West Sussex · England
Live paella catering in Duncton, West Sussex
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Duncton: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, right in front of your guests.
- Garden get-togethers
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Staff parties and work lunches
Paella catering near Duncton
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it is harder than it looks. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Paella catering in Duncton, cooked live
A couple of different pans covers everyone: meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan paellas. Each is cooked separately. Typical bookings include weddings and evening receptions and anniversary celebrations, serving vegan paella, chicken and chorizo paella and black rice.
Somewhere as small as Duncton, a garden or field is often the venue. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and cooking close to where we can park helps. Everything is cooked from scratch at your event, not reheated, and served the moment it is ready.
- Location
- Duncton (GU28)
- Area hub
- West Sussex
- Dietary options
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Dishes our guests love
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea, and is popular with adventurous guests.
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, finished with lemon wedges. It is the pan people photograph.
Occasions we cook for in Duncton
It suits relaxed, sociable events, with guests mingling as it cooks before sitting down to eat.
We can help if you’re planning any of the following:
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Birthday celebrations
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Festivals, fairs and school events
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Duncton CofE Junior School, can book us as a food stall.
Questions to ask before you book
- Travel and parking costs
- The venue requirements
- How long the team stays
- Exactly what’s included in the price
Organising for someone else?
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 your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We’ll provide any information the landowner or council asks for.
Step by step
We take care of the food from set-up to service, so you’re free to enjoy your event. If you’ve chosen tapas or canapés, they go out first while the paella cooks. Evenings in Duncton stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:05pm; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- We start with a few details about your event.
- We suggest paellas and extras and send a clear quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
Preparing for the day
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Share the running order, including any speeches
Ask for a quote
To get a price, fill in our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we’ll put together a menu and price.
Planning help
Towns and villages near Duncton
Other catering in Duncton
Questions from Duncton
Is Duncton too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Let us know about access and parking.
Is Duncton close to London?
About 45 miles from central London, and we cover it as standard.
Can you cook indoors?
Mostly outside or under an open cover, because we use gas burners. We will check whether your venue has a suitable space.
What do you need at the venue?
A level space for the pans, burners and a serving table, in the open air or a ventilated covered area, and the venue’s permission for live cooking.
Can you feed a lot of people?
Very much so. We plan the number of pans and serving points around your numbers.
Do you clear up afterwards?
Our cooking area is packed away and left clean. Ask us about table clearing if you need it.
Which paellas suit our guests?
That depends on who’s coming. Chicken and mixed paellas tend to go first, with seafood and vegetable pans alongside.
How soon do we need to book?
The sooner the better. Peak dates go quickly, so get in touch early.
Planning the cooking area
Most gardens and venues can host live paella, but there are a few things to check:
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we will tell you honestly.
Menu ideas
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
How we price paella catering
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- How many guests are eating
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- Travel, parking and access
If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we will put together a menu that fits. Even a simple menu can be a feast.
What to tell us
For a quote, it helps to have:
- The courses you’d like
- A photo of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. To send your details, fill in our quote form.
Live paella or other catering?
A cold buffet is simple but has no theatre, and the food sits out. Paella is cooked in front of your guests and served hot. The cost per head typically falls as numbers rise, since the set-up is much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
Why us?
- Fast service from the pan
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Real theatre, not just catering
- No hidden extras in your quote
See Our pricing And The cost guide.
Catering an event in Duncton
Duncton is about 10 miles north-east of Chichester, in West Sussex. For an event in Duncton, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices. Duncton is one of 371 towns and villages in West Sussex we cover. We cook right across the region, from Duncton to Guildford (about 21 miles away).
If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like Church of Holy Trinity, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. Historic houses near Duncton include Bignor Roman Villa (2.4 miles south-east) and Petworth House (3.1 miles north). 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 Duncton. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
We cook at events all over GU28. Your event could be at a home on Duncton High Street and Willett Close. We also cook at events in East Lavington (1 mile south-west), Sutton (2 miles south-east), Rotherbridge (2 miles north), Graffham (2 miles west) and Haslingbourne (2 miles north-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Worthing (13 miles south-east), Bognor Regis (11 miles south), Chichester (10 miles south-west), Littlehampton (10 miles south-east), Emsworth (15 miles south-west) and Rustington (11 miles south-east).
Other landmarks nearby include Midhurst Community Hospital (5.4 miles north-west) and Coultershaw Heritage Site (1.6 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Bignor Hill and Graffham Common.
- 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