West Sussex · England
Paella Catering in Poynings
Love Paella cooks live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Poynings and nearby, catering for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests.
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Milestone birthday parties
- Retirement and leaving parties
Book paella catering in Poynings
Space, weather and the venue
Most outdoor spaces and many venues work for live paella, but a few things matter:
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- Clearance from fences, hedges, branches and anything flammable
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think.
Popular choices
- Seafood paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable paella
- Vegan paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
Paella catering in Poynings, made fresh on the day
One cooking area feeds a lot of people, there is very little waste, and the food is served hot. It’s why live paella suits so many kinds of event. Typical bookings include community events and fairs and anniversary celebrations, with vegan paella, paella Valenciana and seafood paella.
In a rural place like Poynings, the setting does a lot of the work: a paella cooking in a garden or field feels right at home. Tell us about access and the ground. We cook every pan in full view of your guests, so the food is hot, fresh and part of the occasion.
- Location
- Poynings (BN45)
- County
- West Sussex
- Diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Add-ons
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quote
- Ask us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Nearby places to Poynings
Other catering in Poynings
Is live paella right for your event?
Plated meals need a kitchen and a bigger team. Live paella needs a level, ventilated spot and the venue’s permission to cook, and gives guests something to watch. Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
Why Poynings hosts choose us
- Events in Poynings and across West Sussex
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Sangria and bar staff available
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
Paella catering around Poynings
Poynings is about 4 miles north of Brighton and Hove, in West Sussex. For an event in Poynings, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices. Poynings is one of 371 places in West Sussex we cover.
For guests coming by train, Hassocks station is about 3.3 miles away. Nearby historic houses include Portslade Manor (3.7 miles south) and Preston Manor & Gardens (4.5 miles south-east). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one. Poynings is within about 5 miles of the South Downs National Park. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking. The coast is within about 6 miles of Poynings, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Sea breezes can be strong, so we plan a sheltered cooking spot.
Paella catering in BN45 is planned around your venue and your guests. From The Street and Cora's Walk or anywhere nearby, we will bring the pans to you. If your venue is just outside Poynings, we also cover Fulking (1 mile south-west), Hangleton (3 miles south), Portslade (4 miles south), Castle Town (4 miles west) and Kingston by Sea (4 miles south). Larger places within reach include Crawley (15 miles north), Horsham (13 miles north-west), Worthing (10 miles south-west), Haywards Heath (9 miles north-east), Burgess Hill (5 miles north-east) and Littlehampton (15 miles south-west).
Nearby you’ll also find The Budding Foundation Museum of Gardening (2.9 miles north-east) and Southlands Hospital (4.4 miles south-west). Not far away are Wolstonbury Hill and Woods Mill.
- Pubs nearby include Royal Oak pub (less than half a mile south)
A closer look at the menu
Seafood paella
Seafood paella starts with a good fish and shellfish stock. The shellfish is added late so it stays tender.
Paella Valenciana
In Valencia, the recipe is fiercely debated. The traditional pan has chicken, flat green beans and butter beans.
Dietary needs and planning tips
Allergies and diets are taken seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Tell us about coeliac guests specifically
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
- Have seats for most of your guests
Once everyone is fed, we clear our cooking area, quietly and quickly.
Bread, salad and lemon go well alongside.
Organising for someone else?
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we will keep you updated on timings and set-up.
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we will talk you through the process. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Should I cook it myself?
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
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. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Poynings questions
What about events near the coast?
Yes, as long as we can shelter from the wind. Wind is the main issue on the coast, so we plan shelter.
What’s the nearest station to Poynings for guests?
Hassocks station, about 3.3 miles north-east of the centre.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Yes. Canapés with drinks or tapas for the tables, served while the paella cooks.
Can you supply plates?
We can. Tell us what your venue provides and we will include the rest in the quote.
Can you do sangria?
We can make sangria, and we can staff a bar with your drinks.
Can you cook in the rain?
We cook under cover, like a gazebo or open-sided marquee. We plan for rain with you in advance.
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, and we time it to your schedule.
Where do you cater?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including Poynings.
What happens on the day
Once the rice is in, we don’t stir it. That is what gives paella its separate grains and crispy base. The smell normally draws people over. In Poynings, the sun sets at about 9:20pm in late June and about 7:05pm in late September, so summer evening events are usually served in daylight. For winter events, when it’s dark by about 3:55pm, 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.
How to prepare
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
How to get a price
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. When you are ready, send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
Occasions we cook for in Poynings
People book live paella because it is food and entertainment at once. The cooking becomes the centre of the event, and the food is hot and generous.
Live paella suits almost any gathering. In Poynings, people book us for events such as:
- Retirement celebrations
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Company summer parties
For a christening or wedding at a church such as The Church of the Holy Trinity, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone.
What to look for in a quote
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- Whether travel is included
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- Allergen information for each dish
- 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