East Sussex · England
Live paella catering in Chiltington, East Sussex
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 Chiltington.
- Community events and fairs
- Summer garden parties
- Leaving dos and retirements
Planning an event in Chiltington?
Paella catering in Chiltington, cooked live
Everything is cooked from scratch on site, starting with a slow sofrito of onion, garlic, peppers and tomato, then the stock, saffron and rice. Typical bookings include big birthdays and weddings, from canapés to evening food, with paella Valenciana, vegan paella and vegetable paella.
In a small place like Chiltington, events are typically in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and cooking close to where we can park helps. We serve straight from the pan, so it is hot and generous, and service is quick once it’s ready.
- Area
- Chiltington (BN7)
- Area hub
- East Sussex
- Dietary options
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Also available
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quotes
- Ask us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Is live paella right for your event?
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. Got a budget? Let us know, and we’ll put together a menu that fits. Even a simple menu can be a feast.
What you get with us
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
See Our prices page Or The cost guide.
DIY paella versus live catering
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. Ask us for a quote and compare.
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. The usual problems are a pan too big for the burner, too much rice and stirring once the rice is in. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
The menu, dish by dish
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella is not an afterthought: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans, and it’s a crowd-pleaser.
What happens on the day
We work to your timings. If things run behind, we adjust the cooking so it’s still served fresh. In Chiltington, the sun sets at about 9:15pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, so summer evening service is normally in daylight. In December it’s dark by about 3:55pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- You share your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan a menu that covers every diet.
- We arrive in good time to set up.
- The sofrito, stock and rice go in, and guests gather to watch.
- Service is straight from the pan, then we pack down.
Getting ready for the day
- Make sure the spot is clear of anything flammable
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
- Have a level space ready for the pans
Getting a price
We need only a few details to quote: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. You can send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
What paella catering costs
Your quote will be clear and itemised. What affects it most:
- How long we are needed on site
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- How many courses
Compared with a plated meal, live paella is frequently good value, as there’s no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. We will send you a quote.
Getting an accurate quote
To check availability and price, we need:
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Roughly how many adults and children
- The address or venue name
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
Every quote is put together for your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we will check availability at the same time.
FAQs for Chiltington
Is Chiltington close to London?
About 40 miles from central London, and we cover it as standard.
Can you cook at venues in the South Downs National Park?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We will follow the site rules.
Can you do sangria?
We can make sangria, and provide bar staff to serve drinks you supply.
Do you come to Chiltington?
We do. We cook at events in Chiltington and across East Sussex. Send us your date to check availability.
Will there be enough food?
Quantities depend on numbers, timing and courses, with a little extra built in. Give us accurate numbers for the best result.
Who clears up?
Our cooking area is packed away and left clean. Table clearing is available with waiting staff.
Is the paella cooked on site?
Yes. We arrive with everything we need and cook on the day, then serve straight from the pan.
What happens with live paella?
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.
Planning live paella in Chiltington
Chiltington is about 3 miles north-west of Lewes, in East Sussex. For paella catering in Chiltington, we plan around your venue and timings: a quote, a plan and live cooking on the day. Chiltington is one of 289 towns and villages in East Sussex where we cook. You can also see our page for Brighton, about 7 miles away.
For a christening or wedding at a church such as The Parish Church, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. For guests coming by train, Cooksbridge station is about 1.3 miles away. The South Downs National Park is within about 4 miles of Chiltington, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
Wherever your event is in BN7, we can bring paella catering to you. For events just outside Chiltington, we cover East Chiltington (1 mile west), Cooksbridge (1 mile south-east), South Chailey (1 mile north), Plumpton (2 miles south-west) and Plumpton Green (2 miles north-west). Larger places within reach include Seaford (12 miles south-east), Lewes (3 miles south-east), Hailsham (13 miles east), Crowborough (12 miles north-east), Uckfield (7 miles north-east) and Newhaven (9 miles south).
Nearby you’ll also find Lewes Castle (3.5 miles south-east) and Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft (3.9 miles west). Open spaces near Chiltington include Blackcap and Malling Down.
Before you choose a spot
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We look for:
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we’ll say what we think before you book.
Popular choices
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
Diets, allergies and planning
We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests. To get it right:
- Make sure each pan is labelled
- Send allergies to us in writing
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
Once the rice is in, it needs about 20 minutes, so we time it carefully. If plans change, tell us and we will adjust.
Finish with churros, crema catalana or tarta de Santiago, or serve your own cake.
Organising for someone else?
If you are planning an event on someone’s behalf, whether you’re a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we will work directly with you and the venue. It saves passing messages back and forth.
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so guests are fed quickly. Tell us how long you have for food.
Towns and villages near Chiltington
What else we do in Chiltington
- 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