Brighton and Hove · England
Paella Catering in Ovingdean
Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Ovingdean: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, in full view of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Milestone birthday parties
- Festivals, fairs and school events
Paella catering near Ovingdean
About the dishes
Black rice
Black rice gets its colour from squid ink, traditionally with alioli. It makes a dramatic second seafood pan.
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella isn’t an afterthought: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron.
About our paella catering in Ovingdean
You can keep it simple or build a full menu: just paella, or paella with tapas, desserts and drinks. We’ll suggest what suits your event. Typical bookings include community events and fairs and big birthdays, serving mixed paella, chicken and chorizo paella and vegan paella.
Somewhere like Ovingdean, a field or garden is frequently the perfect setting. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included, with each paella cooked in its own pan.
- Location
- Ovingdean (BN2)
- Area hub
- Brighton and Hove
- Special diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Also available
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quotes
- Quoted for your event
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Your questions about paella catering in Ovingdean
Do you cater in the South Downs National Park?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We’ll follow the site rules.
We are having a ceremony at St Wulfran's Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking usually happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
What happens if it rains?
We cook under cover, such as a gazebo, marquee or open-sided barn with good ventilation. We plan for rain with you in advance.
What areas do you cover?
We cover London and the South East, Brighton and Hove included. Find your area.
How much space do you need?
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.
Can you supply plates?
Yes, if you need them. Let us know what you have, and we’ll quote for the rest.
Is the paella cooked on site?
Yes. We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook on the day, serving it hot from the pan.
How long does the paella take?
That depends on your menu and numbers. We will agree arrival, cooking and serving times with you.
Towns and villages near Ovingdean
What else we do in Ovingdean
Catering for every guest
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To make it work smoothly:
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Tell us how many children are coming
Once the rice is in, it needs about 20 minutes, so we time it carefully. If plans change, tell us and we’ll adjust.
Tapas or canapés make a good start while the paella cooks.
Occasions we cook for in Ovingdean
It suits relaxed, sociable events, where guests can mingle while it cooks and then sit down to share.
We’re booked for all kinds of occasions in Ovingdean and nearby. Some of the most common are:
- Summer garden parties
- Community events and fairs
- Weddings and evening receptions
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Ovingdean Hall School, can book us as a food stall.
Comparing caterers
- How bad weather is handled
- Allergen information for each dish
- How long the team stays
- What the caterer needs from your venue
Should I cook it myself?
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and do not stir once the rice goes in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
How the day works
Once the rice is in, we don’t stir it. That’s how the grains cook evenly and the toasted base, the socarrat, forms. Your guests will smell it before they see it. Evenings in Ovingdean stay light until about 9:15pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:05pm; once it is dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- First, tell us about your event.
- We suggest paellas and extras and send a clear quote.
- We agree timings, access and the cooking spot.
- On the day, we set up and cook in front of your guests.
- We serve from the pan, then pack down.
Preparing for the day
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Ensure we can park close by to unload
- Name one person we can ask on the day
Get a quote
We quote for each event separately, so the price fits what you actually want. For a quote, fill in our quote form.
Related guides
For event organisers in Ovingdean
Organising a club, school or community event in Ovingdean? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we’ll suggest a menu.
Throwing a party at home? Send us a photo of the garden and tell us about access, and we will tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
Live paella in Ovingdean: local details
Ovingdean is about 3 miles south-east of Hanover, in Brighton and Hove. We cater events at homes, gardens and venues in Ovingdean. Ovingdean is one of 30 towns and villages in Brighton and Hove where we cook.
Thinking of a picnic-style party in Beacon Hill? Public parks generally need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first. For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Moulsecoomb station, about 3 miles north-west. Ovingdean is within about 6 miles of the South Downs National Park, and country venues and gardens there suit live paella perfectly. Some venues in protected landscapes have rules about vehicles and cooking, so check with yours. The coast is within about 3 miles of Ovingdean, and seafood paella always feels right near the sea. Sea breezes can be strong, so we plan a sheltered cooking spot.
Paella catering in BN2 is planned around your venue and your guests. Streets in the area include Longhill Road, Ovingdean Road and Wanderdown Road, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Other places close to Ovingdean for paella catering include Rottingdean (1 mile east), Roedean (1 mile west), Saltdean (2 miles south-east), East Saltdean (2 miles south-east) and Telscombe (3 miles east). Larger places within reach include Brighton (3 miles north-west), Brighton and Hove (5 miles west), Hove (4 miles west), Carlton Hill (3 miles west), Hanover (3 miles north-west) and West Hill (3 miles west).
A little further out are Brighton Motor Museum (1.9 miles west) and French Convalescent Home (1.5 miles west). Open spaces near Ovingdean include Newmarket Hill and Beacon Hill Local Nature Reserve.
- Schools near Ovingdean include Longhill High School (within half a mile north-east) and Our Lady of Lourdes RC School (0.9 miles south-east)
- Local pubs include Duck Inn (0.9 miles south-east)
Prices and what affects them
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- Distance and access to the venue
- The number of people
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Timings and hours
If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we will put together a menu that fits. Even a simple menu can be a feast.
What to tell us
For a quote, it helps to have:
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Your date and when you want to eat
- Anything your venue supplies
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, along with any dietary needs, and we will reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. Just fill in our quote form.
Live paella or other catering?
For something a little different, live paella adds colour, smell and theatre to your event in Ovingdean. Cost depends on guest numbers, the menu and the courses, along with staff, extras and travel. We quote for each event individually.
Why book with us
- A clear, itemised quote
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
Take a look at How we price And What paella catering costs.
- 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