West Sussex · England
Paella Catering in Ardingly
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Ardingly: paella cooked from scratch in giant pans, right in front of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Community events and fairs
- Naming days and family parties
Book paella catering in Ardingly
Perfect for your event in Ardingly
Paella is one of the few dishes that handles mixed diets easily, thanks to separate pans for each version. Everyone gets the same kind of meal.
If you are planning any of these, we can help:
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Engagement and anniversary parties
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as St Peter's CofE Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
What to look for in a quote
- Allergen information for each dish
- How late numbers can change
- Staff numbers and hours
- VAT, if it applies
About our paella catering in Ardingly
Two or three pans side by side cover every guest: meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan paellas. Every pan is cooked on its own. Typical bookings include office lunches and staff parties and retirement and leaving parties, with paella Valenciana, mixed paella and chicken and chorizo paella.
In a hamlet or village like Ardingly, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included, each in a separate pan.
- Area
- Ardingly (RH17)
- County
- West Sussex
- Diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quote
- Ask us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
How we price paella catering
Every event is priced individually, and the price depends on a few things:
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- How many staff you need
- Travel, parking and access
Got a budget? Let us know, and we’ll put together a menu that fits. Even a simple menu can be a feast.
Details that help
You do not need every detail fixed to get a quote, but it helps to know:
- Anything your venue supplies
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- A photo of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- Which courses you have in mind
Thinking about paella catering for your event in Ardingly? Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll reply with a menu and a clear price. To contact us, use our quote form.
For event organisers in Ardingly
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
Throwing a party at home? Send a picture of the space and tell us about parking, and we will tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
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.
A closer look at the menu
Vegetable and vegan paella
A slow sofrito, seasonal vegetables and a good vegetable stock make a paella that stands on its own. Vegan versions use plant-based stock.
Black rice
Arroz negro is coloured and flavoured with squid ink, and is usually served with alioli. It makes a dramatic second seafood pan.
How it works
Once the rice is in, we do not stir it. That’s what gives paella its separate grains and crispy base. The smell normally draws people over. Around midsummer it stays light in Ardingly until about 9:20pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:05pm, so summer evening events are normally served in daylight. In December it is dark by about 3:55pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- First, tell us about your event.
- You get a menu and an itemised quote.
- We agree timings, access and the cooking spot.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- It’s served straight from the pan, and we clear our area afterwards.
Getting ready for the day
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Check the venue allows live cooking
How to get a price
Send us the date, your venue or RH17 postcode and guest numbers, plus any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
What we need at the venue
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We need:
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly.
On the menu in Ardingly
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
Live paella in Ardingly: local details
Ardingly is about 3 miles north of Haywards Heath, in West Sussex. We cook at events in homes, gardens and venues in Ardingly. Ardingly is one of 371 places in West Sussex where we cook. You can also see our page for Brighton, about 15 miles away.
Historic houses near Ardingly include Priest House (2.2 miles north-east) and Gravetye Manor (3.1 miles north). 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 Balcombe station, about 2.5 miles west. Ardingly is within about 7 miles of the High Weald National Landscape, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
We cater events across RH17 and the streets around it. Whether your event is on High Street, Munnion Road and Price Way or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Little London (1 mile north), Highbrook (1 mile north-east), Lindfield (2 miles south), Horsted Keynes (2 miles east) and West Hoathly (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Crawley (6 miles north-west), Horsham (10 miles west), Haywards Heath (3 miles south), Burgess Hill (7 miles south), East Grinstead (6 miles north-east) and Broadfield (6 miles north-west).
Nearby you will also find Waterbury Castle (2 miles east) and Princess Royal Hospital (3.9 miles south). Not far away are Blunts Wood and Paiges Meadow.
- Local pubs include The Ardingly Inn (less than half a mile north-east)
Common questions in Ardingly
Can you cater a reception after a service at St Peter's Church?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is usually elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
Is Ardingly too small for live paella?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
What happens with live paella?
We bring everything needed to cook on site, cook in front of your guests, and serve at the time you want.
Is halal food available?
We can. Let us know your halal numbers, and we will cook a separate pan.
Can you cater for children?
Yes, children are easy to cater for. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we’ll plan a pan with them in mind.
How many paellas should we have?
Most events have two or three: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We will suggest a split based on your guests.
Is live paella good for a large crowd?
Yes, that is what it’s made for. We plan the number of pans and serving points around your numbers.
Which paellas do you recommend?
Most events choose two or three: a mixed or chicken paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. See the sample menu.
Places near Ardingly
Also in Ardingly
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 gives guests something to watch. Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you only pay for what you want.
Why us?
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- We cover Ardingly and the whole of West Sussex
- 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