West Sussex · England
Live paella catering in Ashington, West Sussex
From the first sizzle in the pan to the last crispy spoonful, live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event makes the food a highlight of your event in Ashington.
- Birthday celebrations
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Family celebrations and christenings
Planning an event in Ashington?
What’s in the pans
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana is the original: chicken, beans and saffron, not seafood. It’s frequently the most popular pan at an event.
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. The shellfish is added late so it stays tender.
Paella catering in Ashington, cooked live
You can keep it simple or build a full menu: paella on its own, or with canapés, table tapas, desserts and sangria. We’ll suggest what suits your event. Popular choices include vegan paella, paella Valenciana and black rice, and we are regularly asked to cater wedding breakfasts and evening food and anniversaries and engagement parties.
For a rural spot like Ashington, the countryside is part of the appeal: a paella cooking in a garden or field feels right at home. Tell us about access and the ground. We plan the timings around your day, whether that’s speeches, a lunch break or a festival schedule.
- Area
- Ashington (RH20)
- Area hub
- West Sussex
- Dietary options
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Planning for every diet
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because every paella has its own pan. A few tips:
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Send allergies to us in writing
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
Any staff you book serve and clear, so you can relax.
Add canapé tapas with the drinks or table tapas as a starter while the paella cooks.
Who books paella catering in Ashington?
It is ideal for relaxed, sociable occasions, with guests mingling as it cooks and then sit down to share.
Here are some of the events we cook for in Ashington and West Sussex:
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Garden get-togethers
- Naming days and family parties
For a christening or wedding at a church such as Ashington Methodist Church, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
Before booking anyone
- How late numbers can change
- A clear list of what’s included
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- Staff numbers and hours
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but you will still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. 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.
For event organisers in Ashington
If you are planning an event on someone’s behalf, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we’ll work directly with you and the venue. It keeps things simple.
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so guests are fed quickly. Let us know how long the food break is.
Catering an event in Ashington
Ashington is about 8 miles north of Worthing, in West Sussex. Tell us where your event in Ashington will be, and we’ll plan access and set-up. We cook in all 371 towns and villages in West Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Brighton, about 13 miles away.
Historic houses near Ashington include Parham House (4.5 miles west). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Ashington CofE Primary School, can book us as a food stall. The South Downs National Park is within about 7 miles of Ashington. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
This part of West Sussex takes in RH20, so your event can be anywhere in it. Your event could be at a home on London Road, The Sands and Hillcrest Drive or the roads around them. We also cook at events in Wiston (1 mile south-east), Dial Post (3 miles north-east), Ashurst (3 miles east), Broomer's Corner (3 miles north) and Whitehall (3 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Crawley (15 miles north-east), Horsham (10 miles north), Worthing (8 miles south), Haywards Heath (14 miles east), Burgess Hill (12 miles east) and Littlehampton (10 miles south-west).
A little further out are The Storrington And District Museum (2.6 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include Chanctonbury Hill and Knepp Wildland.
- Schools near Ashington include Rydon Community College (2 miles west)
How it works
We get there well before serving, unload, set up the burners and prepare the stock. Guests generally gather round to watch as the paella takes shape. Around midsummer it stays light in Ashington until about 9:20pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:05pm, so summer evening events are normally served in daylight. For winter events, when it’s dark by about 3:55pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- You share your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including every diet.
- We arrive in good time to set up.
- The sofrito, stock and rice go in, and guests gather to watch.
- Service is straight from the pan, then we pack down.
Preparing for the day
- Ensure we can park close by to unload
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Name one person we can ask on the day
Get a quote
Every event is quoted individually, so you only pay for what you need. To ask for one, send us your details through our quote form.
Planning help
Ashington questions
We’re having a ceremony at Ashington Methodist Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking usually happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
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.
Can paella be the only main course?
Paella is a meal in itself. Tapas and desserts can be added if you like.
Are premium seafood options available?
Seafood choices are agreed when we plan the menu.
Do you do vegan paella?
Yes. We cook vegetarian and vegan paellas in their own pans.
Which paellas suit our guests?
It depends on your guests. A chicken or mixed paella is typically the most popular, with seafood and vegetable pans alongside.
Do you come to Ashington?
We do. Ashington is one of the places we cover. Tell us your date and we will check availability.
Is halal food available?
Yes, on request. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and it’s cooked separately.
How we price paella catering
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- How long we are needed on site
- Guest numbers
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Whether you need crockery
Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
What we need to know
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what’s useful:
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- The date and time of the event
- The address or venue name
- A photo of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
Still deciding on the menu? No problem: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we will make suggestions. To start, use our quote form.
What else we do in Ashington
Paella compared with other options
A plated meal needs a kitchen, more staff and normally costs more per head. Live paella needs a level, ventilated spot and the venue’s permission to cook, and gives guests something to watch. Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. Ask us for a quote.
What you get with us
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- A clear, itemised quote
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
Read How we price And What paella 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