West Sussex · England
Paella Catering for Selham events
Paella for every guest: meat, seafood, vegetarian and vegan pans side by side. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event in Selham.
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
- Festivals, fairs and school events
- Engagement and anniversary parties
Planning an event in Selham?
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
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.
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and handles separate pans for each diet.
How our paella catering works in Selham
Live paella works almost anywhere with a level, ventilated spot: gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and festival fields in and around Selham. Whether it’s big birthdays and garden parties and summer barbecues, we’ll put together a menu of paella Valenciana, seafood paella and mixed paella and more.
In a small place like Selham, events are normally in a garden, a field or a nearby hall. Tell us about narrow lanes or long drives and we will plan for them, and a firm spot near where we park makes set-up easier. All the cooking equipment comes with us, and we clear our cooking area away afterwards.
- Location
- Selham (GU28)
- County
- West Sussex
- Diets
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Also available
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quote
- Quoted for your event
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Perfect for your event in Selham
Few dishes cope with mixed diets like paella, because each version is cooked in its own pan. Nobody gets a token ‘special meal’.
Big or small, live paella works well. Common bookings include:
- Christenings and family gatherings
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Garden get-togethers
- Weddings and evening receptions
If you are celebrating after a service at a church like Church of St James, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well.
What your quote should include
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- What happens if it rains
- How late numbers can change
Working with your venue
If you are organising for someone else, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we are happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It saves passing messages back and forth.
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we will talk you through the process. We are happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
Diets, allergies and planning
A little planning makes sure everyone can eat. Here’s how:
- Add a dietary question to your invitations
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
- Put allergy details in writing
- Let us know if anyone has coeliac disease
Once the rice is in, it needs about 20 minutes, so we start it at the right moment for your event. If plans change, tell us and we will adjust.
Crockery, cutlery and waiting staff are available if your venue doesn’t provide them.
Prices and what affects them
There’s nothing hidden: the quote reflects:
- Guest numbers
- Parking and unloading
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you only pay for what you want.
Getting an accurate quote
To check availability and price, we need:
- The courses you’d like
- The date and time of the event
- The address or venue name
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
It is easy to get a price: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We’ll come back with a clear quote.
Paella catering around Selham
Selham is about 8 miles south of Haslemere, in West Sussex. For paella catering in Selham, we plan around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. We cater in all 371 towns and villages across West Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is Guildford, about 19 miles away.
Nearby historic houses include Cowdray House (2.7 miles west) and Petworth House (2.8 miles east). Historic venues often limit cooking, so ask early if you are booking one. The South Downs National Park is within about 3 miles of Selham, 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.
This part of West Sussex takes in GU28. Neighbouring places where we cater events include South Ambersham (1 mile west), River (2 miles north), Tillington (2 miles north-east), Upperton (2 miles north-east) and Rotherbridge (2 miles east). Larger places within reach include Bognor Regis (13 miles south), Chichester (11 miles south-west), Littlehampton (13 miles south-east), Emsworth (14 miles south-west), Rustington (14 miles south-east) and Storrington (11 miles east).
A little further out are Midhurst Community Hospital (2.9 miles west) and Coultershaw Heritage Site (2.5 miles east). The countryside around Selham includes Graffham Common.
FAQs for Selham
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St James?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking typically happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
Do you come out to small places like Selham?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
What about pudding?
Yes. Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana, or you can serve your own cake.
Do you cook inside?
Only in a suitable, well-ventilated area with the venue’s permission. Courtyards, doorways and terraces often work.
How many different paellas?
Generally two or three, so every guest has a choice. Tell us about your guests’ diets and we’ll suggest the mix.
Is paella a full meal?
Yes. With bread and salad, paella is a complete main, and tapas or dessert can be added.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Of course. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, while the rice is cooking.
What areas do you cover?
London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including Selham.
Before you choose a spot
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We look for:
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- Confirmation that open cooking is allowed
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
On the menu in Selham
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegan paella
The process
Service is quick: the paella goes straight from the pan to the plate, so even a long queue moves. When service is finished, we pack down. In Selham, 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 4:00pm, we need lighting at the cooking spot.
- We start with a few details about your event.
- You get a menu and an itemised quote.
- We agree timings, access and the cooking spot.
- We cook live on the day while guests watch.
- It is served straight from the pan, and we clear our area afterwards.
Getting ready for the day
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
Get a quote
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. When you’re ready, send us your details through our quote form.
Planning help
Live paella or other catering?
Next to a hog roast or barbecue, live paella is easier for vegetarian, vegan and halal guests, thanks to separate pans. Service from the pan keeps queues moving. If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we will suggest a menu to match. Even a simple menu can be a feast.
What you get with us
- Fast service from the pan
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- A clear, itemised quote
Read Our prices page Or The cost guide.
Towns and villages near Selham
Also in Selham
- 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