West Sussex · England
Paella Catering for Sompting events
Planning paella catering in Sompting? We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook while your guests watch.
- Company summer parties
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Fairs, fêtes and festivals
Paella catering near Sompting
Should I cook it myself?
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
Some hosts like to cook themselves. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
About our paella catering in Sompting
Watching it cook is part of the experience. Guests gather round as the sofrito sizzles and the saffron colours the rice, and the smell does the rest. We cook paella Valenciana, mixed paella and vegetable paella, and we’re often booked for fairs, fêtes and festivals and anniversaries and engagement parties.
A place like Sompting frequently has a hall, a club or a pub garden nearby; live paella can work at any of them, given permission and outdoor space. We cook every pan in full view of your guests, so the food is hot, fresh and part of the occasion.
- Where
- Sompting (BN15)
- County
- West Sussex
- Dietary options
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Extras
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quote
- Contact us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Sompting: your questions answered
Can you cook near the sea around Sompting?
Yes, as long as we can shelter from the wind. Sea breezes cool the pan, so a windbreak, building or gazebo helps.
What’s the nearest station to Sompting for guests?
Lancing station, about 0.8 miles south-east of the centre.
Do you bring everything you need?
All cooking kit comes with us. Tell us what the venue provides, such as tables or crockery.
Will there be enough food?
We plan quantities from your guest numbers, timings and other courses, with a sensible margin. Give us accurate numbers for the best result.
Is it really cooked live?
Yes. We arrive with everything we need and cook it there and then, serving it hot from the pan.
What does paella catering cost?
The price depends on numbers, menu, courses, staff and travel. Tell us about your event and we will send a quote.
Do you cater for young children?
Children are welcome. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we will plan for them.
Do you take everything away?
We take our equipment and leave the cooking area tidy. Ask us about table clearing if you need it.
For planners, venues and organisers
If you are 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 keeps things simple.
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.
Why choose paella catering in Sompting?
People book live paella because it’s food and entertainment at once. The cooking becomes the centre of the event, and the food itself is hot and plentiful.
We can help if you’re planning any of the following:
- Milestone birthday parties
- Family celebrations and christenings
- Garden get-togethers
- Engagement and anniversary parties
School fairs and fundraisers, for a school such as Sompting Village Primary School, can book us as a food stall.
What to look for in a quote
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- The deposit and payment dates
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- How each diet is kept separate
Why choose live paella in Sompting?
A plated meal needs a kitchen, more staff and generally costs more per head. Live paella needs a level, ventilated spot and the venue’s permission to cook, and gives guests something to watch. If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we will put together a menu that fits. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Why choose Love Paella in Sompting
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Real theatre, not just catering
Nearby places to Sompting
What else we do in Sompting
Planning the cooking area
We cook in large pans over gas burners, so we need a suitable spot. These are the things we check:
- Somewhere close to park and unload
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we’ll say what we think before you book.
Popular choices
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegan paella
- Mixed paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
- Vegetable paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Seafood paella
Step by step
Your timings come first. If things run behind, we hold the paella at the right stage so it’s served at its best. Around midsummer it stays light in Sompting until about 9:20pm; by late September sunset is nearer 7:05pm, so summer evening events are typically served in daylight. In December it is dark by about 3:55pm, so winter events need lighting where we cook.
- Contact us with the basics: when, where and how many.
- 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.
Getting ready for the day
- Make sure the spot is clear of anything flammable
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
Getting a price
It’s easy to get a price: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We will come back with a clear quote.
Related guides
Live paella in Sompting: local details
Sompting is about 3 miles east of Worthing, in West Sussex. Events in Sompting are planned 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 Brighton, about 9 miles away.
Thinking of a picnic-style party in Brooklands Park? Public parks generally need permission from the council or landowner for cooking, so check first. For a christening or wedding at a church such as St Peter the Apostle, a paella lunch or reception nearby is an easy way to feed everyone. Sompting is within about 3 miles of the sea, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Coastal wind means we plan a sheltered spot.
This part of West Sussex takes in BN15, and we can cater your event anywhere in it. That could mean an event in a garden on Osborne Drive, Western Road North and Osborne Close. Nearby, we also cater events in Lancing (1 mile east), East Worthing (1 mile south), Broadwater (2 miles west), Offington (2 miles west) and Salvington (3 miles west). Further out, we also cater in Bognor Regis (15 miles west), Burgess Hill (13 miles north-east), Littlehampton (9 miles west), Shoreham-by-Sea (3 miles east), Rustington (8 miles west) and Storrington (8 miles north-west).
Other landmarks nearby include Old Castle (2.4 miles west) and Museum of Sussex Folklore (2.5 miles west). Green spaces nearby include Lancing Ring and Widewater Lagoon.
- Nearby schools include The Sir Robert Woodard Academy (within half a mile north-east) and Sompting Abbotts Preparatory School (0.7 miles north-west)
- Pubs nearby include The Railway pub (0.8 miles south-east)
Planning for every diet
A little planning makes sure everyone can eat. Here’s how:
- Collect dietary needs with your RSVPs
- Choose two or three paellas so every guest has a choice
- Have seats for most of your guests
- Request clear labels at the serving table
Let the paella rest for a few minutes before serving, and that is when we invite guests up.
Need plates or staff? We can provide them.
About the dishes
Paella Valenciana
Valencians take their paella seriously. The classic version is chicken, green beans and butter beans with saffron, and it is a crowd-pleaser.
Mixed paella
Paella mixta combines meat and seafood in one pan, and it’s frequently the first pan to empty.
- 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