West Sussex · England
Live paella catering in Scaynes Hill, West Sussex
From the first sizzle in the pan to the last crispy spoonful, live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event turns food into part of your event in Scaynes Hill.
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
- Birthday celebrations
- Leaving dos and retirements
Paella catering in Scaynes Hill
Paella catering in Scaynes Hill, made fresh on the day
The cooking is half the fun. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the aroma does the rest. We cook mixed paella, vegan paella and chicken and chorizo paella, and we are regularly asked to cater office lunches and staff parties and fairs, fêtes and festivals.
In a small place like Scaynes Hill, events are usually in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. Country lanes and long drives are no problem if we know about them, and cooking close to where we can park helps. All the cooking equipment comes with us, and we clear our cooking area away afterwards.
- Area
- Scaynes Hill (RH17)
- County
- West Sussex
- Dietary options
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Extras
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Price
- Ask us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
How it works
Your timings come first. If things run behind, we adjust the cooking so it is still served fresh. Evenings in Scaynes 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.
- It starts with your date, venue, numbers and any dietary needs.
- You get a suggested menu and an itemised quote.
- We arrive early, set up the cooking area and start the stock.
- The rice cooks in full view, while tapas or canapés go round.
- We serve it hot from the pan and clear our area when service ends.
Getting ready for the day
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Tell us when you want to eat
Ask for a quote
Thinking about paella catering for your event in Scaynes Hill? Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll come back with ideas and a quote. To contact us, fill in our quote form.
Planning help
For planners, venues and organisers
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so everyone eats promptly. Let us know how long the food break is.
If you’re organising for someone else, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we will work directly with you and the venue. It keeps things simple.
FAQs for Scaynes Hill
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St Augustine of Canterbury?
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.
How far is Scaynes Hill from London?
About 35 miles from central London, and well within our area.
Can you cook indoors?
Mostly outside or under an open cover, since the burners are gas. We’ll check whether your venue has a suitable space.
How many paellas should we have?
Two or three is usual: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We’ll help you decide the split.
Can paella be the only main course?
Paella is a meal in itself. Tapas and desserts can be added if you like.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
A gluten-free pan is no problem. Tell us about any coeliac guests when you book so we take the right care.
Can you cook in the rain?
We cook under cover, such as a gazebo, marquee or open-sided barn with good ventilation. We’ll agree a wet-weather plan with you.
How much does paella catering cost in Scaynes Hill?
The price depends on numbers, menu, courses, staff and travel. Send us the details for a quote.
The menu, dish by dish
Vegetable and vegan paella
A vegetable paella isn’t an afterthought: peppers, artichokes and beans with saffron, cooked in its own pan.
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, cooked until the rice is golden. It is usually the most photographed pan.
Paella catering around Scaynes Hill
Scaynes Hill is about 2 miles east of Haywards Heath, in West Sussex. Across the RH17 area, we can bring the pans to you. Scaynes Hill is one of 371 places in West Sussex we cover. Our events stretch from Scaynes Hill to Brighton (11 miles away).
If you are organising a summer fair for a school like St Augustine's CofE Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. Nearby historic houses include Ockenden Manor (4.1 miles west). Historic venues frequently limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one. Scaynes Hill is within about 6 miles of the South Downs National Park, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking.
For paella catering in RH17, we plan around your venue and your guests. That could mean an event in a garden on Church Road, Lewes Road and Orchard Close. For events just outside Scaynes Hill, we cover Haywards Heath (2 miles west), North Chailey (2 miles south-east), Wivelsfield Green (2 miles south), Wivelsfield (2 miles south-west) and Chailey (3 miles south-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Crawley (10 miles north-west), Horsham (13 miles north-west), Burgess Hill (4 miles south-west), East Grinstead (10 miles north), Shoreham-by-Sea (14 miles south-west) and Broadfield (10 miles north-west).
Other landmarks nearby include Princess Royal Hospital (1.6 miles west) and Parish Museum (2 miles north-west). Open spaces near Scaynes Hill include Ashenground and Bolnore Woods.
- Nearby schools include Great Walstead School (1 mile north) and Oathall Community College (2 miles north-west)
- Pubs nearby include The Farmers pub (under half a mile south-east)
Planning the cooking area
No two venues are the same, so we’ll ask about yours before we confirm. In general, we need:
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- Somewhere close to park and unload
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise.
Popular choices
- Mixed paella
- Vegan paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Seafood paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable paella
What affects the price in Scaynes Hill
Every event is priced individually, based on a few main things:
- The number of people
- How long we’re needed on site
- How many staff you need
- Whether you need crockery
Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. We’ll send you a quote.
Getting an accurate quote
These details help us quote quickly:
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- The address or venue name
- Expected numbers
To get a price, send us your details through our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we will put together a menu and price.
Towns and villages near Scaynes Hill
What else we do in Scaynes Hill
Who books paella catering in Scaynes Hill?
Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets, so it suits all kinds of occasions. It also gives guests something to watch and talk about.
We can help if you’re planning any of the following:
- Summer garden parties
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Milestone birthday parties
- Anniversary celebrations
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St Augustine of Canterbury, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
What to look for in a quote
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- Space, access and power needs
- VAT, if it applies
- Payment terms and deposit
Dietary needs and planning tips
We take diets and allergies seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Plan a meat, a seafood and a vegetable or vegan pan
- Make sure most guests can sit to eat
After service, we pack down our cooking area, quietly and quickly.
Finish with churros, crema catalana or tarta de Santiago.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and don’t stir once the rice goes in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. 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.
- 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