West Sussex · England
Paella Party Catering for Highbrook events
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: paella catering for birthday parties, garden parties and private events for events in Highbrook and across West Sussex.
- Big family gatherings
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Christenings and naming days
Paella party catering in Highbrook
The process
Serving is fast: we serve straight from the pan, so large groups are fed quickly. When service is finished, we pack down. Sunset in Highbrook is about 8:50pm in late May and 9:20pm in late June. After dark, the cooking area needs good lighting.
- Send us the date, the address, numbers and diets.
- We suggest a menu and confirm a quote.
- We arrive, set up in your garden or venue and start the sofrito.
- Your guests watch the paella cook, with tapas first if you’ve chosen them.
- We serve from the pan and clear our cooking area away when we are done.
Getting ready for the day
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Give us a contact for the day
How to get a price
Planning paella party catering in Highbrook? Send us the details and we’ll come back with ideas and a quote. Just send us your details through our quote form.
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Paella party catering in Highbrook, cooked live
The smell of paella cooking is the best party invitation. People drift over with a drink to watch it cook. Whether it’s retirement and leaving parties and neighbourhood celebrations, we’ll put together a menu of vegetable paella, mixed paella and tapas and more.
Near Highbrook, parties are often in gardens or fields. Let us know about access, and we’ll plan the set-up. Tapas, canapés, desserts, sangria and staff can all be added, so one booking can cover the whole menu.
- Area
- Highbrook (RH17)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Dietary options
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Why live cooking beats a buffet
A buffet takes hours to prepare and leaves food sitting out. Paella is cooked fresh and served hot. The cost per head normally falls as numbers rise, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Why book with us
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
The menu, dish by dish
Vegetable paella
A proper vegetable paella, not an afterthought, with peppers, beans and artichokes.
Churros
Fried, sugared and dipped in chocolate.
What we need at the venue
Every venue is different, so we’ll ask about yours before we confirm. Generally, we look for:
- Open air or a well-ventilated covered spot
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Space well away from trees, fences and gazebo walls
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think.
On the menu in Highbrook
- Seafood paella
- Tapas
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Churros
- Vegetable paella
- Mixed paella
Dietary needs and planning tips
With a little notice, every diet is easy. Our advice:
- Count adults and children separately
- Give the neighbours a heads-up
- Plan where rubbish goes
- Add a diet question to the invitation
Children love watching the paella cook, from a safe distance.
Tapas to start keep guests happy.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
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.
Highbrook parties: what to know
Highbrook is about 4 miles north-east of Haywards Heath, in West Sussex. Wherever your party is in the RH17 area, we can bring the pans to you. Highbrook is one of 371 places in West Sussex where we cook. You can also see our page for Brighton, about 16 miles away.
If guests are coming by rail, Balcombe station is about 3.4 miles away. Historic houses near Highbrook include Priest House (1.5 miles north) and Gravetye Manor (2.4 miles north). If you’re hiring a historic venue for a big birthday, check its rules on outside caterers first. Highbrook is within about 5 miles of the High Weald National Landscape, so many gardens around here have a great outlook.
Here we cover the RH17 postcode area. Neighbouring places where we cater parties include Ardingly (1 mile south-west), Little London (1 mile west), Sharpthorne (2 miles north), West Hoathly (2 miles north) and Horsted Keynes (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cater in Crawley (7 miles north-west), Horsham (11 miles west), Haywards Heath (4 miles south-west), Burgess Hill (7 miles south-west), East Grinstead (5 miles north) and Broadfield (7 miles north-west).
A little further out are Princess Royal Hospital (4.6 miles south) and Parish Museum (2.8 miles south). Open spaces near Highbrook include Blunts Wood and Paiges Meadow.
- Pubs nearby include The Ardingly Inn (1 mile south-west)
Organising for someone else?
If you’re booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will talk you through the process. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so everyone eats promptly. Let us know how long the food break is.
Nearby places to Highbrook
More for events in Highbrook
Common questions in Highbrook
Is Highbrook too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Which station should guests use for Highbrook?
Balcombe station, about 3.4 miles west of the centre.
Will there be enough food?
We plan quantities from your guest numbers, timings and other courses, with a little extra built in. Accurate numbers help.
How much does paella party catering cost in Highbrook?
Every event is quoted individually, so you only pay for what you need. Give us your date, numbers and menu ideas for a clear quote.
How soon do we need to book?
As soon as you have a date. Popular dates book up first, so it pays to ask early.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Of course. A simple chicken paella is typically popular with children. Tell us how many are coming.
How long does the paella take?
It depends on the menu and numbers. We will agree arrival, cooking and serving times with you.
How far in advance should we book?
Early is best, but ask even if it is soon. Send your date and we’ll check.
Events we cater in Highbrook
One big dish is simpler than lots of small ones, and there’s little waste.
Live paella suits almost any gathering. People in Highbrook book us for events such as:
- Naming days and christenings
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Anniversaries and engagement parties
- Wakes and celebrations of life
Christenings and naming days often start at a local church such as All Saints Church, with a paella lunch at home or in a hall afterwards.
Before you book anyone
- A clear list of what’s included
- When final numbers are due
- Allergen information for each dish
- Whether VAT is included
- 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