West Sussex · England
Paella Catering for Ifold events
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 Ifold.
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Weddings, from canapés to evening food
- Community events and fairs
Book paella catering in Ifold
Paella catering in Ifold, cooked live
We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook the paella in front of your guests. Once it is ready, we serve it hot from the pan. Popular choices include vegan paella, black rice and paella Valenciana, and typical bookings are for summer garden parties and anniversaries and engagement parties.
Somewhere as small as Ifold, a garden or field is often the venue. Tell us about narrow lanes or long drives and we’ll plan for them, and cooking close to where we can park helps. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
- Where
- Ifold (RH14)
- County
- West Sussex
- Special diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Also available
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Price
- Ask us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
What happens on the day
We take care of the food from set-up to service, so you can enjoy your event. Any tapas or canapés are served first as the rice is cooking. In Ifold, the sun sets at about 9:20pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, so summer evening events are normally served in daylight. In December it is dark by about 3:55pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- Send us your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan the menu with you, including every diet.
- We arrive early to set up the burners and pans.
- The sofrito, stock and rice go in, and guests gather to watch.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
Before we arrive
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Have a level space ready for the pans
Getting a price
Most quotes start with a few simple details: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. To send them, use our quote form.
Related guides
Ifold: your questions answered
We’re having a ceremony at St John the Baptist: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking normally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
Is Ifold too small for live paella?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Can we add tapas or canapés?
Yes, it’s the classic pairing. Tapas first, paella to follow.
Which paellas suit our guests?
It depends on your guests. Chicken and mixed paellas tend to go first, with seafood and vegetable pans alongside.
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.
Are premium seafood options available?
We will suggest seafood to suit your menu and budget. Premium shellfish can be added.
How much is live paella catering?
It depends on guest numbers, the menu, the courses, staff and travel. Send us the details for a quote.
Does paella work for big events?
Yes. Big pans feed plenty of people, and service from the pan is quick.
What we need at the venue
No two venues are the same, so we will ask about yours when you contact us. In general, we need:
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly.
Popular choices
- Vegan paella
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Paella Valenciana
Nearby places to Ifold
Also in Ifold
Live paella in Ifold: local details
Ifold is about 9 miles west of Horsham, in West Sussex. We cater events at homes, gardens and venues in Ifold. Ifold is one of 371 places in West Sussex where we cook. Our events stretch from Ifold to Guildford (12 miles away).
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like St John the Baptist, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
Anywhere in RH14, we can bring paella catering to you. We can cater an event on streets such as Birchwood Close, The Drive and Wildacre Close or the roads around them. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Loxwood (1 mile north-east), Plaistow (1 mile west), Alfold Bars (2 miles north-east), Mackerel's Common (2 miles south) and Durfold Wood (2 miles north-west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Crawley (15 miles east), Horsham (9 miles east), Broadfield (14 miles east), Storrington (11 miles south), Billingshurst (5 miles south-east) and Bewbush (14 miles east).
Green spaces nearby include Shillinglee Lake.
Who books paella catering in Ifold?
Live paella is made for outdoor events: it is cooked in the open, served hot and eaten together.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. People in Ifold book us for occasions like:
- Naming days and family parties
- Retirement celebrations
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Office lunches and staff parties
If you’re organising a summer fair for a school like Loxwood Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser.
What to look for in a quote
- Payment terms and deposit
- If the price includes VAT
- How late numbers can change
- How each diet is kept separate
Why choose live paella in Ifold?
Compared with a hog roast or barbecue, live paella is easier for vegetarian, vegan and halal guests, because each paella has its own pan. It is served quickly from the pan, so queues move. Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so it helps to tell us about your venue. The full price is confirmed before you book.
Why book with us
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
Planning for every diet
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To get it right:
- Mention any other courses or food
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
- Ask about diets and allergies on your invitation or RSVP
- Count adults and children separately
A short rest after cooking helps, and that’s when we invite guests up.
Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana finish the meal.
Prices and what affects them
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- The length of service
- Parking and unloading
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
What we need to know
Good planning starts with a few facts. Please include:
- Your date and when you want to eat
- The venue or postcode
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- A picture of where we’d cook
The quickest way to a quote is to fill in our quote form. Tell us about your event in Ifold, and we’ll put together a menu and price.
Working with your venue
If you’re organising for someone else, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we’ll work directly with you and the venue. It saves passing messages back and forth.
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so everyone eats promptly. Tell us how long you have for food.
Should I cook it myself?
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
- 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