East Sussex · England
Live paella catering in Marden's Hill, East Sussex
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Marden's Hill and across East Sussex.
- Birthday celebrations
- Retirement celebrations
- Naming days and family parties
Live paella catering in Marden's Hill
How our paella catering works in Marden's Hill
Keep it simple, or go all out: paella on its own, or with canapés, table tapas, desserts and sangria. We will suggest what suits your event. Typical bookings include weddings and evening receptions and fairs, fêtes and festivals, serving vegan paella, seafood paella and vegetable paella.
In a rural place like Marden's Hill, the setting does plenty of the work: a huge pan in a garden or field fits perfectly. Tell us about access and the ground. Your quote spells out exactly what’s included: the menu, the staff and any extras, with no surprises on the day.
- Where
- Marden's Hill (TN6)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Special diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Extras
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quote
- Ask us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
What happens on the day
From set-up to serving, we look after the food, so you can enjoy your event. Any tapas or canapés are served first while the paella cooks. Evenings in Marden's Hill stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:05pm; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- Send us your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan a menu that covers every diet.
- We arrive in good time to set up.
- The sofrito, stock and rice go in, and guests gather to watch.
- We serve hot from the pan and clear our cooking area.
Preparing for the day
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
How to get a price
To get a price, fill in our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we’ll suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Planning help
Should I cook it myself?
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, have hot stock ready, and do not stir once the rice goes in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
For planners, venues and organisers
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so guests are fed quickly. Let us know how long the food break is.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Towns and villages near Marden's Hill
Also in Marden's Hill
Planning for every diet
We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests. To get it right:
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Ensure most guests can sit to eat
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Ask for labels on each pan
Paella is best eaten as soon as it is ready, so we serve when guests are ready.
Bread, salad and lemon go well alongside and suit guests who are not big rice eaters.
Marden's Hill questions
Is Marden's Hill close to London?
About 31 miles from central London, and well within our area.
We are having a ceremony at St John's Church: can you cater afterwards?
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.
Which paellas do you recommend?
Two or three is usual: chicken or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. See the sample menu.
Should we have more than one paella?
Most events have two or three: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We will suggest a split based on your guests.
Which areas do you serve?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
How long does the paella take?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
Will there be enough food?
We size the pans for your numbers and the rest of the menu. Let us know about any other food. Our guide to portions explains more.
Is the paella gluten-free?
Yes, on request. The rice is gluten-free, but stocks and chorizo can contain gluten, so we cook a gluten-free paella separately.
What paella catering costs
We will give you a clear, itemised quote. What affects it most:
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Your choice of paellas
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
Details that help
To check availability and price, we need:
- The date and time of the event
- Which courses you have in mind
- Where the event is
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
It is easy to get a price: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We will send a clear, itemised quote.
Live paella or other catering?
Compared with a hog roast or barbecue, live paella is easier for vegetarian, vegan and halal guests, thanks to separate pans. It’s served quickly from the pan, so queues move. Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so the menu you choose affects the price. Tell us your budget and we will suggest a menu.
Why Marden's Hill hosts choose us
- Sangria and bar staff available
- Events in Marden's Hill and across East Sussex
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- A quote that spells everything out
Where we can cook in Marden's Hill
We will be honest if a space will not work, and help find another spot. The main points are:
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise.
Menu ideas
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Chicken & chorizo paella
About the dishes
Mixed paella
Chicken and seafood together, for guests who want a bit of everything.
Seafood paella
The secret is a well-made seafood stock. The shellfish is added late so it stays tender.
Paella catering around Marden's Hill
Marden's Hill is about 2 miles north-west of Crowborough, in East Sussex. For paella catering in Marden's Hill, we plan around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. Marden's Hill is one of 289 places in East Sussex where we cook. You can also see our page for Brighton, about 20 miles away.
Nearby historic houses include Groombridge Place (3.8 miles north-east) and Bassetts Manor (4 miles north-west). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you are booking one. School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as St John's Church of England Primary School, can book us as a food stall. Marden's Hill is within about 5 miles of the High Weald National Landscape. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
Wherever your event is in TN6, we can cook for your guests, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Whether your event is on Friars Vale, St John's Road and Marden's Hill or a nearby road, we can cook there. We also cook at events in Friar's Gate (1 mile north-west), Chuck Hatch (2 miles west), Crowborough (2 miles south-east), Steel Cross (2 miles east) and Boarshead (2 miles east). Within a short drive, we also cover Lewes (15 miles south-west), Hailsham (15 miles south), Uckfield (7 miles south), South Malling (14 miles south-west), Heathfield (9 miles south-east) and Southover (15 miles south).
Other landmarks nearby include Bolebroke Castle (3.7 miles north-west) and Crowborough War Memorial Hospital (1.5 miles south-east). Open spaces near Marden's Hill include Crowborough Country Park.
- Schools near Marden's Hill include Beacon Academy (1.7 miles south-east)
- Pubs nearby include The Half Moon Inn (0.7 miles north)
- 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