Brighton and Hove · England
Festival Paella Catering for Stanmer events
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: paella street food for festivals, fairs, markets and community events in Stanmer and the surrounding area.
- County and country shows
- Race days and sports events
- Open days and community events
Festival paella catering in Stanmer
Festival paella catering for your event in Stanmer
Paella eats well from a bowl with a fork, on the move or on a picnic rug. Whether it is open days and VIP and hospitality areas, we can cook giant-pan paella, vegan paella and churros and more.
At a field event near Stanmer, power and water may be limited; let us know and we will plan for it. Your quote spells out exactly what’s included: menu, staff, crockery and anything else you choose.
- Area
- Stanmer (BN1)
- Area hub
- Brighton and Hove
- Dietary options
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Also available
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quotes
- Contact us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Stanmer events: pitches and permissions
Stanmer is about 3 miles north-east of Brighton, in Brighton and Hove. We cook at events in gardens, halls and venues around Stanmer and the surrounding area. We cook in all 30 towns and villages across Brighton and Hove, from the larger towns to small villages.
If your event is in Stanmer Park, the organiser will need the landowner’s permission; we’ll supply our paperwork. If you are organising a summer fair or fundraiser for a school such as Coldean Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. Events in and around the South Downs National Park, within about 4 miles of Stanmer, frequently have rules about vehicles, ground and waste; we’ll follow the site’s requirements. With the sea within about 4 miles, we plan shelter from the wind for coastal events, and seafood paella sells well by the sea.
For festival paella catering in BN1, we plan around your venue and your guests. Close by, we cover events in Hollingbury (1 mile south-west), Moulsecoomb (2 miles south), Bevendean (2 miles south), Patcham (2 miles west) and Hollingdean (2 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Brighton (3 miles south-west), Brighton and Hove (4 miles south-west), Hove (4 miles south-west), Carlton Hill (3 miles south), Hanover (3 miles south) and West Hill (3 miles south-west).
Nearby you will also find Clayton Castle (3.4 miles north-west) and Churchill Square (3.7 miles south-west). Not far away are Ditchling Beacon and Ladies Mile.
- Local schools include Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (0.9 miles south-east)
- Local pubs include Ruby pub (0.8 miles south)
- Other local spots include University of Sussex Library (0.6 miles south-east)
Also near Stanmer
What else we do in Stanmer
Live paella or other catering?
For crew catering, sandwiches are easy but uninspiring. A hot paella keeps crew going. Extras such as tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are priced separately, so you can choose exactly what you need.
Why us?
- Events in Stanmer and across Brighton and Hove
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
See Our prices page Or The cost guide.
Organising for someone else?
Organising a club, school or community event in Stanmer? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we will suggest a menu.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Dietary needs and planning tips
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To get it right:
- Feed crew and volunteers at set times
- Check allergen info is on display
- Ask about peak-time capacity
- Make sure the line-up includes vegan and gluten-free options
Pans cook in full view, serving throughout the event.
Larger pans for peak times.
What happens on the day
Watching it cook is half the fun. Onion, garlic, peppers and tomato go in first, then the stock and saffron, then the rice, which cooks without stirring while your guests chat. Summer events in Stanmer have daylight until about 9:20pm at midsummer and about 7:05pm by late September, so evening trading usually finishes in daylight in high summer. Winter markets, dark by about 3:55pm, need a well-lit pitch.
- You send us the event, dates and pitch details.
- We confirm what we’ll serve, our pitch needs and any paperwork.
- On the day, we arrive and set up our pitch.
- We cook in front of the crowd and serve from the pan all event.
- We clear the pitch and leave it clean.
How to prepare
- Ensure the spot is clear of anything flammable
- Ensure we can park close by to unload
- Name one person we can ask on the day
Getting a price
It’s easy to get a price: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We will come back with a clear quote.
Read more
The menu, dish by dish
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid.
Giant paella pans
It’s the huge pan people come to see.
What festival paella catering costs
We will give you a clear, itemised quote. What affects it most:
- How many guests are eating
- How long we are needed on site
- Your choice of paellas
- Waiting and bar staff
The cost per head generally falls as numbers rise, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
What we need to know
Good planning starts with a few facts. Please include:
- The venue or postcode
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- Which courses you have in mind
- A photo of the space, if you can
Send us the date, your venue or BN1 postcode and guest numbers, plus any dietary needs, and we will reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. Just fill in our quote form.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. Ask us for a quote and compare.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Stanmer questions
Can you cook at venues in the South Downs National Park?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We will work to whatever the site needs.
Is Stanmer 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 long does the paella take?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. The rice itself takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
Do you need power?
Tell us what’s available at the pitch and we will confirm what we need.
Can vegans eat at your stall?
Yes. Vegan paella is cooked in its own pan.
What do you need at the venue?
A level space for the pans, burners and a serving table, in the open air or a ventilated covered area, and the venue’s permission for live cooking.
Will there be long queues?
Service from the pan is fast, ideal for peak times.
Which areas do you serve?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
Planning the cooking area
We cook in large pans over gas burners, so we need a suitable spot. Here’s what we look for:
- Your trader pack and site rules
- Vehicle access before and after the event
- Details of power, water and waste arrangements
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we will tell you honestly before you book.
What we offer
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Giant paella pans
- Tapas
- Vegan paella
- Churros
- Seafood paella
- 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