West Sussex · England
Paella Catering in Tortington
Something for every guest: separate pans for meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan guests. Live paella catering, cooked fresh in giant pans at your event for events in Tortington.
- Staff parties and work lunches
- Naming days and family parties
- Festivals, fairs and school events
Live paella catering in Tortington
How our paella catering works in Tortington
Watching it cook is part of the experience. People drift over as the sofrito sizzles and the rice turns gold, and the smell does the rest. Typical bookings include garden parties and summer barbecues and naming days and family parties, serving chicken and chorizo paella, paella Valenciana and black rice.
In a hamlet or village like Tortington, your own garden or a neighbour’s field can make a wonderful venue. Gates, verges and soft ground are worth mentioning when you enquire. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
- Location
- Tortington (BN18)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Special diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Extras
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quote
- Contact us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Why choose live paella in Tortington?
Food trucks and street-food vans serve one portion at a time. A paella pan serves many portions quickly, so everyone can eat at the same time. Live paella often compares well with a sit-down meal, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. We will send you a quote.
Why Tortington hosts choose us
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- We cover Tortington and the whole of West Sussex
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
Read Our pricing Or The cost guide.
Catering an event in Tortington
Tortington is about 3 miles north-west of Littlehampton, in West Sussex. Events in Tortington are planned around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. Tortington is one of 371 places in West Sussex we cover. We cook right across the region, from Tortington to Brighton (19 miles away).
If you are organising a summer fair for a school like Arundel CofE Primary School, a paella stall is a crowd-pleaser. If you’re celebrating after a service at a church like St Mary Magdalene's Church, live paella at a garden or venue nearby works well. The South Downs National Park is within about 6 miles of Tortington, a lovely setting for an outdoor event. Check your venue’s rules on vehicles and cooking. The coast is within about 3 miles of Tortington, so a seafood pan is a popular choice. Sea breezes can be strong, so we plan a sheltered cooking spot.
Paella catering in BN18 is planned around your venue and timings. Streets in the area include Ford Road and Gaugemaster Way, and we can cook for an event on any of them. For events just outside Tortington, we cover Ford (1 mile south), Lyminster (1 mile east), Arundel (1 mile north-east), Wick (2 miles south-east) and Climping (2 miles south). Further out, we also cater in Worthing (8 miles east), Bognor Regis (6 miles south-west), Chichester (9 miles west), Selsey (12 miles south-west), Littlehampton (3 miles south-east) and Shoreham-by-Sea (13 miles east).
A little further out are Arundel Castle (1.8 miles north-east) and Arundel and District Hospital (1.4 miles north). Open spaces near Tortington include WWT Arundel.
- Schools near Tortington include The Littlehampton Academy (2.3 miles south-east)
- Local pubs include The Arundel Arms Public House At Ford Station (under half a mile south)
DIY paella versus live catering
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Not sure whether to cook yourself or book a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. We are happy to give you a quote to compare.
Planners, venues and businesses
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so guests are fed quickly. Let us know how long the food break is.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can hold the date.
What paella catering costs
Each event is quoted on its own, and the price depends on a few things:
- Parking and unloading
- How many courses
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- How many staff you need
Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so it helps to tell us about your venue. Everything is confirmed in writing.
What to tell us
For a quote, it helps to have:
- The venue or postcode
- Expected numbers
- Your date and when you want to eat
- The courses you’d like
Thinking about paella catering for your event in Tortington? Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll reply with a menu and a clear price. To contact us, fill in our quote form.
Who books paella catering in Tortington?
Live paella is made for outdoor events: it is cooked in the open, served hot and eaten together.
Almost any gathering can work with live paella. In Tortington, people book us for events such as:
- Big birthdays
- Engagement and anniversary parties
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Staff parties and work lunches
Historic houses near Tortington include Ecclesden Manor (4.7 miles east). If your event is at a historic house or estate, check its rules on caterers and cooking early.
What to look for in a quote
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- What happens if it rains
- How each diet is kept separate
- How late numbers can change
Dietary needs and planning tips
Most events have a mix of diets. To cater well for them:
- Request clear labels at the serving table
- Count adults and children separately
- Put allergy details in writing
- Pick a mix of paellas to cover every diet
Let the paella rest for a few minutes before serving, and that is when we invite guests up.
Tapas or canapés make a good start as the rice cooks.
Common questions in Tortington
Which station should guests use for Tortington?
Ford station, in Tortington itself.
Do you cater in the South Downs National Park?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We will work to whatever the site needs.
Which paellas suit our guests?
Most events choose two or three: chicken or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. Our menu lists the options.
Can you cook halal paella?
Yes, on request. Let us know your halal numbers, and it is cooked separately.
Do you cook it at the event?
It is. We arrive with everything we need and cook it there and then, then serve straight from the pan.
Is live paella good for a large crowd?
Very much so. We size pans and serving points to your guest list.
What do you need at the venue?
Not a lot: a flat spot away from anything flammable, with space to serve. If in doubt, send a photo.
Do you cater for young children?
Yes, children are easy to cater for. Let us know numbers and ages, and we will plan a pan with them in mind.
What happens on the day
A typical event goes like this: we set up the pans and start the sofrito, the rice cooks in front of your guests, and it is served hot from the pan when you’re ready to eat. Planning an evening event in Tortington? Sunset is around 8:50pm in late May, 9:20pm at midsummer and 7:05pm in late September; after dark, the cooking and serving areas need good lighting.
- Start with the date, the place and the numbers.
- Expect a menu idea and a clear, itemised price.
- A week or so before, we confirm the plan.
- We set up, cook from scratch and keep an eye on your timings.
- Guests are served from the pan, and our area is cleared afterwards.
Getting ready for the day
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
- Let us know the timings for the day
How to get a price
Send us the date, your venue or BN18 postcode and guest numbers, along with any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. Just send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
Also near Tortington
Other catering in Tortington
A closer look at the menu
Vegetable and vegan paella
A slow sofrito, seasonal vegetables and a good vegetable stock make a proper main dish. Vegan versions use plant-based stock.
Seafood paella
A rich seafood stock with prawns, mussels and squid, finished with lemon wedges. It is the pan people photograph.
- 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