West Sussex · England
Paella Catering for Goddards Green events
Treat your guests to live paella at your event in Goddards Green. Everything is cooked fresh on the day, then served hot from the pan.
- Garden get-togethers
- Naming days and family parties
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
Paella catering near Goddards Green
Paella catering for your event in Goddards Green
We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook the paella in front of your guests. Once it’s ready, we serve it hot from the pan. Popular choices include mixed paella, vegan paella and vegetable paella, and we’re often booked for community events and fairs and wedding breakfasts and evening food.
In a hamlet or village like Goddards Green, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Mention gates and soft ground when you get in touch. Tapas, canapés, desserts, sangria and staff can all be added, so the whole menu comes from one caterer.
- Location
- Goddards Green (BN6)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Dietary options
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Also available
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Catering an event in Goddards Green
Goddards Green is about 2 miles west of Burgess Hill, in West Sussex. We cook at events in homes, gardens and venues in Goddards Green and nearby villages. Goddards Green is one of 371 towns and villages in West Sussex we cover. You can also see our page for Brighton, about 9 miles away.
Historic houses near Goddards Green include Ockenden Manor (3 miles north-east) and Tyes Place (5 miles north). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early. For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Burgess Hill station, about 2.1 miles south-east. The South Downs National Park is within about 5 miles of Goddards Green. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
Wherever your event is in BN6, we can bring paella catering to you, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Local streets include Cuckfield Road and High Hatch Lane; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Being close to the A2300, Goddards Green is easy for us to reach. For events just outside Goddards Green, we cover Hickstead (1 mile west), Abbotsford (1 mile east), Jacob's Post (1 mile east), Sayers Common (2 miles south-west) and Ansty (2 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Crawley (10 miles north), Horsham (9 miles north-west), Worthing (14 miles south-west), Haywards Heath (4 miles north-east), East Grinstead (13 miles north-east) and Shoreham-by-Sea (10 miles south-west).
Well-known places in the area include Burgess Hill Museum (2 miles east) and Clayton Castle (4.1 miles south). The countryside around Goddards Green includes Wolstonbury Hill and Bedelands Farm Nature Reserve.
- Nearby schools include Southway Junior School (1.1 miles south-east)
Dishes our guests love
Black rice
Black rice gets its colour from squid ink, traditionally with alioli. It makes a dramatic second seafood pan.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella isn’t an afterthought: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron.
Goddards Green: your questions answered
What’s the nearest station to Goddards Green for guests?
The closest is Burgess Hill station, roughly 2.1 miles away.
Do you cater in the South Downs National Park?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We’ll follow the site rules.
What happens if it rains?
We cook under cover, like a gazebo or open-sided marquee. We plan for rain with you in advance.
Can we add tapas or canapés?
Of course. Canapés with drinks or tapas for the tables, while the rice is cooking.
Is live paella good for a large crowd?
Very much so. We size pans and serving points to your guest list.
Who clears up?
We clear our cooking area away when service is finished. Clearing guests’ plates and tables can be added with waiting staff.
How soon do we need to book?
As soon as you have a date. Popular dates book up first, so it pays to ask early.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Of course. Vegetarian and vegan paellas are cooked in separate pans, alongside the meat and seafood pans.
Occasions we cook for in Goddards Green
Paella is quick to serve and suits mixed diets, so it suits all kinds of occasions. It also gives guests something to watch and talk about.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. In Goddards Green, people book us for occasions like:
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Garden get-togethers
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like St Paul's Catholic College, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
Comparing caterers
- Allergen information for each dish
- Whether travel is included
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- Exactly what’s included in the price
The process
We work to your timings. If things run behind, we hold the paella at the right stage so it is served at its best. In Goddards Green, the sun sets at about 9:20pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, so summer evening events are usually served in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 3:55pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- Send us your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan a menu that covers every diet.
- We arrive in good time to set up.
- The paella cooks as guests gather round.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
Preparing for the day
- Give us a contact for the day
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Have a level space ready for the pans
Getting a price
Planning paella catering in Goddards Green? Send us the details and we will come back with ideas and a quote. To contact us, send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
Also near Goddards Green
What else we do in Goddards Green
Diets, allergies and planning
Good planning keeps every guest safe and happy. Try these:
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
- Request clear labels at the serving table
Once the rice is in, it needs about 20 minutes, so we start it at the right moment for your event. If plans change, tell us and we’ll adjust.
Crockery, cutlery and waiting staff are available if your venue does not provide them.
Space, weather and the venue
Every venue is different, so we ask about the space when you get in touch. In general, we need:
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
Menu ideas
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
DIY paella versus live catering
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and handles separate pans for each diet.
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.
What paella catering costs
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, because of:
- How many guests are eating
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- How many courses
- How many staff you need
Extras such as tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are priced separately, so you only pay for what you want.
Details that help
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. Here’s what’s useful:
- A picture of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- Diets and allergies you know about
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, along with any dietary needs, and you’ll get a menu idea and a price. To get started, send us your details through our quote form.
Planners, venues and businesses
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Goddards Green? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we will suggest a menu.
Throwing a party at home? Send a photo of the space and tell us about parking, and we will let you know if live paella is a good fit.
- 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