West Sussex · England
Live paella catering in Charlton, West Sussex
Something for every guest: separate pans for meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan guests. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Charlton.
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Christenings and family gatherings
Paella catering in Charlton
Your questions about paella catering in Charlton
Can you cater a reception after a service at The Parish Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary?
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.
Is Charlton too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Let us know about access and parking.
Do you come to Charlton?
Yes, we do. We cook at events in Charlton and across West Sussex. Tell us your date and we’ll check availability.
Is live paella good for a large crowd?
Yes, that is what it’s made for. We size pans and serving points to your guest list.
Can paella be the only main course?
It can be. With bread and salad, paella is a complete main, and tapas or dessert can be added.
What happens if it rains?
A covered, ventilated spot keeps us cooking in the rain. We’ll talk it through before the day.
What is live paella catering?
We set up a cooking area at your venue, cook the paella from scratch in large pans while your guests watch, and serve it straight from the pan.
What do you need at the venue?
Less than you might think: a level spot clear of fences, hedges and branches, with room for a serving table. If in doubt, send a picture.
Paella catering for your event in Charlton
We cook every paella from scratch on the day, starting with a slow sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, then the stock, saffron and rice. We’re often asked to cater leaving dos and retirements and community events and fairs, serving mixed paella, vegan paella and vegetable paella.
Somewhere as small as Charlton, a garden or field is often the venue. Tell us about narrow lanes or long drives and we will plan for them, and a firm spot near where we park makes set-up easier. Every pan is cooked in front of your guests, so it arrives hot and becomes part of the event.
- Where
- Charlton (PO18)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Special diets
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Add-ons
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quotes
- Contact us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Space, weather and the venue
We’ll be honest if a space won’t work, and help find another spot. The main points are:
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
If you are unsure, send a photo of the space and we will say what we think.
On the menu in Charlton
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
What’s in the pans
Mixed paella
Mixed paella brings meat and seafood together.
Seafood paella
The secret is a well-made seafood stock. Shellfish goes in towards the end so it stays tender.
Should I cook it myself?
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but you’ll still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. We take care of all of it.
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Paella catering around Charlton
Charlton is about 5 miles north of Chichester, in West Sussex. Tell us where your event in Charlton will be, and we will plan the journey and set-up before the day. We cook in all 371 towns and villages across West Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. Our events stretch from Charlton to Guildford (about 24 miles away).
If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like The Parish Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. Historic houses near Charlton include West Dean House (1.7 miles west) and Goodwood House (2.7 miles south). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. The South Downs National Park is within about 6 miles of Charlton, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
Paella catering in PO18 is planned around your venue and timings. From Charlton Road and Knight's Hill or a nearby road, we’ll bring the pans to you. If your venue is just outside Charlton, we also cover Singleton (1 mile west), East Dean (1 mile east), West Dean (2 miles west), Cocking (3 miles north) and Heyshott (3 miles north). We also cook in nearby towns such as Bognor Regis (9 miles south), Chichester (5 miles south), Selsey (12 miles south), Littlehampton (11 miles south-east), Emsworth (10 miles south-west) and Rustington (12 miles south-east).
Nearby you’ll also find Chichester Centre (4.6 miles south) and Weald and Downland Gridshell (0.8 miles west). Not far away are Levin Down and Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve.
- Pubs nearby include The Fox Goes Free pub (within half a mile north-east)
How we price paella catering
There’s nothing hidden: the quote reflects:
- Distance and access to the venue
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- The paellas you choose
- How many guests are eating
Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you can choose exactly what you need.
What to tell us
When you get in touch, it helps to tell us:
- The address or venue name
- The courses you’d like
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- Anything your venue supplies
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, along with any dietary needs, and you’ll get a menu idea and a price. Just use our quote form.
Events we cater in Charlton
Live paella is made for outdoor events: it’s cooked in the open, served hot and eaten together.
Live paella suits almost any gathering. In Charlton, people book us for occasions like:
- Milestone birthday parties
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Staff parties and work lunches
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Singleton CofE Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
Comparing caterers
- How long the team stays
- When final numbers are due
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- VAT, if it applies
Dietary needs and planning tips
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. Here are a few tips for planning:
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Confirm allergies by email
- Tell us how many children are coming
You shouldn’t have to worry about the food on the day. We arrive in good time, set up, cook and serve, and stay in touch with your venue about timings.
Bread, salad and lemon go well alongside.
Places near Charlton
Also in Charlton
Planners, venues and businesses
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so everyone eats promptly. Tell us how long you have for food.
If you’re booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we’ll talk you through the process. We’re happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
How it works
The paella is cooked in giant, shallow pans over gas burners. We need a level, ventilated spot, and we agree where that is before the day. Evenings in Charlton stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:05pm; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- We start with a few details about your event.
- You get a menu and an itemised quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- It is served straight from the pan, and we clear our area afterwards.
Before we arrive
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
Get a quote
Planning paella catering in Charlton? Send us the details and we’ll reply with a menu and a clear price. Just send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
- 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