Brighton and Hove · England
Paella party catering in Ovingdean, Brighton and Hove
Paella catering for birthday parties, garden parties and private events in Ovingdean: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, right in front of your guests.
- Retirement and leaving parties
- Garden parties and summer barbecues
- Naming days and christenings
Book paella party catering in Ovingdean
Dietary needs and planning tips
We take diets and allergies seriously. Here’s how you can help:
- Tell us how many children are coming
- Let the neighbours know
- Have cover ready for a shower
- Keep a clear zone around the cooking area
At food time, we serve straight from the pan.
Bread, salad and lemon wedges round off the meal.
Paella party catering in Ovingdean, made fresh on the day
A paella party works in most gardens, as long as there is a flat spot clear of fences and branches. Not sure? Send a picture. Popular choices include vegetable paella, mixed paella and seafood paella, and typical bookings are for street and neighbourhood parties and christenings and naming days.
Country parties near Ovingdean suit live paella: cooked in the open and served hot. Plan a gazebo in case of rain. The paella is served straight from the pan, so every plate is hot, and a queue moves quickly.
- Location
- Ovingdean (BN2)
- County
- Brighton and Hove
- Diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Extras
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Party venues around Ovingdean
Ovingdean is about 3 miles south-east of Hanover, in Brighton and Hove. Anywhere in BN2, we can bring the pans to you. Ovingdean is one of 30 places in Brighton and Hove where we cook.
Thinking of a party in Beacon Hill? Cooking in a public park normally needs permission from the council or landowner, so check first. Historic houses near Ovingdean include Royal Pavilion (2.8 miles west) and Preston Manor & Gardens (3.8 miles north-west). Grand settings like these often have strict catering rules, so for most parties a garden or hired hall is simpler. Ovingdean is within about 6 miles of the South Downs National Park, so many gardens around here have a great outlook. The coast is within about 3 miles, so seafood paella frequently features, and we always plan for wind.
Wherever your party is in BN2, we can bring paella party catering to you, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Streets in the area include Longhill Road, Ovingdean Road and Wanderdown Road, and we can cook for a party on any of them. Nearby, we also cater parties in Rottingdean (1 mile east), Roedean (1 mile west), Saltdean (2 miles south-east), East Saltdean (2 miles south-east) and Telscombe (3 miles east). Within a short drive, we also cover Brighton (3 miles north-west), Brighton and Hove (5 miles west), Hove (4 miles west), Carlton Hill (3 miles west), Hanover (3 miles north-west) and West Hill (3 miles west).
A little further out are Brighton Motor Museum (1.9 miles west) and French Convalescent Home (1.5 miles west). Open spaces near Ovingdean include Newmarket Hill and Beacon Hill Local Nature Reserve.
- Schools near Ovingdean include Longhill High School (less than half a mile north-east) and Our Lady of Lourdes RC School (0.9 miles south-east)
- Pubs nearby include Duck Inn (0.9 miles south-east)
What paella party catering costs
The price comes down to a few factors:
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Guest numbers
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- The length of service
The cost per head typically falls as numbers rise, since the set-up is much the same either way. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
What to tell us
You do not need everything decided to ask for a quote, but these help:
- A photo of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- The date and time of the event
- Anything your venue supplies
Send us the date, your venue or BN2 postcode and guest numbers, along with any dietary needs, and you’ll get a menu idea and a price. Just fill in our quote form.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Why live cooking beats a buffet
A hog roast is great for meat lovers, but harder for vegetarians and vegans. Separate paella pans cover everyone. There’s no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. We itemise everything in your quote.
Why book with us
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Drinks service on request
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
See How we price And The cost guide.
Ovingdean: your questions answered
We’re having a ceremony at St Wulfran's Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is generally elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
Is Ovingdean too small for live paella?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Of course. A simple chicken paella is normally popular with children. Tell us how many are coming.
How much space do you need?
Level ground for the burners, pans and a table, outdoors or in a marquee or well-ventilated area, plus the venue’s agreement to cooking.
Can you set up in a small garden?
Typically, yes, if there is a flat, open spot away from fences and branches. Send us a photo of the space.
Do you cater in Ovingdean?
Yes. We cater across London and the South East, including Ovingdean. To check your date, fill in our quote form.
Can we add tapas or canapés?
Yes. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, while the rice is cooking.
Which areas do you serve?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
Step by step
When the rice goes in, it is left alone. That is how the grains cook evenly and the toasted base, the socarrat, forms. Your guests will smell it before they see it. At midsummer, it is light in Ovingdean until about 9:15pm, so a garden party can run well into the evening. In late September it’s dark by about 7:05pm; add lights for the evening.
- First, we check the date and the space.
- You pick paellas, tapas and desserts.
- We set up the burners and start the sofrito.
- In goes the rice, and guests gather.
- It is served hot, and we clear away afterwards.
How to prepare
- Make sure the spot is clear of anything flammable
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Name one person we can ask on the day
Get a quote
It’s easy to get a price: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We’ll send a clear, itemised quote.
Read more
Why choose paella party catering in Ovingdean?
One big dish beats lots of fiddly ones, and there is little waste.
Here are some of the events we cook for in Ovingdean and Brighton and Hove:
- Celebrations of life
- Milestone birthdays
- Family get-togethers
- Retirement celebrations
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Moulsecoomb station, about 3 miles north-west.
What your quote should include
- What happens if it rains
- When final numbers are due
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- A clear list of what’s included
Dishes our guests love
Churros
All ages love churros.
Seafood paella
A seafood pan with prawns and mussels, for the fish lovers.
Planning the cooking area
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so we need a suitable spot. Here’s what we look for:
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
- Send a picture of the garden so we can check
- The venue’s permission for live cooking
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before you book.
Popular choices
- Seafood paella
- Paella Valenciana
- Vegetable paella
- Chicken & chorizo paella
- Churros
- Mixed paella
- Tapas
Nearby places to Ovingdean
More for events in Ovingdean
- 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