East Sussex · England
Festival Paella Catering in Piddinghoe
Paella street food for festivals, fairs, markets and community events in Piddinghoe: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, in full view of your guests.
- Charity and school events
- Christmas and farmers’ markets
- Country shows
Festival paella catering for Piddinghoe events
Community events around Piddinghoe
Piddinghoe is about 1 mile north-west of Newhaven, in East Sussex. Events in Piddinghoe are planned around your venue and timings: a quote, a plan and live cooking on the day. Piddinghoe is one of 289 places in East Sussex where we cook. Our nearest city page is Brighton, about 7 miles away.
Events in parks such as Castle Hill need permission from the council or landowner, and we will send any documents they ask for. For visitors coming by rail, the nearest station is Newhaven Town station, about 1.2 miles south-east. Events in and around the South Downs National Park, within about 5 miles of Piddinghoe, often have rules about vehicles, ground and waste; we work to the site rules. The coast is within about 4 miles of Piddinghoe, so for seaside events we plan a sheltered pitch, and seafood paella sells well by the sea.
We cover events in every part of the BN9 postcode area and the streets around it. We can cater an event on streets such as Brookside and Lewes Road. For events just outside Piddinghoe, we cover South Heighton (1 mile east), Denton (1 mile east), Telscombe (2 miles west), Rodmell (2 miles north-west) and Northease (3 miles north-west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Eastbourne (11 miles east), Seaford (4 miles south-east), Lewes (5 miles north), Hailsham (10 miles east), Uckfield (11 miles north) and Polegate (9 miles east).
Nearby you’ll also find Planet Earth Museum (0.8 miles south-east) and Lewes Castle (4.7 miles north). Open spaces near Piddinghoe include Itford Hill and Southerham Farm.
- Nearby schools include UTC@Harbourside (1.2 miles south-east)
- Local pubs include The Jolly Boatman pub (0.8 miles south-east)
Festival paella catering in Piddinghoe, made fresh on the day
Few street foods pull a crowd like a huge paella pan. People follow the smell, and portions are served quickly from the pan. Typical bookings include village fêtes and VIP and hospitality areas, with seafood paella, giant-pan paella and vegan paella.
At a fête or field event near Piddinghoe, we can bring hot food to a rural site. Ground conditions and access matter, so tell us about them. We serve straight from the pan, so it’s hot and generous, and a queue moves quickly.
- Area
- Piddinghoe (BN9)
- Area hub
- East Sussex
- Diets
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quote
- Ask us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
The process
When we arrive, we set up the burners and pans and start cooking the sofrito and stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, so the timing is planned around your event. Summer events in Piddinghoe 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. Winter markets, dark by about 3:55pm, need a well-lit pitch.
- Send the event name, expected visitors and pitch size.
- 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.
Before we arrive
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Give us your final numbers and diets
Getting a price
Every event is quoted individually, so you only pay for what you need. To ask for one, use our quote form.
Read more
Planning the cooking area
Most outdoor spaces and many venues work for live paella, but there are a few things to check:
- Details of power, water and waste arrangements
- The event’s site rules and timings
- A pitch big enough for the pans, burners and serving table
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before you book.
What we offer
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegan paella
- Giant paella pans
- Seafood paella
- Churros
- Tapas
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. Ask us for a quote and compare.
Catering for every guest
With a little notice, every diet is easy. We suggest:
- Make allergen information visible at every stall
- Put picnic tables near the traders
- Book crew catering in advance
- Send traders one clear trader pack
Pans cook in full view, serving throughout the event.
Bowls and forks for eating on the go.
What festival paella catering costs
Two events with the same number of guests can cost different amounts, depending on:
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- Whether you need crockery
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- The number of people
Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. We will send you a quote.
Details that help
When you contact us, it helps to tell us:
- The date and rough timings
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Where the event is
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. To send your details, fill in our quote form.
Your questions about festival paella catering in Piddinghoe
Could we have live paella in Castle Hill?
Only if the landowner, typically the council, allows it. Ask them first, and we’ll send any information they need.
Is Piddinghoe 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.
Can we add tapas or canapés?
Of course. Canapés with drinks or tapas for the tables, served while the paella cooks.
How much space do you need?
Level ground for the burners, pans and a table, outdoors or in a marquee or well-ventilated area, and the venue’s permission for live cooking.
What paperwork do you provide?
Share your trader requirements.
Can you handle a lunchtime rush?
Service from the pan is fast, ideal for peak times.
Can you cook halal paella?
We can. Let us know your halal numbers, and it’s cooked separately.
Where do you cater?
We cater across London and the South East, East Sussex included. Find your area.
Working with your venue
Throwing a party at home? Send us a photo of the garden and tell us about access, and we will let you know if live paella is a good fit.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
Events we cater in Piddinghoe
It feeds crew and volunteers well on a long day.
Live paella works for big and small events alike. Common bookings include:
- Seasonal markets
- Open days
- County and country shows
- Feeding crew and volunteers
For a church fête or fundraiser, at a church such as The Parish Church of St John, a paella stall adds a hot meal to the cakes and tombola.
What to look for in a quote
- If the price includes VAT
- The deposit and payment dates
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- Exactly what’s included in the price
Dishes our guests love
Vegan paella
Vegan paella cooked separately.
Giant paella pans
The huge pan is the star.
Also near Piddinghoe
What else we do in Piddinghoe
- 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