West Sussex · England
Paella Catering in Handcross
Looking for paella catering in Handcross? We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook in front of your guests.
- Retirement celebrations
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Summer garden parties
Paella catering for Handcross events
How our paella catering works in Handcross
Live paella catering means we bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients to your event and cook in front of your guests. Once it is ready, we serve it hot from the pan. On the menu are vegan paella, black rice and vegetable paella, and we’re frequently booked for engagement and anniversary parties and weddings, from canapés to evening food.
For a rural spot like Handcross, the countryside is part of the appeal: a giant pan in a garden or field fits perfectly. Let us know about access and ground conditions. Every pan is cooked in front of your guests, so it arrives hot and becomes part of the event.
- Area
- Handcross (RH17)
- County
- West Sussex
- Diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quotes
- Quoted for your event
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Organising for someone else?
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Handcross? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Give us the details and we’ll suggest a plan.
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We will provide any information the landowner or council asks for.
What affects the price in Handcross
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, depending on:
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- How many guests are eating
- The length of service
- Your choice of paellas
Compared with a plated meal, live paella is frequently good value, as there’s no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. We will send you a quote.
What we need to know
You don’t need everything decided to ask for a quote, but it helps to know:
- Diets and allergies you know about
- A picture of where we’d cook
- The venue or postcode
- Which courses you have in mind
Each quote is tailored to your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll confirm whether we’re available that day.
Common questions in Handcross
Do you come out to small places like Handcross?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Which station should guests use for Handcross?
Balcombe station, about 2.8 miles east of the centre.
Do you cater in Handcross?
Yes, we do. We cook at events in Handcross and across West Sussex. Tell us your date and we’ll check availability.
Do you do desserts?
We do. Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana.
Is paella enough as a main?
It can be. Paella with bread and salad makes a full main course, and tapas or dessert can be added.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Of course. Canapés with drinks or tapas for the tables, served while the paella cooks.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Of course. Vegetarian and vegan paellas are cooked in separate pans, alongside the meat and seafood pans.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We take our equipment and leave the cooking area tidy. Table clearing is available with waiting staff.
Places near Handcross
What else we do in Handcross
What happens on the day
We get there well before serving, unload, set up the burners and prepare the stock. Guests typically gather round to watch while it cooks. Planning an evening event in Handcross? Sunset is around 8:50pm in late May, 9:20pm at midsummer and 7:05pm in late September; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- We start with a few details about your event.
- You get a menu and an itemised quote.
- Timings, access and the cooking area are agreed in advance.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
How to prepare
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
Ask for a quote
Planning paella catering in Handcross? Tell us what you have in mind and we will come back with ideas and a quote. Just fill in our quote form.
Read more
Live paella or other catering?
Food trucks and street-food vans serve one portion at a time. A paella pan serves many portions quickly, which suits weddings and parties where everyone eats together. Larger events normally cost less per head, since the set-up is much the same either way. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Why choose Love Paella in Handcross
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- We cover Handcross and the whole of West Sussex
- Fast service from the pan
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
Read How we price And What paella catering costs.
About the dishes
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella is not an afterthought: artichokes, beans, peppers and saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Catering an event in Handcross
Handcross is about 4 miles south of Crawley, in West Sussex. We cater events at gardens, halls and venues around Handcross and nearby villages. Handcross is one of 371 towns and villages in West Sussex we cover. Our events stretch from Handcross to Brighton (about 16 miles away).
Historic houses near Handcross include Tyes Place (1.9 miles south-east) and Ockenden Manor (4.2 miles south-east). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you are booking one. If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Handcross Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
We cover events in every part of RH17. Streets in the area include High Street, London Road and Windmill Platt, and we can cook for an event on any of them. If your venue is just outside Handcross, we also cover Slaugham (1 mile south), Plummers Plain (2 miles south-west), Colgate (3 miles north-west), Broadfield (3 miles north) and Lower Beeding (3 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Crawley (4 miles north), Horsham (5 miles west), Haywards Heath (6 miles south-east), Burgess Hill (7 miles south-east), East Grinstead (10 miles north-east) and Shoreham-by-Sea (15 miles south).
Nearby you will also find Crawley Hospital (4.3 miles north). Open spaces near Handcross include Tilgate Lake and Blunts Wood and Paiges Meadow.
- Nearby schools include Handcross Park School (0.5 miles north)
- Nearby, you’ll find The Royal Oak Public House (within half a mile south-west)
Catering for every guest
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:
- Let us know about other food at the event
- Put allergy details in writing
- Ask for labels on each pan
- Give us separate numbers for children
Paella is best eaten as soon as it is ready, so we plan service for when guests are ready to eat.
Need plates or staff? We can provide them.
Perfect for your event in Handcross
Outdoor events and live paella go together: cooked outside, served hot and shared.
Live paella suits almost any gathering. In Handcross, people book us for events such as:
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Family celebrations and christenings
For a christening or wedding at a church such as All Saints, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
What your quote should include
- Payment terms and deposit
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- What the price includes, item by item
- The wet-weather plan
Where we can cook in Handcross
If a space isn’t suitable, we’ll tell you. The main points are:
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly.
On the menu in Handcross
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
- Vegetable paella
- 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