West Sussex · England
Festival Paella Catering in Southwater
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: paella street food for festivals, fairs, markets and community events in Southwater and the surrounding area.
- VIP and hospitality areas
- Festivals
- Open days and community events
Planning an event in Southwater?
Festival paella catering for your event in Southwater
Big batches mean lunchtime rushes are easy. Each portion takes seconds to serve. We’re frequently asked to cater sports club events and open days, with vegan paella, seafood paella and chicken and chorizo paella.
Village fêtes and summer fairs around Southwater are made for a paella stall. Tell us about the pitch, ground and access. You’ll know exactly what’s included before you book: the menu, the staff and any extras.
- Area
- Southwater (RH13)
- County
- West Sussex
- Dietary options
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Extras
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Prices and what affects them
Each event is quoted on its own, and the price depends on a few things:
- Guest numbers
- Your choice of paellas
- Parking and unloading
- How long we are needed on site
There is no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. Your quote spells it all out.
What we need to know
The more we know about your event, the better we can plan. Please include:
- Which courses you have in mind
- A picture of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Anything your venue supplies
We need only a few details to quote: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. To send them, use our quote form.
What happens on the day
We get there well before serving, unload, set up the burners and prepare the stock. Your guests are welcome to watch while it cooks. For an evening event in Southwater, sunset is about 8:50pm in late May and 9:20pm in late June; after that, the pitch needs good lighting.
- You send us the event, dates and pitch details.
- We confirm our menu, pitch needs and documents.
- We arrive at the agreed time to set up the pitch.
- We cook in front of the crowd and serve from the pan all event.
- We pack down and leave the pitch tidy.
How to prepare
- Make sure we can park close by to unload
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Check the venue allows live cooking
Getting a price
Every quote is put together for your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we’ll check availability at the same time.
Planning help
Who books festival paella catering in Southwater?
It covers several diets with one trader.
In Southwater and nearby, we cater all sorts of events. Popular bookings include:
- Food and music festivals
- Village fêtes and summer fairs
- Crew, volunteer and VIP catering
- Sports clubs and race days
Running a fête for a church like Holy Innocents Church? A paella pan draws people in.
Questions to ask before you book
- How bad weather is handled
- VAT, if it applies
- Space, access and power needs
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
Where we can cook in Southwater
We’ll be honest if a space will not work. What matters most:
- Clear information on power, water and waste
- A pitch big enough for the pans, burners and serving table
- Access for unloading at set-up
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly.
On the menu in Southwater
- Seafood paella
- Vegan paella
- Churros
- Giant paella pans
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Tapas
Community events around Southwater
Southwater is about 3 miles south of Horsham, in West Sussex. Whether your event is in the middle of Southwater or on the outskirts, festival paella catering works the same way: live cooking, separate pans for every diet and a clear price. Southwater is one of 371 towns and villages in West Sussex we cover. You can also see our page for Brighton, about 16 miles away.
For visitors coming by rail, the nearest station is Christs Hospital station, about 1.9 miles north-west. If you’re organising a summer fair or fundraiser for a school such as Southwater Infant Academy, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
We cater events across RH13 and the streets around it. Local streets include Station Road, Walmer Close and Pevensey Road; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Close by, we cover events in Tower Hill (2 miles north), Nuthurst (2 miles east), Brooks Green (2 miles west), Barns Green (2 miles west) and Maplehurst (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cater in Crawley (9 miles north-east), Horsham (3 miles north), Worthing (14 miles south), Haywards Heath (11 miles east), Burgess Hill (11 miles south-east) and Shoreham-by-Sea (13 miles south).
A little further out are Christs Hospital School Museum (1.5 miles north-west) and Horsham Hospital (3.2 miles north). Not far away are Knepp Wildland.
- Nearby schools include The Doyle School of Design and Technology (1.5 miles north-west)
- Local pubs include The Lintot pub (less than half a mile west)
Southwater questions
Can you run a stall at a school fair in Southwater?
Yes, if the school is happy for us to cook on site. Tell us the date and pitch details.
What’s the nearest station to Southwater for guests?
Christs Hospital station, about 1.9 miles north-west of the centre.
Should we have more than one paella?
Two or three covers most guests. Tell us about your guests’ diets and we will suggest the mix.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes, on request. Let us know your halal numbers, and it is cooked separately.
Will there be long queues?
Big batches and service from the pan keep things moving.
Can you cater for crew and volunteers?
Yes. We can cook for crew, volunteers or a hospitality area as well as, or instead of, a public stall.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Yes. Canapés with drinks or tapas for the tables, while the rice is cooking.
Will there be enough food?
Quantities depend on numbers, timing and courses, with a little extra built in. Give us accurate numbers for the best result.
The menu, dish by dish
Giant paella pans
It’s the giant pan people come to see.
Chicken & chorizo paella
Smoky and filling.
Catering for every guest
Good planning keeps every guest safe and happy. Here’s how:
- Make allergen information visible at every stall
- Ask traders about serving speed at peak times
- Agree waste arrangements with traders
- Check every diet is covered by the line-up
Crew meals are served at set times.
Bowl food for easy eating on the move.
DIY paella versus live catering
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. We’re happy to give you a quote to compare.
Planners, venues and businesses
If you are planning an event on someone’s behalf, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we’re happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It saves passing messages back and forth.
If you are booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we’ll explain how it works. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Also near Southwater
Other catering in Southwater
- 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