West Sussex · England
Paella Catering in Barnham
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Barnham and across West Sussex.
- Retirement celebrations
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Big birthdays
Planning an event in Barnham?
How our paella catering works in Barnham
Almost any venue with a level, ventilated spot will do: gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and festival fields in and around Barnham. We are often asked to cater engagement and anniversary parties and birthday celebrations, serving vegan paella, mixed paella and black rice.
In a rural place like Barnham, the setting does a lot of the work: a paella cooking in a garden or field feels right at home. Let us know about access and ground conditions. We serve straight from the pan, so every plate is hot, and service is quick once it is ready.
- Area
- Barnham (PO22)
- Area hub
- West Sussex
- Special diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Price
- Ask us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
What paella catering costs
Your quote will be clear and itemised. The main things that affect it are:
- How many guests are eating
- How many staff you need
- The paellas you choose
- Distance and access to the venue
Larger events generally cost less per head, since the set-up is much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
Getting an accurate quote
You don’t need everything decided to ask for a quote, but it helps to know:
- The venue or postcode
- Which courses you have in mind
- Anything your venue supplies
- Your date and when you want to eat
Every event is quoted individually, so you only pay for what you need. To ask for one, use our quote form.
Why choose live paella in Barnham?
Barbecues cook in batches, so food comes off in waves. Paella is cooked as one big dish and served together. Live paella often compares well with a sit-down meal, as there’s no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. We will send you a quote.
Why us?
- A quote that spells everything out
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Events in Barnham and across West Sussex
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
Take a look at Our prices page Or The cost guide.
Dietary needs and planning tips
Most events have a mix of diets. To plan for them:
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
You shouldn’t have to worry about the food on the day. We arrive in good time, set up, cook and serve, and keep in touch with you or your venue about timings.
Bread, salad and lemon go well alongside and suit guests who aren’t big rice eaters.
Before you choose a spot
Before the day, we’ll agree where we cook. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
What we offer
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
The menu, dish by dish
Vegetable and vegan paella
The vegetable pan is a dish in its own right: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron.
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The classic version is chicken, green beans and butter beans with saffron, and it is a crowd-pleaser.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Not sure whether to cook yourself or book a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. Ask us for a quote and compare.
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but you will still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. A caterer handles all of that.
Also near Barnham
What else we do in Barnham
Barnham: your questions answered
Do you come out to small places like Barnham?
No, we cook in small places too. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Can you cater a reception after a service at The Parish Church of St Mary?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is generally elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
Which paellas suit our guests?
Two or three is usual: chicken or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. See the sample menu.
Is the paella gluten-free?
We can cook a gluten-free paella in its own pan. Let us know about coeliac guests in advance so we take the right care.
How long does the paella take?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. The rice itself takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Of course. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, served while the paella cooks.
How much does paella catering cost in Barnham?
It depends on guest numbers, the menu, the courses, staff and travel. Send us the details for a quote.
Can you cook in the rain?
We need a covered spot, like a gazebo or open-sided marquee. We will agree a wet-weather plan with you.
Catering an event in Barnham
Barnham is about 4 miles north-east of Bognor Regis, in West Sussex. Anywhere in PO22, we’ll come to your venue or garden. We cook in 371 places in West Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. Our events stretch from Barnham to Brighton (about 22 miles away).
For guests coming by train, Barnham station is in Barnham itself. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Barnham Primary School, can book us as a food stall. Barnham is within about 7 miles of the South Downs National Park, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours. Barnham is within about 4 miles of the sea, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Sea breezes can be strong, so we plan a sheltered cooking spot.
This part of West Sussex takes in PO22. Local streets include Garden Crescent, Dollery Road and Goodacres; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Close by, we cover events in West Barnham (1 mile north-west), Walberton (1 mile north-east), Yapton (1 mile south-east), Eastergate (1 mile north-west) and Lidsey (1 mile south-west). Further out, we also cater in Worthing (10 miles east), Bognor Regis (4 miles south-west), Chichester (6 miles west), Selsey (9 miles south-west), Littlehampton (5 miles east) and Lancing (14 miles east).
A little further out are Bognor Regis War Memorial Hospital (3.2 miles south-west) and Tote Copse Castle (2.5 miles west). Green spaces nearby include WWT Arundel.
- Local schools include St Philip Howard Catholic High School (0.6 miles north-west)
- Nearby, you will find The Murrell Arms (within half a mile west)
Occasions we cook for in Barnham
Live paella is food and a show in one. The cooking becomes the centre of the event, and the food is hot and generous.
These are some of the occasions we cater around Barnham:
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Summer garden parties
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Office lunches and staff parties
If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like The Parish Church of St Mary, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
Before booking anyone
- Space, access and power needs
- How each diet is kept separate
- Whether VAT is included
- What happens if it rains
How it works
Here’s how the day generally runs: we set up the pans and start the sofrito, your guests watch the rice cook, and it’s served hot from the pan at the agreed time. In Barnham, the sun sets at about 9:20pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, so summer evening events are typically served in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 4:00pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- We start with a few details about your event.
- We suggest paellas and extras and send a clear quote.
- We agree timings, access and the cooking spot.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
Getting ready for the day
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
How to get a price
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, plus any dietary needs, and we will reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
- 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