East Sussex · England
Paella Catering for Alfriston events
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Alfriston: paella cooked from scratch in huge pans, in full view of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Retirement celebrations
- Office lunches and staff parties
Book paella catering in Alfriston
Catering for every guest
We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests. To make it work smoothly:
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
- Tell us what else is being served
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Request clear labels at the serving table
If you’ve booked staff, they’ll serve, clear and help keep things moving, so you can relax.
Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana finish the meal, or serve your own cake.
Paella catering in Alfriston, cooked live
Live paella catering means we bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients to your event and cook in front of your guests. When it is ready, it is served straight from the pan. For retirement and leaving parties and birthday celebrations, we’ll put together a menu of vegan paella, vegetable paella and mixed paella and more.
In a hamlet or village like Alfriston, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. Your quote spells out exactly what’s included: menu, staff, crockery and anything else you choose.
- Location
- Alfriston (BN26)
- Area hub
- East Sussex
- Dietary options
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Add-ons
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Paella catering around Alfriston
Alfriston is about 3 miles north-east of Seaford, in East Sussex. For paella catering in Alfriston, we plan around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. Alfriston is one of 289 places in East Sussex where we cook. Our nearest city page is Brighton, about 13 miles away.
Nearby historic houses include Alfriston Clergy House (under half a mile south-east) and Charleston Farmhouse (2.9 miles north-west). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Berwick (Sussex) station, about 2.2 miles north. Alfriston is within about a mile of the South Downs National Park, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking. Alfriston is within about 4 miles of the sea, and seafood paella always feels right near the sea. Coastal wind means we plan a sheltered spot.
Paella catering in BN26 is planned around your venue. Whether your event is on High Street, Ropewalk and West Street or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. Close by, we cover events in Winton (1 mile north), Lullington (1 mile south-east), Dukes Green (1 mile south), Milton Street (1 mile north-east) and Alciston (2 miles north-west). Larger places within reach include Eastbourne (6 miles east), Bexhill-on-Sea (14 miles east), Seaford (3 miles south-west), Lewes (8 miles north-west), Hailsham (6 miles north-east) and Uckfield (11 miles north).
Nearby you will also find Old Forge Museum (Alfriston) (under half a mile north-east) and Chailey Heritage Marine Hospital (4.2 miles south-west). Open spaces near Alfriston include Firle Beacon.
- Pubs nearby include Ye Olde Smugglers Inn (within half a mile south-east)
FAQs for Alfriston
What’s the nearest station to Alfriston for guests?
Berwick (Sussex) station, about 2.2 miles north of the centre.
We’re having a ceremony at Church of St. Andrew: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is generally elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
Do you do vegan paella?
Yes, and they’re popular with everyone. Each is cooked separately, with its own stock and utensils.
Can we choose the seafood?
Tell us your preferences and we will suggest seafood options to suit your menu and budget. Premium shellfish can be added.
How many paellas should we have?
Two or three covers most guests. Tell us about your guests’ diets and we will suggest the mix.
Can you cook indoors?
Mostly outside or under an open cover, because we use gas burners. We’ll check whether your venue has a suitable space.
Do you cater in Alfriston?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, and Alfriston is within our area and the rest of East Sussex. For a quote, send us your details through our quote form.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Yes, children are easy to cater for. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we will plan a pan with them in mind.
Organising for someone else?
Organising a club, school or community event in Alfriston? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we’ll suggest a menu.
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
Occasions we cook for in Alfriston
Few dishes cope with mixed diets like paella, because each version is cooked in its own pan. Everyone gets the same kind of meal.
Here are some of the events we cook for in Alfriston and East Sussex:
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Alfriston School, can book us as a food stall.
What to look for in a quote
- When final numbers are due
- Travel and parking costs
- A clear list of what’s included
- How bad weather is handled
Nearby places to Alfriston
More for events in Alfriston
What happens on the day
It is a relaxed, well-organised set-up. We agree arrival and serving times in advance, set up the pans and burners, and get on with cooking and serving. In Alfriston, the sun sets at about 9:15pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, so summer evening events are typically served in daylight. In December it’s dark by about 3:55pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- We start with a few details about your event.
- You get a menu and an itemised quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
Before we arrive
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Have a level space ready for the pans
Getting a price
Every quote is put together for your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll confirm whether we are available that day.
Planning help
What’s in the pans
Paella Valenciana
In Valencia, the recipe is fiercely debated. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella is not an afterthought: artichokes, beans, peppers and saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Space, weather and the venue
If a space is not suitable, we will tell you. The main points are:
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think before you book.
On the menu in Alfriston
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
Live paella or other catering?
Cold buffets are easy but forgettable, and the food sits out. Paella is cooked in front of your guests and served hot. Larger events usually cost less per head, since the set-up is much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
Why choose Love Paella in Alfriston
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, have hot stock ready, and do not stir once the rice goes in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
- 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