East Sussex · England
Paella Catering for Butcher's Cross events
Looking for paella catering in Butcher's Cross? We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook while your guests watch.
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Garden get-togethers
- Retirement and leaving parties
Paella catering near Butcher's Cross
The process
We cook over gas burners in wide, shallow pans. It needs a level spot with some shelter and good ventilation, which we agree with you beforehand. Planning an evening event in Butcher's Cross? Sunset is around 8:50pm in late May, 9:15pm at midsummer and 7:05pm in late September; once it’s dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- You share your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan a menu that covers every diet.
- We arrive in good time to set up.
- The paella cooks as guests gather round.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
Getting ready for the day
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
Getting a price
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, along with any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. Just fill in our quote form.
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Paella catering in Butcher's Cross, made fresh on the day
There is something generous about paella: big pans, bright colours and a crispy base everyone wants a spoonful of. It turns a meal into an occasion. We’re frequently asked to cater summer garden parties and wedding breakfasts and evening food, with vegetable paella, black rice and vegan paella.
Somewhere like Butcher's Cross, a field or garden is frequently the perfect setting. Mention gates and soft ground when you contact us. Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included, each in a separate pan and clearly labelled.
- Location
- Butcher's Cross (TN20)
- Area hub
- East Sussex
- Diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Also available
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quote
- Quoted for your event
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Events we cater in Butcher's Cross
It suits relaxed, sociable events, with guests mingling as it cooks and then sit down to share.
If you are planning any of these, we can help:
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Birthday celebrations
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Company summer parties
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of the Good Shepherd, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
Questions to ask before booking
- What the price includes, item by item
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- Whether VAT is included
- When payment is due
Dietary needs and planning tips
We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests. To make it work smoothly:
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Plan seating for most guests: paella is easiest eaten sitting down
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Send allergies to us in writing
On the day, you shouldn’t have to think about the food. We arrive in good time, set up, cook and serve, and keep in touch with you or your venue about timings.
Finish with churros, crema catalana or tarta de Santiago, or serve your own cake.
Questions from Butcher's Cross
Do you cater in the High Weald National Landscape?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We’ll follow the site rules.
Which station should guests use for Butcher's Cross?
The closest is Crowborough station, roughly 3 miles away.
How many different paellas?
Normally two or three, so every guest has a choice. We will recommend a mix based on diets.
Can you cook in the rain?
We need a covered spot, like a gazebo or open-sided marquee. We plan for rain with you in advance.
Can paella be the only main course?
Paella is a meal in itself. Tapas and desserts can be added if you like.
Do you do starters?
Yes. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, served while the paella cooks.
What do you need at the venue?
Less than you might think: a flat spot away from anything flammable, with space to serve. Send us a picture if you are not sure.
Which paellas suit our guests?
That depends on who’s coming. A chicken or mixed paella is normally the most popular, with seafood and vegetable pans alongside.
About the dishes
Vegetable and vegan paella
A slow sofrito, seasonal vegetables and a good vegetable stock make a proper main dish. Vegan versions use plant-based stock.
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich fish stock, cooked until the rice is golden. It is generally the most photographed pan.
What paella catering costs
These are the factors that matter most:
- Timings and hours
- Parking and unloading
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- The number of people
The cost per head normally falls as numbers rise, since the set-up is much the same either way. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Getting an accurate quote
You don’t need everything decided to ask for a quote, but it helps to know:
- Your date and when you want to eat
- Diets and allergies you know about
- The courses you’d like
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
The quickest way to a quote is to use our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we will suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Working with your venue
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.
Throwing a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we’ll let you know if live paella is a good fit.
What we need at the venue
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We need:
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we will tell you honestly.
Popular choices
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
DIY paella versus live catering
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but there’s shopping, prep and hours of cooking. We take care of all of it.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Also near Butcher's Cross
Also in Butcher's Cross
Catering an event in Butcher's Cross
Butcher's Cross is about 4 miles south-east of Crowborough, in East Sussex. From the centre of Butcher's Cross to the outskirts, paella catering works the same way: paella cooked live, every diet catered for and a clear quote. Butcher's Cross is one of 289 towns and villages in East Sussex where we cook. We cook right across the region, from Butcher's Cross to Brighton (20 miles away).
If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Skippers Hill Manor School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Crowborough station, about 3 miles north-west. The High Weald National Landscape is within about 2 miles of Butcher's Cross, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
Here we cover the TN20 postcode area, and we can cater your event anywhere in it. If your venue is just outside Butcher's Cross, we also cover Skippers Hill (1 mile south-west), Five Ashes (1 mile south), Woolbridge (1 mile north-east), Wellbrook (1 mile east) and Mayfield (2 miles north-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Bexhill-on-Sea (15 miles south-east), Lewes (13 miles south-west), Hailsham (10 miles south), Crowborough (4 miles north-west), Uckfield (6 miles south-west) and Polegate (13 miles south).
Well-known places in the area include Tickerage Castle (4.1 miles south-west) and Crowborough War Memorial Hospital (4.1 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Selwyns Wood.
- Schools near Butcher's Cross include Five Ashes CofE Primary School (within half a mile south)
- Pubs nearby include The Five Ashes Inn (0.5 miles south)
- 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