses
When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
Details that help
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. Here’s what’s useful:
- The address or venue name
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
Planning festival paella catering in Down Street? Send us the details and we’ll reply with a menu and a clear price. Just send us your details through our quote form.
Your questions about festival paella catering in Down Street
Do you trade at school fairs around Down Street?
Yes, if the school is happy for us to cook on site. Tell us the date and pitch details.
Is Down Street too small for live paella?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Let us know about access and parking.
How far ahead should we book?
As early as you can, especially for summer weekends. Ask about your date even if it’s soon.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Yes, and it’s a popular combination. Tapas first, paella to follow.
Can vegans eat at your stall?
Yes. Vegan paella is cooked in its own pan.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
A gluten-free pan is no problem. Let us know about coeliac guests in advance so we take the right care.
Do you cook inside?
Only in a suitable, well-ventilated area with the venue’s permission. Most events have us cooking outside or in a doorway or courtyard.
How many paellas should we have?
Two or three is usual: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We’ll help you decide the split.
Organising for someone else?
If you’re organising for someone else, whether you’re a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we will work directly with you and the venue. It keeps things simple.
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
Who books festival paella catering in Down Street?
One trader, many diets.
Live paella works for big and small events alike. Typical bookings include:
- Festivals
- Agricultural and county shows
- Seasonal markets
- School fairs and fundraisers
For a church fête or fundraiser, at a church such as The Parish Church of St Andrew and St Mary, a paella stall adds a hot meal to the cakes and tombola.
Before booking anyone
- How long the team stays
- How bad weather is handled
- Whether VAT is included
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
Down Street events: pitches and permissions
Down Street is about 3 miles north-west of Uckfield, in East Sussex. For festival paella catering in Down Street, we plan around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. Down Street is one of 289 places in East Sussex we cover. Our nearest city page is Brighton, about 14 miles away.
If your event is in West Park, the organiser will need the landowner’s permission; we’ll supply our paperwork. For visitors coming by rail, the nearest station is Uckfield station, about 2.6 miles south-east. Within about 7 miles is the High Weald National Landscape, where events may have extra rules on vehicles and waste; we work to the site rules.
We cover events in every part of TN22. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Maresfield (1 mile east), Budlett's Common (2 miles east), Newick (3 miles south-west), Founthill (3 miles south-west) and Ridgewood (3 miles south-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Seaford (15 miles south), Lewes (9 miles south), Hailsham (13 miles south-east), Crowborough (6 miles north-east), Uckfield (3 miles south-east) and Newhaven (14 miles south).
Nearby you’ll also find Uckfield Community Hospital (3 miles south-east) and Heaven Farm Museum (2.8 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Brickfield Meadow.
Is live paella right for your event?
Most stalls cook to order. Paella is batch-cooked and served fast, so queues move quickly. Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so it helps to tell us about your venue. The full price is confirmed before booking.
Why book with us
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Sangria and bar staff available
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
Read Our prices page And Our guide to catering costs.
What we need at the venue
Every venue is different, so we ask about the space before we confirm. Generally, we look for:
- Pitch space for cooking and serving
- Firm, level ground
- Your trader pack and site rules
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think.
Menu ideas
- Vegan paella
- Giant paella pans
- Churros
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Tapas
- Seafood paella
Planning for every diet
We take diets and allergies seriously. Here’s how you can help:
- Give traders a single information pack
- Ensure the line-up includes vegan and gluten-free options
- Book crew catering in advance
- Ask traders about packaging and waste
Our pitch is kept tidy and safe.
A vegan pan alongside the meat and seafood pans.
Places near Down Street
Other catering in Down Street
- 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