East Sussex · England
Festival & event paella in East Dean, East Sussex
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: paella street food for festivals, fairs, markets and community events in East Dean and the surrounding area.
- Open days and community events
- Village fêtes and summer fairs
- Crew, volunteer and VIP catering
Planning an event in East Dean?
Festival paella catering for your event in East Dean
Organisers can book us as a stall or as caterers for staff, crew, volunteers or VIP areas. For sports clubs and race days and music and food festivals, we can cook vegan paella, chicken and chorizo paella and seafood paella and more.
For a village fête or field event near East Dean, we can bring hot food to a rural site. Ground conditions and access matter, so tell us about them. Everything is cooked from scratch at your event, not reheated, and served the moment it is ready.
- Location
- East Dean (BN20)
- Area hub
- East Sussex
- Dietary options
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Extras
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Occasions we cook for in East Dean
It covers several diets with one trader, which saves pitches.
Whatever the occasion, paella can be the star of the food. We frequently cook for:
- Christmas and farmers’ markets
- Summer fairs and fêtes
- Music and food festivals
- Charity and school events
For visitors coming by rail, the nearest station is Eastbourne station, about 3.4 miles east.
Questions to ask before you book
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- How bad weather is handled
- Staff numbers and hours
- The venue requirements
Also near East Dean
What else we do in East Dean
Should I cook it myself?
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. Ask us for a quote and compare.
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
How the day works
Here’s how the day normally runs: we set up the pans and start the sofrito, your guests watch the rice cook, and it’s served hot from the pan when you are ready to eat. Summer events in East Dean have daylight until about 9:15pm at midsummer and about 7:05pm by late September, so evening trading generally finishes in daylight in high summer. For winter markets, dark by about 3:55pm, the pitch needs lighting.
- You send us the event, dates and pitch details.
- You get our menu, pitch requirements and paperwork.
- We set up at the agreed time.
- Pans cook in full view and we serve throughout the event.
- We clear the pitch and leave it clean.
Preparing for the day
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Give us your final numbers and diets
How to get a price
Still deciding on the menu? No problem: give us the basics about your event, and we will suggest a menu. Start when you’re ready: send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
Diets, allergies and planning
We take diets and allergies seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Put picnic tables near the traders
- Feed crew and volunteers at set times
- Ask traders about packaging and waste
- Ask about peak-time capacity
We cook in full view of visitors, and serve from the pan throughout the event.
Churros and tapas can join the menu.
Live paella or other catering?
Some traders struggle with vegan and gluten-free options. A vegan paella pan sits alongside the others. Live paella pricing depends on the event. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. Your quote spells it all out.
Why us?
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- A quote that spells everything out
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
Planners, venues and businesses
Wedding planners and venue coordinators are welcome to contact us directly, and we will keep you updated on timings and set-up.
Hosting a party at home? Send us a photo of the garden and tell us about access, and we’ll let you know if live paella is a good fit.
Before you choose a spot
No two venues are the same, so we will ask about yours before we confirm. In general, we need:
- Access for unloading at set-up
- Pitch space for cooking and serving
- A level pitch on firm ground
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think.
On the menu in East Dean
- Vegan paella
- Churros
- Giant paella pans
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Tapas
- Seafood paella
Dishes our guests love
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid for fish lovers.
Vegan paella
Vegan paella cooked separately.
Running an event in East Dean
East Dean is about 4 miles south-west of Eastbourne, in East Sussex. Wherever your event is in the BN20 area, we can cook for your guests. East Dean is one of 289 places in East Sussex we cover. You can also see our page for Brighton, about 16 miles away.
Running a fête for a church like The Parish Church of St Simon and St Jude? A paella pan draws people in. Events in and around the South Downs National Park, within about 4 miles of East Dean, frequently have rules about vehicles, ground and waste; we’ll follow the site’s requirements. The coast is within about 4 miles of East Dean, so for seaside events we plan a sheltered pitch.
Anywhere in BN20, we can bring festival paella catering to you. Your event could be at a home on Lower Street, Went Way and Gilberts Drive. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Friston (1 mile north-east), Birling Gap (1 mile south), Jevington (2 miles north), Meads (3 miles east) and Old Town (3 miles east). Further out, we also cater in Eastbourne (4 miles north-east), Bexhill-on-Sea (13 miles north-east), Seaford (4 miles west), Lewes (12 miles north-west), Hailsham (8 miles north) and Uckfield (15 miles north).
A little further out are Filching Manor And Motor Museum (3.3 miles north) and Eastbourne District General Hospital (3.3 miles north-east). Open spaces near East Dean include Combe Hill.
- Local pubs include The Tiger Inn (within half a mile north)
Common questions in East Dean
Which station should guests use for East Dean?
Eastbourne station, about 3.4 miles east of the centre.
Can you cook near the sea around East Dean?
Yes, as long as we can shelter from the wind. Sea breezes cool the pan, so a windbreak, building or gazebo helps.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Yes, and it’s a popular combination. Tapas go out first, then the paella.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
We can cook a gluten-free paella in its own pan. Let us know about coeliac guests in advance so we can plan it carefully.
Can you supply plates?
If you need them, yes. Crockery, cutlery and napkins, or good-quality disposables can be added to your booking.
How much paella per person?
Pans are sized to your numbers and other courses. Let us know about any other food. Our guide to portions explains more.
Do you need power?
We’ll confirm our needs once we know the pitch details.
How many different paellas?
Most events have two or three: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We will suggest a split based on your guests.
- 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