East Sussex · England
Festival & event paella in Selmeston, East Sussex
Bring the theatre of live paella to your event in Selmeston. Everything is cooked fresh on the day, and serve it straight from the pan.
- VIP and hospitality areas
- Sports club events
- School and charity events
Book festival paella catering in Selmeston
Festival paella catering in Selmeston, made fresh on the day
The pans are part of the attraction. Visitors stop to watch, take photos and come back for lunch. For county and country shows and village fêtes, we can cook chicken and chorizo paella, seafood paella and vegan paella and more.
For a village fête or field event near Selmeston, a paella stall brings a hot, filling meal 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 as soon as it is ready.
- Area
- Selmeston (BN26)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Dietary options
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Also available
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Price
- Ask us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Planners, venues and businesses
Organising a club, school or community event in Selmeston? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Give us the details and we will suggest a plan.
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so everyone eats promptly. Let us know how long the food break is.
Space, weather and the venue
Most gardens and venues can host live paella, but there are a few things to check:
- Trader information and site rules
- Vehicle access to the pitch at set-up and break-down
- Spacing from tents and other structures
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we will tell you honestly.
Menu ideas
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Giant paella pans
- Tapas
- Seafood paella
- Vegan paella
- Churros
Running an event in Selmeston
Selmeston is about 5 miles north of Seaford, in East Sussex. For an event in Selmeston, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices in and around Selmeston. We cater in all 289 towns and villages across East Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is Brighton, about 12 miles away.
For visitors coming by rail, the nearest station is Berwick (Sussex) station, about 1 mile east. Within about 3 miles is the South Downs National Park, where events may have extra rules on vehicles and waste; we will follow the site’s requirements. The coast is within about 6 miles of Selmeston, so for seaside events we plan a sheltered pitch, and seafood paella sells well by the sea.
This part of East Sussex takes in BN26, so your event can be anywhere in it. Streets in the area include The Street and Lewes Road, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Alciston (1 mile south), Berwick (1 mile east), Ripe (2 miles north), Winton (2 miles south) and Wickstreet (2 miles north-east). Further out, we also cater in Eastbourne (7 miles south-east), Bexhill-on-Sea (14 miles east), Seaford (5 miles south), Lewes (6 miles west), Hailsham (5 miles east) and Crowborough (14 miles north).
A little further out are Drusillas Museum (1.8 miles south-east) and Chailey Heritage Marine Hospital (5.3 miles south-west). Not far away are Firle Beacon.
- Nearby, you will find The Barley Mow pub (within half a mile south-west)
Your questions about festival paella catering in Selmeston
Is Selmeston 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 you cook near the sea around Selmeston?
Yes, with a sheltered cooking spot. Sea breezes cool the pan, so a windbreak, building or gazebo helps.
Can we add tapas or canapés?
Yes, and it is a popular combination. Tapas first, paella to follow.
How much space do you need?
Less than you might think: a level spot clear of fences, hedges and branches, with room for a serving table. Send us a photo if you are not sure.
Can you do sangria?
We can make sangria, and provide bar staff to serve drinks you supply.
Do you need water?
Let us know what the pitch has and we will confirm our needs.
Do you offer halal options?
We can. Let us know your halal numbers, and it is cooked separately.
Do you do crew catering?
Yes, at set times to suit your schedule. Tell us numbers and timings.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and handles separate pans for each diet.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it is in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
What festival paella catering costs
Every event is priced individually, and the price depends on a few things:
- How long we are needed on site
- Parking and unloading
- How many courses
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so tell us about the venue when you ask for a quote. Everything is confirmed in writing.
What we need to know
To check availability and price, we need:
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- Your date and when you want to eat
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- Where the event is
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, plus any dietary needs, and you will get a menu idea and a price. To get started, fill in our quote form.
Why choose live paella in Selmeston?
For crew catering, sandwiches are easy but uninspiring. A hot meal keeps crew happy. Live paella often compares well with a sit-down meal, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. We will send you a quote.
Why us?
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
What else we do in Selmeston
What’s in the pans
Seafood paella
The seafood pan is a festival favourite.
Vegan paella
A proper vegan main, in its own pan.
Catering for every guest
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To get it right:
- Give traders a single information pack
- Plan for vegan and gluten-free visitors
- Book crew catering in advance
- Ask traders about serving speed at peak times
We cook in full view of visitors, and serve from the pan throughout the event.
Tapas and churros can be added to a stall menu.
How it works
A typical event goes like this: we arrive, set up and start cooking, the rice cooks in front of your guests, and it’s served hot from the pan when you are ready to eat. Evening events in Selmeston have light until about 9:15pm at midsummer; after that, the pitch needs good lighting.
- Send the event name, expected visitors and pitch size.
- We reply with our menu, prices for visitors and requirements.
- Paperwork goes over in good time.
- On the day, the pans are on before the busiest hours.
- At close, we pack down and tidy up.
Getting ready for the day
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Leave space around the cooking area
Ask for a quote
It is easy to get a price: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We’ll send a clear, itemised quote.
Planning help
- 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