West Sussex · England
Live paella catering in Apuldram, West Sussex
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Apuldram: paella cooked from scratch in huge pans, right in front of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Retirement celebrations
- Naming days and family parties
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
Paella catering near Apuldram
How our paella catering works in Apuldram
A couple of different pans covers everyone: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. Every pan is cooked on its own, so diets are easy to manage. We cook vegetable paella, seafood paella and chicken and chorizo paella, and we are regularly asked to cater family celebrations and christenings and community events and fairs.
In a rural place like Apuldram, the setting does a lot of the work: a huge pan in a garden or field fits perfectly. Tell us about access and the ground. We serve straight from the pan, so it’s hot and generous, and service is quick once it’s ready.
- Where
- Apuldram (PO20, PO19)
- County
- West Sussex
- Diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Add-ons
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quote
- Contact us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Dietary needs and planning tips
We take diets and allergies seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
- Tell us what else is being served
If you’ve booked staff, they’ll serve, clear and help keep things moving, so you can relax.
We can add sangria and bar staff to serve drinks you provide.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but there’s shopping, prep and hours of cooking. A caterer handles all of that.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and do not stir once the rice goes in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
How it works
It’s a relaxed, well-organised set-up. We agree arrival and serving times in advance, set up our cooking area, and cook and serve without fuss. Evenings in Apuldram stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:05pm; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- Get in touch with the basics: when, where and how many.
- We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
- A week or so before, we confirm the plan.
- On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
How to prepare
- Give us a contact for the day
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
Getting a price
It’s easy to get a price: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We’ll send a clear, itemised quote.
Read more
Dishes our guests love
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea, and is popular with adventurous guests.
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, cooked until the rice is golden. It is typically the most photographed pan.
Before you choose a spot
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so we need a suitable spot. These are the things we check:
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- Level ground for the pans and burners
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise.
What we offer
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Apuldram: venues, travel and local tips
Apuldram is about 2 miles south-west of Chichester, in West Sussex. Give us the address of your event in Apuldram, and we will plan the journey and set-up. Apuldram is one of 371 towns and villages in West Sussex where we cook. Our events stretch from Apuldram to Southampton (about 27 miles away).
For a christening or wedding at a church such as The Parish Church of St Mary, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Chichester station, about 1.2 miles north-east.
For paella catering in PO20 and PO19, we plan around your venue. Your event could be at a home on Dell Quay Road, Appledram Lane South and Donnington Park. Close by, we cover events in Fishbourne (1 mile north), Bosham Hoe (2 miles west), Broadbridge (2 miles north-west), Bosham (2 miles west) and West Itchenor (3 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Bognor Regis (6 miles south-east), Selsey (6 miles south), Littlehampton (12 miles east), Emsworth (6 miles west), Rustington (13 miles east) and Angmering (14 miles east).
Nearby you’ll also find Chichester Castle (1.8 miles north-east) and St Richard's Hospital (2.1 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Stoke Down and Nutborne Marshes.
- Local schools include Bishop Luffa School (1.3 miles north) and The Prebendal School (1.4 miles north-east)
- Pubs nearby include The Black Horse Public House (0.7 miles south)
Towns and villages near Apuldram
What else we do in Apuldram
What paella catering costs
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- How long we are needed on site
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Waiting and bar staff
- Distance and access to the venue
Got a budget? Let us know, and we’ll put together a menu that fits. Even a simple menu can be a feast.
What we need to know
The more we know about your event, the better we can plan. Please include:
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- The courses you’d like
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- Where the event is
The quickest way to a quote is to fill in our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we’ll put together a menu and price.
Common questions in Apuldram
Which station should guests use for Apuldram?
Chichester station, about 1.2 miles north-east of the centre.
We are having a ceremony at The Parish Church of St Mary: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking typically happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
Do you come to Apuldram?
Yes, we do. Apuldram is one of the places we cover. Tell us your date and we will check availability.
Can the paella be cooked in a hall?
Indoors only where ventilation and the venue allow it. Courtyards, doorways and terraces often work.
Do you do vegan paella?
Of course. We cook vegetarian and vegan paellas in their own pans.
How long do you need on site?
It depends on the menu and numbers. We agree the timings in advance so the paella is ready when you want it.
What does paella catering cost?
Every event is quoted individually, based on what you actually want. Give us your date, numbers and menu ideas and we’ll reply with a price.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
We can, if you tell us in advance. Rice is naturally gluten-free, but stock and some ingredients may not be, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
Why choose paella catering in Apuldram?
Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets, which is why it works for so many occasions. It also gives guests something to watch and talk about.
Here are some of the events we cook for in Apuldram and West Sussex:
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Community events and fairs
- Weddings and evening receptions
Historic houses near Apuldram include Goodwood House (4.4 miles north-east). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
What to look for in a quote
- When final numbers are due
- Staff numbers and hours
- How each diet is kept separate
- What happens if it rains
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Plated meals need a kitchen and a bigger team. Live paella needs only a level, ventilated spot and permission to cook, and it’s entertaining too. There is no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. Your quote spells it all out.
Why choose Love Paella in Apuldram
- We cover Apuldram and the whole of West Sussex
- Fast service from the pan
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
Read Our prices page And Our guide to catering costs.
- 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