West Sussex · England
Paella Catering for Atherington events
From the first sizzle of the sofrito to the last spoonful of crispy rice, live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event turns food into part of your event in Atherington.
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Big birthdays
- Engagement and anniversary parties
Paella catering in Atherington
Paella catering in Atherington, made fresh on the day
A single cooking set-up can feed a crowd, very little goes to waste, and the food arrives hot. That is why it works for so many events. We’re frequently asked to cater anniversary celebrations and festivals, fairs and school events, with black rice, vegetable paella and mixed paella.
Somewhere like Atherington, a field or garden is often the perfect setting. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. Timings are planned around your event, whether that is speeches, a lunch break or a festival schedule.
- Area
- Atherington (BN17)
- County
- West Sussex
- Dietary options
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Add-ons
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quote
- Ask us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Atherington questions
Can you cater a reception after a service at Bailiffscourt Chapel?
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. Send us the reception address.
How far is Atherington from London?
About 53 miles from central London, and well within our area.
How many paellas should we have?
Two or three covers most guests. We’ll recommend a mix based on diets.
Can you feed a lot of people?
Yes. Big pans feed a lot of people, and service from the pan is quick.
How much space do you need?
A level space for the pans, burners and a serving table, in the open air or a ventilated covered area, plus the venue’s agreement to cooking.
Can you cook indoors?
Only in a suitable, well-ventilated area with the venue’s permission. Courtyards, doorways and terraces frequently work.
Which areas do you serve?
We cater across London and the South East, West Sussex included. See all areas.
Can you provide dessert?
We can add a dessert. Tell us what you have in mind in your enquiry.
How we price paella catering
Your quote will be clear and itemised. What affects it most:
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- The number of people
- Parking and unloading
The cost per head typically falls as numbers rise, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
What to tell us
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what’s useful:
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- Your date and when you want to eat
- The address or venue name
We quote for each event separately, so you only pay for what you need. For a quote, use our quote form.
Catering an event in Atherington
Atherington is about 2 miles west of Littlehampton, in West Sussex. Events in Atherington are planned around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. We cook in 371 places in West Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Brighton, about 20 miles away.
For guests coming by train, Littlehampton station is about 1.5 miles away. For a christening or wedding at a church such as Bailiffscourt Chapel, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. Atherington is within about 8 miles of the South Downs National Park, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking. Atherington is within about 2 miles of the sea, and seafood paella always feels right near the sea. Coastal wind means we plan a sheltered spot.
Wherever your event is in BN17, we can cook for your guests, from busy streets to quiet lanes. For events just outside Atherington, we cover Climping (1 mile north), Horsemere Green (1 mile north-west), Ford (2 miles north), Wick (2 miles north-east) and Littlehampton (2 miles east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Worthing (8 miles east), Bognor Regis (5 miles west), Chichester (9 miles west), Selsey (10 miles south-west), Shoreham-by-Sea (14 miles east) and Lancing (11 miles east).
Nearby you will also find Lyminster Siege Castle (3.8 miles north-east) and Rustington Museum (3.3 miles east). The countryside around Atherington includes WWT Arundel.
- Nearby schools include The Littlehampton Academy (2.2 miles north-east)
- Nearby, you will find The Black Horse Public House (less than half a mile south-east)
Should I cook it myself?
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but you’ll still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. A caterer handles all of that.
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
What happens on the day
Once the rice is in, we do not stir it. That is what gives paella its separate grains and crispy base. Your guests will smell it before they see it. Evenings in Atherington 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.
- You tell us the date, venue, guest numbers and any dietary needs.
- You get a suggested menu and an itemised quote.
- We arrive early, set up the cooking area and start the stock.
- Your guests watch the paella cook, with any tapas served first.
- We serve from the pan, then clear our cooking area away.
Preparing for the day
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
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. To send your details, use our quote form.
Read more
What’s in the pans
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A slow sofrito, seasonal vegetables and a good vegetable stock make a proper main dish. For vegans, the stock is plant-based.
Organising for someone else?
If you’re booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will talk you through the process. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
If you are organising for someone else, whether you’re a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we’re happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It keeps things simple.
Towns and villages near Atherington
Also in Atherington
Where we can cook in Atherington
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We need:
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we will say what we think before booking.
Menu ideas
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
Occasions we cook for in Atherington
Paella is one of the few dishes that handles mixed diets easily, because each version is cooked in its own pan. Everyone gets the same kind of meal.
Whatever you are celebrating in Atherington, paella can be the star of the food. We often cook for:
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Office lunches and staff parties
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as St Mary's CofE Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
What your quote should include
- A clear list of what’s included
- How late numbers can change
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- Who provides the crockery
Is live paella right for your event?
Next to a hog roast or barbecue, paella makes vegetarian, vegan and halal guests easier to cater for, thanks to separate pans. Service from the pan keeps queues moving. Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
Why book with us
- Events in Atherington and across West Sussex
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Live cooking, not reheated food
See How we price 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