West Sussex · England
Paella Catering in Chidham
Treat your guests to live paella at your event in Chidham. We cook from scratch on site, and serve it straight from the pan.
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Birthday celebrations
Book paella catering in Chidham
How we price paella catering
We will give you a clear, itemised quote. The main things that affect it are:
- Timings and hours
- The paellas you choose
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Whether you need crockery
Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. Our quotes spell it all out.
What we need to know
These details help us quote quickly:
- What the venue already provides
- The courses you’d like
- A picture of the space, if you can
- Any dietary needs and allergies
Each quote is tailored to your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we will confirm whether we are available that day.
Paella catering in Chidham, cooked live
The cooking is half the fun. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the smell does the rest. We are often asked to cater family celebrations and christenings and engagement and anniversary parties, with mixed paella, vegan paella and paella Valenciana.
Somewhere like Chidham, a field or garden is often the perfect setting. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. The paella is served straight from the pan, so it is hot and generous, and a queue moves quickly.
- Area
- Chidham (PO18)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Extras
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quotes
- Ask us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
For event organisers in Chidham
If you’re planning an event on someone’s behalf, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we’re happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It keeps things simple.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Space, weather and the venue
Every venue is different, so we’ll ask about yours when you contact us. Generally, we look for:
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
Popular choices
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
Catering an event in Chidham
Chidham is about 4 miles west of Chichester, in West Sussex. Give us the address of your event in Chidham, and we’ll plan the journey and set-up before the day. We cater in all 371 towns and villages across West Sussex. You can also see our page for Southampton, about 23 miles away.
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Nutbourne station, about 1 mile north-west. For a christening or wedding at a church such as The Parish Church of St Mary, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. Chidham is within about 6 miles of the sea, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Coastal wind means we plan a sheltered spot.
We cater events across PO18. Streets in the area include Chidham Lane, Harbour Way and Cot Lane, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Close by, we cover events in Nutbourne (1 mile north-west), Bosham (1 mile east), Broadbridge (1 mile east), Hambrook (1 mile north) and Bosham Hoe (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cater in Bognor Regis (9 miles east), Chichester (4 miles east), Selsey (8 miles south-east), Littlehampton (15 miles east), Emsworth (3 miles north-west) and Portfield (5 miles east).
Well-known places in the area include Warblington Castle (4.1 miles west) and St Richard's Hospital (4.6 miles east). Not far away are Nutborne Marshes and Stoke Down.
- Nearby schools include Bourne Community College (2.1 miles north-west)
- Pubs nearby include The Bosham Free House Public House And Restaurant (0.6 miles north)
How the day works
When the rice goes in, it is left alone. That’s how the grains cook evenly and the toasted base, the socarrat, forms. The smell typically draws people over. In Chidham, 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. In December it’s dark by about 4:00pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- You tell us the date, venue, guest numbers and any dietary needs.
- You get a suggested menu and an itemised quote.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up and start the stock.
- The rice cooks in full view, while tapas or canapés go round.
- We serve from the pan, then clear our cooking area away.
Getting ready for the day
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Have a level space ready for the pans
How to get a price
It’s easy to get a price: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We will come back with a clear quote.
Related guides
Towns and villages near Chidham
More for events in Chidham
FAQs for Chidham
Is Chidham close to London?
About 57 miles from central London, and well within our area.
Can you cater a reception after a service at The Parish Church of St Mary?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking normally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
Do you do vegan paella?
Yes, and they’re popular with everyone. They have their own pans, stock and spoons.
Can you cook indoors?
Generally we cook outdoors or under a ventilated cover, because we use gas burners. We will check whether your venue has a suitable space.
Do you cover Chidham?
Yes. We cater across London and the South East, including Chidham and the rest of West Sussex. To check your date, fill in our quote form.
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.
Can we choose the seafood?
We will talk through seafood options when we plan your menu.
Can you cook halal paella?
Yes, on request. Let us know your halal numbers, and it is cooked separately.
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Next to a hog roast or barbecue, live paella is easier for vegetarian, vegan and halal guests, thanks to separate pans. Service from the pan keeps queues moving. Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so it helps to tell us about your venue. The full price is confirmed before you book.
Why choose Love Paella in Chidham
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- A quote that spells everything out
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
See Our prices page Or The cost guide.
Who books paella catering in Chidham?
Few dishes cope with mixed diets like paella, because each version is cooked in its own pan. Nobody gets a token ‘special meal’.
Here are some of the events we cook for:
- Retirement celebrations
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Naming days and family parties
- Birthday celebrations
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Chidham Parochial Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
What your quote should include
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- If the price includes VAT
- How long the team stays
- What the caterer needs from your venue
The menu, dish by dish
Mixed paella
Paella mixta combines meat and seafood in one pan, and it’s often the first pan to empty.
Black rice
Black rice gets its colour from squid ink, traditionally with alioli. It makes a dramatic second seafood pan.
Should I cook it myself?
Not sure whether to cook yourself or book a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. We’re happy to give you a quote to compare.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it is in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
- 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