East Sussex · England
Paella Party Catering in Down Street
Paella catering for birthday parties, garden parties and private events in Down Street: paella cooked from scratch in huge pans, in full view of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Wakes and memorial gatherings
- Baby celebrations
- Milestone birthdays
Book paella party catering in Down Street
Diets, allergies and planning
With a little notice, every diet is easy. Our advice:
- Ensure children stay back from the pans
- Count adults and children separately
- Add a diet question to the invitation
- Plan a covered spot for wet weather
When you’re ready to eat, we serve straight from the pan, while you enjoy your guests.
Bread, salad and lemon wedges round off the meal.
Paella party catering in Down Street, cooked live
A paella party works in most gardens, as long as there’s a flat spot clear of fences and branches. Not sure? Send a picture. We cook seafood paella, mixed paella and churros, and we are frequently booked for wakes and celebrations of life and big family gatherings.
In a small place like Down Street, a party in the garden or a nearby field is frequently the plan. Tell us about lanes and parking, and we’ll handle the rest. We serve straight from the pan, so it’s hot and generous, and a queue moves quickly.
- Where
- Down Street (TN22)
- Area hub
- East Sussex
- Diets
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Add-ons
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quotes
- Ask us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
What happens on the day
Service is quick: the paella goes straight from the pan to the plate, so large groups are fed quickly. When service is finished, we pack down. Sunset in Down Street is about 8:50pm in late May and 9:20pm in late June. If the party runs past dark, we will need light where we cook and serve.
- Send us the date, the address, numbers and diets.
- You get a menu suggestion and a clear price.
- We arrive, set up in your garden or venue and start the sofrito.
- The paella cooks while your guests chat, with any tapas served first.
- We serve from the pan and clear our cooking area away when we’re done.
Getting ready for the day
- Make sure we can park close by to unload
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
Getting a price
Each quote is tailored to your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we will confirm whether we are available that day.
Related guides
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Working with your venue
Throwing a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we’ll tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so guests are fed quickly. Let us know how long the food break is.
Prices and what affects them
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- Travel, parking and access
- How many staff you need
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Guest numbers
Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
What to tell us
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. Here’s what’s useful:
- The date and rough timings
- The courses you’d like
- Diets and allergies you know about
- A picture of the space, if you can
Not sure what you need yet? That’s fine: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we will make suggestions. Start when you’re ready: use our quote form.
Party venues around Down Street
Down Street is about 3 miles north-west of Uckfield, in East Sussex. Whether your party is in the middle of Down Street or on the outskirts, we offer the same service: paella cooked live, every diet catered for and a clear quote. We cater in all 289 towns and villages in East Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is Brighton, about 14 miles away.
Parks such as West Park usually need permission for cooking, so a garden or hired venue is often easier. For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Uckfield station, about 2.6 miles south-east. Down Street is within about 7 miles of the High Weald National Landscape, so many gardens around here have a great outlook.
This part of East Sussex takes in TN22, and we can cater your party anywhere in it. For parties just outside Down Street, we cover Maresfield (1 mile east), Budlett's Common (2 miles east), Newick (3 miles south-west), Founthill (3 miles south-west) and Ridgewood (3 miles south-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Seaford (15 miles south), Lewes (9 miles south), Hailsham (13 miles south-east), Crowborough (6 miles north-east), Uckfield (3 miles south-east) and Newhaven (14 miles south).
Well-known places in the area include Uckfield Community Hospital (3 miles south-east) and Heaven Farm Museum (2.8 miles north-west). Open spaces near Down Street include Brickfield Meadow.
Before you choose a spot
Before the day, we’ll agree where we cook. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- A safe distance from anything that could catch
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think.
What we offer
- Mixed paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Tapas
- Seafood paella
- Churros
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Vegetable paella
FAQs for Down Street
We are having a ceremony at The Parish Church of St Andrew and St Mary: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is normally elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
What’s the nearest station to Down Street for guests?
Uckfield station, about 2.6 miles south-east of the centre.
Can you do gluten-free paella?
We can cook a gluten-free paella in its own pan. Tell us about any coeliac guests when you book so we can plan it carefully.
Can you supply plates?
We can. Tell us what your venue provides and we’ll include the rest in the quote.
Do you do starters?
Yes. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, served while the paella cooks.
When should we book?
As early as you can, especially for summer weekends. Ask about your date even if it is soon.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Of course. We cook vegetarian and vegan paellas in their own pans, alongside the meat and seafood pans.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes, we do. We use halal chicken and leave out pork and alcohol, in a separate pan.
About the dishes
Tapas
A few tapas set the scene.
Seafood paella
Prawns, mussels and squid in a rich stock, for the fish lovers.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. We are happy to give you a quote to compare.
Events we cater in Down Street
It works whatever the occasion, from christenings to retirements.
We can help if you are planning any of the following:
- Big family gatherings
- Birthday parties
- Naming days and christenings
- Celebrations of life
Christenings and naming days often start at a local church such as The Parish Church of St Andrew and St Mary, with a paella lunch at home or in a hall afterwards.
Questions to ask before you book
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- Whether travel is included
- The deposit and payment dates
- What happens if it rains
- 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