West Sussex · England
Live paella catering in Five Oaks, West Sussex
Looking for paella catering in Five Oaks? We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook in front of your guests.
- Naming days and family parties
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Anniversary celebrations
Planning an event in Five Oaks?
Questions from Five Oaks
Is Five Oaks close to London?
Roughly 35 miles from the centre of London, and well within our area.
Is Five Oaks too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Let us know about access and parking.
Which areas do you serve?
London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including Five Oaks.
Can you serve drinks?
We can make sangria, and we can staff a bar with your drinks.
How many different paellas?
Two or three covers most guests. We will recommend a mix based on diets.
Is live paella good for a large crowd?
Yes, that’s what it’s made for. We plan the number of pans and serving points around your numbers.
When should we book?
As early as you can, especially for summer weekends. Ask about your date even if it’s soon.
Is paella enough as a main?
Paella is a meal in itself. Many hosts add tapas first or dessert after.
Paella catering in Five Oaks, cooked live
Two or three pans side by side cover every guest: meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan paellas. Every pan is cooked on its own, so diets are easy to manage. Typical bookings include wedding breakfasts and evening food and leaving dos and retirements, with vegan paella, chicken and chorizo paella and mixed paella.
In a small place like Five Oaks, events are typically in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. Tell us about narrow lanes or long drives and we’ll plan for them, and cooking close to where we can park helps. You can add tapas, desserts, sangria, bar staff and waiting staff, so the whole menu comes from one caterer.
- Where
- Five Oaks (RH14)
- County
- West Sussex
- Diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Also available
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quotes
- Contact us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Catering an event in Five Oaks
Five Oaks is about 5 miles west of Horsham, in West Sussex. Tell us where your event in Five Oaks will be, and we’ll plan the journey and set-up. We cover all 371 towns and villages in West Sussex. Our nearest city page is Guildford, about 15 miles away.
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like The Weald School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
We cover events in every part of the RH14 postcode area and the streets around it. Streets in the area include Horsham Road, Hayes Wood Road and Stane Street, and we can cook for an event on any of them. If your venue is just outside Five Oaks, we also cover The Haven (1 mile north-west), Billingshurst (2 miles south-west), Slinfold (2 miles north-east), Newpound Common (3 miles west) and Coneyhurst (3 miles south). Larger places within reach include Crawley (12 miles north-east), Horsham (5 miles east), Worthing (15 miles south), Haywards Heath (15 miles east), Burgess Hill (15 miles south-east) and Broadfield (10 miles east).
Nearby you’ll also find Christs Hospital School Museum (3.1 miles east) and Horsham Hospital (5 miles east).
Before you choose a spot
Before the day, we will agree where we cook. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we will tell you honestly before booking.
Popular choices
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
Step by step
We cook over gas burners in wide, shallow pans. It needs a level spot with some shelter and good ventilation, which we agree with you beforehand. Planning an evening event in Five Oaks? Sunset is around 8:50pm in late May, 9:20pm at midsummer and 7:05pm in late September; once it’s dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- Start with the date, the place and the numbers.
- We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
- Closer to the day, we confirm timings and the cooking spot.
- On the day we cook live, timed around your event.
- We serve, then leave our area tidy.
Preparing for the day
- Give us a contact for the day
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
Ask for a quote
We need only a few details to quote: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. To send them, send us your details through our quote form.
Planning help
Planning for every diet
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:
- Make sure each pan is labelled
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
- Count adults and children separately
On the day, you shouldn’t have to think about the food. We arrive in good time, set up, cook and serve, and keep in touch with you or your venue about timings.
Finish with churros, crema catalana or tarta de Santiago, or serve your own cake.
Nearby places to Five Oaks
Also in Five Oaks
What affects the price in Five Oaks
Two events with the same number of guests can cost different amounts, because of:
- The length of service
- The paellas you choose
- Waiting and bar staff
- Travel, parking and access
The cost per head generally falls as numbers rise, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Details that help
You do not need every detail fixed to get a quote, but it helps to know:
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Diets and allergies you know about
- The courses you’d like
- A picture of the space, if you can
The quickest way to a quote is to use our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we will suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
About the dishes
Mixed paella
A mix of chicken and seafood, and a popular all-rounder.
Black rice
Black rice gets its colour from squid ink, and is usually served with alioli. It makes a dramatic second seafood pan.
Why live cooking beats a buffet
With a barbecue, food comes in waves. Paella is cooked as one big dish and served together. When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
Why Five Oaks hosts choose us
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
Perfect for your event in Five Oaks
Paella is quick to serve and suits mixed diets, so it suits all kinds of occasions. It gives people something to gather round, too.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. In Five Oaks, people book us for events such as:
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Naming days and family parties
- Birthday celebrations
For guests coming by train, Billingshurst station is about 2.2 miles away.
What to look for in a quote
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- Payment terms and deposit
- Space, access and power needs
- 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