West Sussex · England
Paella Catering in Forge Wood
Something for every guest: separate pans for meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan guests. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Forge Wood.
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Anniversary celebrations
Paella catering for Forge Wood events
Events we cater in Forge Wood
Live paella is made for outdoor events: cooked outside, served hot and shared.
Whatever you’re celebrating in Forge Wood, live paella can be the centrepiece. We often cook for:
- Summer garden parties
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Festivals, fairs and school events
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Forge Wood Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
Before booking anyone
- How bad weather is handled
- Travel and parking costs
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- The deadline for final numbers
How our paella catering works in Forge Wood
Keep it simple, or go all out: just paella, or paella with tapas, desserts and drinks. We will suggest what suits your event. Typical bookings include fairs, fêtes and festivals and company summer parties, with mixed paella, black rice and chicken and chorizo paella.
A place like Forge Wood frequently has a hall, a club or a pub garden nearby; live paella can work at any of them, given permission and outdoor space. Tapas, canapés, desserts, sangria and staff can all be added, so the whole menu comes from one caterer.
- Area
- Forge Wood (RH10, RH6)
- County
- West Sussex
- Special diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Also available
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quotes
- Quoted for your event
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
FAQs for Forge Wood
Is Forge Wood close to London?
About 25 miles from central London.
What’s the nearest station to Forge Wood for guests?
The closest is Three Bridges station, roughly 1.4 miles away.
What do you need at the venue?
Level ground for the burners, pans and a table, outdoors or in a marquee or well-ventilated area, plus the venue’s agreement to cooking.
Can you bring crockery?
Yes, on request. Proper crockery or quality disposables can be added to your booking.
Is halal food available?
Yes, on request. Let us know your halal numbers, and it’s cooked separately.
Can you cater for children?
Yes, children are easy to cater for. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we’ll plan for them.
Are premium seafood options available?
We’ll talk through seafood options when we plan your menu.
What does paella catering cost?
The price depends on numbers, menu, courses, staff and travel. Tell us about your event and we’ll send a quote.
Nearby places to Forge Wood
Other catering in Forge Wood
Catering for every guest
Allergies and diets are taken seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
After service, we pack down our cooking area, quietly and quickly.
We can add sangria and bar staff for your own drinks.
Planners, venues and businesses
Hosting a party at home? Send a picture of the space and tell us about parking, and we’ll tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so everyone eats promptly. Tell us how long you have for food.
The process
Here’s how the day usually runs: we set up the pans and start the sofrito, the rice cooks in front of your guests, and we serve straight from the pan when you are ready to eat. Planning an evening event in Forge Wood? 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.
- First, tell us about your event.
- We suggest paellas and extras and send a clear quote.
- We agree timings, access and the cooking spot.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- It is served straight from the pan, and we clear our area afterwards.
Getting ready for the day
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Make sure we can park close by to unload
Ask for a quote
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, use our quote form.
Related guides
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. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Planning live paella in Forge Wood
Forge Wood is about 2 miles north-east of Crawley, in West Sussex. We cook at events in homes, gardens and venues in Forge Wood. Forge Wood is one of 371 places in West Sussex where we cook. Our events stretch from Forge Wood to Guildford (about 20 miles away).
Thinking of a picnic-style party in Worth Park Gardens? Public parks normally need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first. For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Three Bridges station, about 1.4 miles south.
Paella catering in RH10 and RH6 is planned around your venue and timings. Your event could be at a home on Moore Road, Steers Lane and Radford Road. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Tinsley Green (1 mile north), Pound Hill (1 mile south), Shipley Bridge (1 mile north-east), Copthorne (1 mile east) and Three Bridges (1 mile south). Larger places within reach include Horsham (9 miles south-west), Haywards Heath (10 miles south), Burgess Hill (12 miles south), East Grinstead (6 miles east), Broadfield (4 miles south-west) and Billingshurst (15 miles south-west).
A little further out are Crawley Museum (2.1 miles south-west) and Langley Green Hospital (1.7 miles west). Open spaces near Forge Wood include Tilgate Lake.
- Local schools include The Gatwick School (0.5 miles west) and Hazelwick School (1 mile south-west)
- Nearby, you will find The Greyhound pub (within half a mile north-west)
What affects the price in Forge Wood
We will give you a clear, itemised quote. The main things that affect it are:
- The paellas you choose
- Travel, parking and access
- How long we’re needed on site
- Waiting and bar staff
There’s no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. Your quote spells it all out.
What to tell us
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- Your date and when you want to eat
- Expected numbers
- The courses you’d like
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, along with any dietary needs, and you will get a menu idea and a price. Just fill in our quote form.
The menu, dish by dish
Black rice
Arroz negro is coloured and flavoured with squid ink, traditionally with alioli. It makes a dramatic second seafood pan.
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich fish stock, finished with lemon wedges. It is generally the most photographed pan.
Why choose live paella in Forge Wood?
Plated meals need a kitchen and a bigger team. Live paella needs only a level, ventilated spot and permission to cook, and it’s entertaining too. Larger events typically cost less per head, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Why us?
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- 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