East Sussex · England
Paella Catering in Northease
Bring the theatre of live paella to your event in Northease. Everything is cooked fresh on the day, and serve it straight from the pan.
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
Live paella catering in Northease
Paella catering in Northease, cooked live
You can keep it simple or build a full menu: just paella, or paella with tapas, desserts and drinks. We will suggest what suits your event. Typical bookings include weddings and evening receptions and garden parties and summer barbecues, serving chicken and chorizo paella, black rice and vegan paella.
For a rural spot like Northease, the countryside is part of the appeal: a huge pan in a garden or field fits perfectly. Tell us about access and the ground. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
- Location
- Northease (BN7)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Dietary options
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Extras
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quotes
- Ask us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
How the day works
Once the rice is in, we do not stir it. That is how the grains cook evenly and the toasted base, the socarrat, forms. Your guests will smell it before they see it. Evenings in Northease stay light until about 9:15pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:05pm; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- It starts with your date, venue, numbers and any dietary needs.
- We suggest a menu and confirm a quote, including what’s included.
- On the day we arrive in good time, set up and start the stock.
- The rice cooks in full view, while tapas or canapés go round.
- It is served straight from the pan, and we pack down afterwards.
Getting ready for the day
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Ensure we can park close by to unload
Ask for a quote
To get a price, send us your details through our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we’ll put together a menu and price.
Planning help
Catering an event in Northease
Northease is about 3 miles south of Lewes, in East Sussex. Events in Northease are planned around your venue and timings: a quote, a plan and live cooking on the day. Northease is one of 289 towns and villages in East Sussex we cover. We cook right across the region, from Northease to Brighton (about 6 miles away).
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like St Peter's Church, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. For guests coming by train, Southease station is about 1.4 miles away. The South Downs National Park is within about 3 miles of Northease, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
We cook at events all over the BN7 postcode area. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Rodmell (1 mile south-east), Iford (1 mile north-west), Kingston near Lewes (2 miles north-west), Southover (2 miles north) and Cliffe (2 miles north). We also cook in nearby towns such as Eastbourne (13 miles east), Seaford (6 miles south-east), Hailsham (11 miles east), Uckfield (10 miles north-east), Newhaven (4 miles south-east) and Peacehaven (3 miles south).
Other landmarks nearby include Planet Earth Museum (3.5 miles south-east) and Lewes Castle (2.2 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Southerham Farm and Itford Hill.
- Parks and local facilities nearby include Southover Without (1.4 miles north-east)
Prices and what affects them
There’s nothing hidden: the price is based on:
- Whether you need crockery
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- The number of people
- How many courses
Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so your choice of paellas affects the total. Tell us your budget and we’ll suggest a menu.
What to tell us
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what’s useful:
- Your date and when you want to eat
- Where the event is
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Roughly how many adults and children
Not sure what you need yet? No problem: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we’ll suggest a menu. To start, fill in our quote form.
Paella compared with other options
If you want something different from the usual buffet or roast, live paella adds colour, smell and theatre to your event in Northease. Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so tell us about the venue when you ask for a quote. The full price is confirmed before booking.
What you get with us
- A quote that spells everything out
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- Drinks service on request
Take a look at Our prices page Or The cost guide.
Northease: your questions answered
Could we have live paella in Lewes and Laughton Levels?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, generally the council. Ask them first, and we’ll send any information they need.
Can you cater a reception after a service at St Peter's Church?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is generally elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
Should we have more than one paella?
Two or three is usual: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We will suggest a split based on your guests.
Are premium seafood options available?
Tell us your preferences and we’ll suggest seafood options to suit your menu and budget. Premium shellfish can be added.
How soon do we need to book?
Early, particularly for summer Saturdays. Even if it’s short notice, it’s worth asking.
Can you supply plates?
Yes, on request. Proper crockery or quality disposables can be added to your booking.
Can you cook halal paella?
Yes. Halal paella is cooked with halal chicken and no pork or alcohol, in a separate pan.
Do you cook inside?
Mostly outside or under an open cover, since the burners are gas. Some venues have suitable spaces; we’ll check with you and the venue.
What’s in the pans
Paella Valenciana
The original paella from Valencia is a countryside dish of chicken and vegetables, rather than seafood. It is frequently the most popular pan at an event.
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, finished with lemon wedges. It is the pan people photograph.
Occasions we cook for in Northease
Live paella is food and a show in one. The cooking becomes the centre of the event, and the food is hot and generous.
Here are some of the events we cook for:
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Community events and fairs
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Family celebrations and christenings
Thinking of a picnic-style party in Lewes and Laughton Levels? Public parks normally need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first.
What to look for in a quote
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- If the price includes VAT
- The deadline for final numbers
- Exactly what’s included in the price
Should I cook it myself?
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and do not stir once the rice goes in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Some hosts like to cook themselves. The usual problems are a pan too big for the burner, too much rice and stirring once the rice is in. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
Also in Northease
Planning the cooking area
We cook in large pans over gas burners, so the cooking area needs a little planning. These are the things we check:
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think before you book.
On the menu in Northease
- Vegan paella
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Mixed paella
For event organisers in Northease
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so guests are fed quickly. Tell us how long you have for food.
If you’re organising for someone else, whether you are a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we’ll work directly with you and the venue. It saves passing messages back and forth.
- 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