England

Paella Catering in West Sussex

Covering 371 places across West Sussex for paella catering, cooked live in giant pans, with every diet catered for.

Book paella catering in West Sussex

Paella catering in every part of West Sussex

Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event. Choose your town from the list to see local details, and tell us about your event for a quote.

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Also in West Sussex

Postcode districts

Paella catering across West Sussex

A single cooking set-up can feed a crowd, there’s very little waste, and the food arrives hot. That is why it works for so many events. We cook vegan paella, seafood paella and black rice, and we are frequently booked for retirement and leaving parties and anniversaries and engagement parties.

A typical event goes like this: we set up the pans and start the sofrito, the rice cooks in front of your guests, and we serve straight from the pan when you’re ready to eat.

Start with the date, the place and the numbers.
We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
Closer to the day, we confirm timings and the cooking spot.
On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.

Pricing in West Sussex

Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so tell us about the venue when you ask for a quote. The full price is confirmed before you book.

Why book with us

Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
Every diet catered for, pan by pan
Events across West Sussex
A quote that spells everything out

Getting a price

The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. When you’re ready, use our quote form.

Landmarks near Crawley

Around Crawley, we cater at gardens, homes and venues near Friary Church of St Francis and St Anthony, St Wilfrid's Catholic School and Tilgate Park, among other places. You will also find The George Hotel (less than half a mile north), Three Bridges Junior School (within half a mile south-east) and St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School (under half a mile south-east). There’s a railway station in Crawley itself: Crawley station, handy for guests travelling by train. Other landmarks nearby include Crawley Hospital (0.5 miles north-west) and County Mall (under half a mile north-east). The countryside around Crawley includes Tilgate Lake.

Live paella across West Sussex: what to know

Across West Sussex, we cook in 11 towns and 293 villages and hamlets, so the setting can be anything from Crawley, Horsham and Worthing to a quiet hamlet: a level, ventilated spot and a clear plan. Parts of West Sussex are within a few miles of the South Downs National Park and the High Weald National Landscape, where some venues have extra rules about vehicles and cooking. 121 of the places we cover in West Sussex are within about 6 miles of the sea, so we often plan a sheltered cooking spot for the wind.

Crawley: For a christening or wedding at a church such as Friary Church of St Francis and St Anthony, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. For guests coming by train, Crawley station is in Crawley itself. Evenings in Crawley stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:05pm; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.

Dishes our guests love

Black rice

Arroz negro is coloured and flavoured with squid ink, traditionally with alioli. It makes a dramatic second seafood pan.

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.

Why live paella works

It needs no kitchen, so it is at home in gardens, fields and marquees where plated meals are hard.

These are some of the occasions we cater in West Sussex and West Sussex:

Garden parties and summer barbecues
Family celebrations and christenings
Retirement celebrations
Big birthdays

Cook it yourself or book a caterer?

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. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.

Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather be with your guests, we will do the cooking.

For planners, venues and organisers

If you’re planning an event on someone’s behalf, whether you’re a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we’re happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It saves passing messages back and forth.

If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We will provide any information the landowner or council asks for.

Is live paella right for you?

Vans serve one order at a time. A big pan serves many guests fast, so everyone can eat at the same time.

What your quote should include

How each diet is kept separate
The deposit and payment dates
What the price includes, item by item
If the price includes VAT

FAQs for West Sussex

What is live paella catering?

We arrive with pans, burners and ingredients, cook in front of your guests, and serve when you’re ready to eat.

Do you do desserts?

We do. Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana, or you can serve your own cake.

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.

Is live paella good for a large crowd?

Very much so. We size pans and serving points to your guest list.

Can we add tapas or canapés?

Yes, it’s the classic pairing. Tapas go out first, then the paella.

Do you cater for vegetarian guests?

Yes, and meat eaters often go back for seconds. Each is cooked separately, with its own stock and utensils.

Do you cook inside?

Mostly outside or under an open cover, since the burners are gas. We will check whether your venue has a suitable space.