West Sussex · England
Paella Catering in Highleigh
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Highleigh and across West Sussex.
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Birthday celebrations
Planning an event in Highleigh?
Who books paella catering in Highleigh?
Live paella is made for outdoor events: it is cooked in the open, served hot and eaten together.
Whatever the occasion, live paella can be the centrepiece. We regularly cater:
- Retirement celebrations
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Engagement and anniversary parties
If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Sidlesham Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
Questions to ask before you book
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- Staff numbers and hours
- When payment is due
- If the price includes VAT
Paella catering for your event in Highleigh
Keep it simple, or go all out: just paella, or paella with tapas, desserts and drinks. We’ll recommend what fits your event. Typical bookings include fairs, fêtes and festivals and weddings, from canapés to evening food, serving chicken and chorizo paella, paella Valenciana and vegetable paella.
In a rural place like Highleigh, the setting does a lot of the work: a paella cooking in a garden or field feels right at home. Let us know about access and ground conditions. We plan the timings around your day, whether that’s speeches, a lunch break or a festival schedule.
- Area
- Highleigh (PO20)
- County
- West Sussex
- Dietary options
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Also available
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quotes
- Ask us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Where we can cook in Highleigh
Before the day, we will agree where we cook. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before you book.
Menu ideas
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegan paella
The process
On the day, we set up our cooking area, light the burners and start the sofrito. The rice goes in about 20 minutes before serving, so we time everything to your schedule. Around midsummer it stays light in Highleigh until about 9:20pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:05pm, so summer evening events are usually served in daylight. For winter events, when it is dark by about 4:00pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- 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.
Before we arrive
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
Getting a price
Getting a quote is simple: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We will come back with a clear quote and a suggested menu.
Read more
What affects the price in Highleigh
We will give you a clear, itemised quote. The main things that affect it are:
- Timings and hours
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Guest numbers
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
The cost per head generally falls as numbers rise, since the set-up is much the same either way. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Getting an accurate quote
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. Here’s what to include:
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Where the event is
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Anything your venue supplies
Each quote is tailored to your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we will check availability at the same time.
FAQs for Highleigh
Is Highleigh close to London?
Roughly 59 miles from the centre of London, and well within our area.
What’s the nearest station to Highleigh for guests?
Chichester station, about 3.9 miles north of the centre.
Can you provide dessert?
We can add a dessert. Let us know if you’d like one when you ask for a quote.
Can you cook indoors?
Generally we cook outdoors or under a ventilated cover, since the burners are gas. We’ll check whether your venue has a suitable space.
Is halal food available?
Yes, on request. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and we’ll cook a separate pan.
Which areas do you serve?
We cover London and the South East, including West Sussex. Find your area.
Can we add tapas or canapés?
Yes. Canapés with drinks or tapas for the tables, served while the paella cooks.
How long do you need on site?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. The rice itself takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
Should I cook it myself?
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
A closer look at the menu
Black rice
Black rice looks dramatic and tastes of the sea.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A slow sofrito, seasonal vegetables and a good vegetable stock make a paella that stands on its own. Vegan versions use plant-based stock.
Places near Highleigh
What else we do in Highleigh
For planners, venues and organisers
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Highleigh? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we will suggest a menu.
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we will explain how it works. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Live paella or other catering?
With a barbecue, food comes in waves. Paella is cooked as one big dish and served together. If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we’ll put together a menu that fits. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Why choose Love Paella in Highleigh
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Drinks service on request
Catering an event in Highleigh
Highleigh is about 3 miles north of Selsey, in West Sussex. We bring paella catering to gardens, halls and venues around Highleigh and the surrounding area. Highleigh is one of 371 places in West Sussex where we cook. You can also see our page for Southampton, about 28 miles away.
For a christening or wedding at a church such as St Mary Our Lady Sidlesham, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Chichester station, about 3.9 miles north. The coast is within about 4 miles of Highleigh, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Sea breezes can be strong, so we plan a sheltered cooking spot.
We cook at events all over PO20. That could mean an event in a garden on Critchel's Lane, Highleigh Road and Green Lane or the roads around them. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Almodington (1 mile west), Birdham (2 miles north-west), Somerley (2 miles west), Earnley (2 miles west) and Shipton Green (3 miles north-west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Bognor Regis (5 miles east), Chichester (4 miles north), Selsey (3 miles south), Littlehampton (12 miles east), Emsworth (8 miles north-west) and Rustington (13 miles east).
Well-known places in the area include Chichester Castle (4.5 miles north) and Selsey Lifeboat Museum (3.5 miles south). Not far away are Pilsey Island.
- 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