East Sussex · England
Live paella catering in Hailsham, East Sussex
Paella 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 Hailsham.
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Festivals, fairs and school events
Book paella catering in Hailsham
What we need at the venue
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We look for:
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly.
Menu ideas
- Vegan paella
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Paella catering in Hailsham, made fresh on the day
Watching it cook is part of the experience. People drift over as the sofrito sizzles and the rice turns gold, and the smell does the rest. We cook seafood paella, chicken and chorizo paella and vegan paella, and typical bookings are for anniversary celebrations and big birthdays.
A town like Hailsham gives you plenty of options: your own garden, a club or hall with outside space, or a venue nearby. We will check the cooking spot with you before the day. Every pan is cooked in front of your guests, so it arrives hot and becomes part of the event.
- Location
- Hailsham (BN27)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Dietary options
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Extras
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Working with your venue
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can hold the date.
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
What happens on the day
When the rice goes in, it is left alone. That’s how the grains cook evenly and the toasted base, the socarrat, forms. Your guests will smell it before they see it. Planning an evening event in Hailsham? Sunset is around 8:50pm in late May, 9:15pm at midsummer and 7:00pm in late September; once it’s dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- Get in touch with the basics: when, where and how many.
- We come back with paellas to suit your guests, plus any extras.
- A week or so before, we confirm the plan.
- We set up, cook from scratch and keep an eye on your timings.
- We serve, then leave our area tidy.
How to prepare
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Name one person we can ask on the day
Get a quote
Every event is quoted individually, so the price fits what you actually want. To ask for one, fill in our quote form.
Read more
Occasions we cook for in Hailsham
It suits relaxed, sociable events, where guests can mingle while it cooks and then sit down to share.
Live paella suits almost any gathering. People in Hailsham book us for occasions like:
- Big birthdays
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Anniversary celebrations
- Company summer parties
Nearby historic houses include Horselunges Manor (1.5 miles north) and Michelham Priory (1.9 miles west). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
Before booking anyone
- The venue requirements
- What the price includes, item by item
- Whether VAT is included
- The deposit and payment dates
Catering an event in Hailsham
Hailsham is about 6 miles north of Eastbourne, in East Sussex. For paella catering in Hailsham, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices. We cover all 289 towns and villages in East Sussex. Our nearest city page is Brighton, about 17 miles away.
If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Hailsham Community College, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like The Parish Church of Saint Mary, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. Hailsham is within about 6 miles of the South Downs National Park, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours.
This part of East Sussex takes in BN27, so your event can be anywhere in it. We can cater an event on streets such as High Street, Market Place and Station Road. Being close to the A271 and A295, Hailsham is easy for us to reach with everything for your event. If your venue is just outside Hailsham, we also cover Tile Hurst (1 mile north-west), Upper Horsebridge (1 mile north), Hellingly (1 mile north), Lower Horsebridge (1 mile north-west) and Magham Down (2 miles north-east). Further out, we also cater in Eastbourne (6 miles south), Hastings (13 miles east), Bexhill-on-Sea (9 miles east), Seaford (9 miles south-west), Lewes (11 miles west) and Crowborough (14 miles north). Hailsham is one of the larger places we cover in East Sussex, with lots of choice for events.
Well-known places in the area include Herstmonceux Castle (3.6 miles east) and Amberstone Hospital (1.5 miles north-east). The countryside around Hailsham includes Combe Hill.
- Local schools include White House Academy (less than half a mile east)
- Pubs nearby include The Grenadier pub (within half a mile north)
A closer look at the menu
Vegetable and vegan paella
A slow sofrito, seasonal vegetables and a good vegetable stock make a paella that stands on its own. For vegans, the stock is plant-based.
Paella Valenciana
The original paella from Valencia is a countryside dish of chicken and vegetables, not seafood. It’s a favourite with guests who do not eat fish.
Catering for every guest
Nearly every event has some special diets. To plan for them:
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
- Tell us what else is being served
- Ensure each pan is labelled
If you’ve booked staff, they’ll serve, clear and help keep things moving, so you can enjoy your guests.
Add canapé tapas with the drinks or table tapas as a starter as the rice cooks.
Is live paella right for your event?
Compared with a hog roast or barbecue, paella makes vegetarian, vegan and halal guests easier to cater for, because each paella has its own pan. It’s served quickly from the pan, so queues move. Extras such as tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are priced separately, so you can choose exactly what you need.
Why us?
- Fast service from the pan
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- No hidden extras in your quote
Take a look at Our prices page And The cost guide.
Also near Hailsham
Other catering in Hailsham
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Hailsham: your questions answered
Can you cater a reception after a service at The Parish Church of Saint Mary?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is typically elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
Is Hailsham close to London?
About 46 miles from central London, and well within our area.
Do you cook inside?
Usually we cook outdoors or under a ventilated cover, since the burners are gas. Some venues have suitable spaces; we will check with you and the venue.
Can you do sangria?
We can make sangria, and we can staff a bar with your drinks.
Do we need to provide equipment?
All cooking kit comes with us. Let us know what your venue has, like tables or crockery.
Should we have more than one paella?
Typically two or three, so every guest has a choice. Tell us about your guests’ diets and we will suggest the mix.
How long does the paella take?
We get there in good time to set up. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
Is paella a full meal?
Yes. With bread and salad, paella is a complete main, and tapas or dessert can be added.
- 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