East Sussex · England
Paella Catering for Five Ash Down events
Bring the theatre of live paella to your event in Five Ash Down. We cook from scratch on site, then served hot from the pan.
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Milestone birthday parties
Paella catering in Five Ash Down
Paella compared with other options
A plated meal needs a kitchen, more staff and typically costs more per head. Live paella needs a level, ventilated spot and the venue’s permission to cook, and gives guests something to watch. Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so it helps to tell us about your venue. Everything is confirmed in writing.
Why book with us
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- A quote that spells everything out
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
Read How we price Or Our guide to catering costs.
Paella catering in Five Ash Down, made fresh on the day
Keep it simple, or go all out: just paella, or paella with tapas, desserts and drinks. We will suggest what suits your event. We’re frequently asked to cater anniversary celebrations and naming days and family parties, serving vegan paella, paella Valenciana and vegetable paella.
In a hamlet or village like Five Ash Down, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Mention gates and soft ground when you get in touch. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, not reheated, and served the moment it’s ready.
- Location
- Five Ash Down (TN22)
- County
- East Sussex
- Diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Extras
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Prices and what affects them
The price comes down to a few factors:
- Travel, parking and access
- The number of people
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Waiting and bar staff
If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we’ll suggest a menu to match. Even a simple menu can be a feast.
What we need to know
You don’t need everything decided to ask for a quote, but it helps to know:
- Expected numbers
- A photo of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
- The date and time of the event
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
Thinking about paella catering for your event in Five Ash Down? Send us the details and we will come back with ideas and a quote. Just use our quote form.
Planners, venues and businesses
Venues frequently have their own rules about outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Send us your venue’s requirements and we will follow them.
Hosting a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we will tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
What’s in the pans
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea.
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The classic version is chicken, green beans and butter beans with saffron.
Live paella in Five Ash Down: local details
Five Ash Down is about 2 miles north of Uckfield, in East Sussex. We cater events at gardens, halls and venues around Five Ash Down and the surrounding area. We cater in 289 places across East Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. We cook right across the region, from Five Ash Down to Brighton (about 16 miles away).
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Buxted station, about 1.2 miles south-east. If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like Five Ash Down Independent Chapel, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. Five Ash Down is within about 7 miles of the High Weald National Landscape, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
We cater events across the TN22 postcode area and the streets around it. We can cater an event on streets such as Ashengate Way, Flaxen Fields and Olives Pit Lane or the roads around them. Other places close to Five Ash Down for paella catering include High Hurstwood (1 mile north-east), Fairwarp (1 mile north), Sweethaws (3 miles north-east), Crowborough (4 miles north-east) and Jarvis Brook (5 miles north-east). Larger places within reach include Seaford (15 miles south), Lewes (10 miles south-west), Hailsham (11 miles south-east), Newhaven (14 miles south), Peacehaven (15 miles south) and Telscombe (15 miles south).
A little further out are Tickerage Castle (2.8 miles south-east) and Uckfield Community Hospital (2.4 miles south). Open spaces near Five Ash Down include Brickfield Meadow.
- Local schools include Uckfield College (1.8 miles south)
Questions from Five Ash Down
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 will follow the site rules.
Which station should guests use for Five Ash Down?
Buxted station, about 1.2 miles south-east of the centre.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Of course. We cook vegetarian and vegan paellas in their own pans, alongside the meat and seafood pans.
Which areas do you serve?
London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
Do you come to Five Ash Down?
Yes, we do. We cook at events in Five Ash Down and across East Sussex. Send us your date to check availability.
Do you cook it at the event?
Yes, always. We cook from scratch in large pans at your venue, in front of your guests.
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.
Should we have more than one paella?
Usually two or three, so every guest has a choice. Tell us about your guests’ diets and we’ll suggest the mix.
Before you choose a spot
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so the cooking area needs a little planning. Here’s what we look for:
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly before booking.
What we offer
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
Why choose paella catering in Five Ash Down?
It’s ideal for relaxed, sociable occasions, with guests mingling as it cooks and then sit down to share.
Live paella suits almost any gathering. People in Five Ash Down book us for occasions like:
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Garden get-togethers
- Milestone birthday parties
- Engagement and anniversary parties
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Buxted CofE Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
What your quote should include
- How late numbers can change
- What the price includes, item by item
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- VAT, if it applies
Towns and villages near Five Ash Down
Other catering in Five Ash Down
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it is in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. We’re happy to give you a quote to compare.
Step by step
We cook over gas burners in wide, shallow pans. We need a level, ventilated spot, which we agree with you beforehand. In Five Ash Down, the sun sets at about 9:15pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, so summer evening events are typically served in daylight. For winter events, when it’s dark by about 3:55pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- Send us your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including every diet.
- We arrive early to set up the burners and pans.
- The sofrito, stock and rice go in, and guests gather to watch.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
How to prepare
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
Get a quote
Not sure what you need yet? No problem: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we will make suggestions. To start, 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