West Sussex · England
Paella Catering in Southbourne
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Southbourne and across West Sussex.
- Leaving dos and retirements
- Anniversary celebrations
- Staff parties and work lunches
Planning an event in Southbourne?
Diets, allergies and planning
Nearly every event has some special diets. To cater well for them:
- Flag any coeliac guests, not just gluten-free preferences
- Request clear labels at the serving table
- Count adults and children separately
- Have seats for most of your guests
If you’ve booked staff, they’ll serve, clear and help keep things moving, so you can relax.
Bread, salad and lemon wedges make the meal go further and suit guests who aren’t big rice eaters.
Paella catering in Southbourne, cooked live
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. Popular choices include chicken and chorizo paella, mixed paella and vegetable paella, and we’re frequently booked for retirement celebrations and weddings and evening receptions.
In a smaller place like Southbourne, a garden party is often the simplest option: no venue hire, and nobody stuck cooking. Tell us about access down the lane or drive. You can add tapas, desserts, sangria, bar staff and waiting staff, so the whole menu comes from one caterer.
- Where
- Southbourne (PO10)
- County
- West Sussex
- Special diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Also available
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quote
- Ask us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Live paella or other catering?
Vans serve one order at a time. A paella pan serves many portions quickly, which suits weddings and parties where everyone eats together. The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, plus any staff, crockery and travel. Every event gets its own quote.
Why Southbourne hosts choose us
- Fast service from the pan
- Events in Southbourne and across West Sussex
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Sangria and bar staff available
Read Our prices page Or The cost guide.
Working with your venue
Hosting a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we will tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
If you’re organising for someone else, such as a wedding planner, an office manager or a festival organiser, we’re happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It saves passing messages back and forth.
Perfect for your event in Southbourne
People book live paella because it is 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:
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Milestone birthday parties
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Wedding breakfasts and evening food
For guests coming by train, Southbourne has its own station, Southbourne station.
What your quote should include
- Staff numbers and hours
- How bad weather is handled
- Whether travel is included
- If the price includes VAT
What’s in the pans
Black rice
Arroz negro is coloured and flavoured with squid ink, and is usually served with alioli. It is a striking addition to a seafood menu.
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich fish stock, cooked until the rice is golden. It is the pan people photograph.
How it works
We get there well before serving, unload, set up the burners and prepare the stock. Guests generally gather round to watch while it cooks. Evenings in Southbourne stay light until about 9:20pm in June, but by late September sunset is around 7:05pm; once it’s dark, we need light to cook and serve by.
- You share your date, numbers and venue.
- We plan a menu that covers every diet.
- We arrive in good time to set up.
- The paella cooks as guests gather round.
- Service is straight from the pan, then we pack down.
How to prepare
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Make sure the spot is clear of anything flammable
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
Ask for a quote
Most quotes start with a few simple details: date, location, guest numbers and diets. To send them, send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
Live paella in Southbourne: local details
Southbourne is about 4 miles east of Havant, in West Sussex. We bring paella catering to homes, gardens and venues in Southbourne and the surrounding area. We cater in 371 places across West Sussex. Our nearest city page is Southampton, about 22 miles away.
Nearby historic houses include Warblington Castle (2.5 miles west). Historic venues often limit cooking, so ask early if you’re booking one. Parks such as Eames Farm typically need the owner’s permission for cooking, so ask before you plan a party there. The coast is within about 6 miles of Southbourne, and seafood paella always feels right near the sea. Sea breezes can be strong, so we plan a sheltered cooking spot.
We cook at events all over the PO10 postcode area and the streets around it. Streets in the area include Lodgebury Close, Manor Road and Northcote Gardens, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Nearby, we also cater events in Woodmancote (1 mile north), Lumley (1 mile west), Westbourne (1 mile north-west), Emsworth (1 mile west) and Thorney Island (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Bognor Regis (11 miles south-east), Chichester (6 miles east), Selsey (10 miles south-east), Portfield (6 miles east), Yapton (13 miles east) and East Wittering (6 miles south).
Well-known places in the area include Warblington Castle (2.5 miles west) and Emsworth Museum (1.3 miles west). The countryside around Southbourne includes Stoke Down and Brook Meadow (Emsworth).
- Schools near Southbourne include Bourne Community College (under half a mile north-west)
- Local pubs include The Traveller's Joy Public House (less than half a mile south-east)
Space, weather and the venue
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We need:
- Level ground for the pans and burners
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly.
What we offer
- Seafood paella
- Mixed paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegan paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable paella
- Black rice (arroz negro)
Places near Southbourne
More for events in Southbourne
Southbourne: your questions answered
How far is Southbourne from London?
About 57 miles from central London, and we cover it as standard.
Can you cater a reception after a service at St. John's?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking normally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
What happens with live paella?
We cook from scratch at your venue in big pans, in front of your guests, and serve straight from the pan.
Is paella a full meal?
Paella is a meal in itself. Tapas and desserts can be added if you like.
What space do you need to cook?
Less than you might think: a level spot clear of fences, hedges and branches, with room for a serving table. If in doubt, send a photo.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes, we do. We use halal chicken and leave out pork and alcohol, in its own pan.
Do you provide drinks?
Sangria can be added, and we can staff a bar with your drinks.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
Yes, on request. Rice is naturally gluten-free, but stock and some ingredients may not be, so we cook a gluten-free paella separately.
Should I cook it myself?
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and do not stir once the rice goes in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
- 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