East Sussex · England
Wedding paella catering in Hadlow Down, East Sussex
Looking for wedding paella catering in Hadlow Down? We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook while your guests watch.
- Rustic barn weddings
- Weddings in a marquee or garden
- Big weddings with every diet
Wedding paella catering for Hadlow Down events
Dietary needs and planning tips
With a little notice, every diet is easy. We suggest:
- Send us the running order and speech times
- Give us separate day and evening numbers
- Confirm the venue’s catering rules early
- Enquire early for peak dates
The pans are frequently set up where guests can see them, and it makes a great photo.
Canapé tapas with the drinks reception keep guests going during photos.
How our wedding paella catering works in Hadlow Down
Paella has a natural rhythm: once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, and it is best served right away. We plan it around your speeches and photos. Whether it is evening wedding food and weddings with mixed diets, we can cook evening paella, Spanish desserts and canapé tapas.
Rural weddings around Hadlow Down have a magic of their own, and an open-air paella adds to it. Plan access and cover in case of rain. We plan the timings around your day, so the paella is ready when you want to eat.
- Area
- Hadlow Down (TN22)
- Area hub
- East Sussex
- Dietary options
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Also available
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quote
- Contact us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Planning a paella wedding in Hadlow Down
Hadlow Down is about 4 miles south of Crowborough, in East Sussex. Give us the address of your wedding in Hadlow Down, and we’ll plan the journey and set-up. Hadlow Down is one of 289 places in East Sussex where we cook. You can also see our page for Brighton, about 18 miles away.
Couples marrying at local churches such as St Mark's Church often hold the reception nearby: we can be cooking during the photos, so it is ready as guests arrive. For outdoor photos, Selwyns Wood is close by, and the countryside around Hadlow Down suits an outdoor reception. With the High Weald National Landscape within about 4 miles, there are country venues, barns and gardens nearby. Check vehicle access and cooking rules with the venue.
We cater weddings across TN22 and the streets around it. Whether your wedding is on Waghorns Lane, School Lane and St Marks Field or a nearby road, we will bring the pans to you. If your venue is just outside Hadlow Down, we also cover Etchingwood (2 miles south-west), Buxted (2 miles west), Potter's Green (2 miles south-west), Blackboys (2 miles south) and Framfield (3 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Eastbourne (15 miles south), Lewes (11 miles south-west), Hailsham (10 miles south), Crowborough (4 miles north), Uckfield (4 miles south-west) and Newhaven (15 miles south).
Well-known places in the area include Crowborough War Memorial Hospital (3.8 miles north) and Tickerage Castle (2.3 miles south-west). The countryside around Hadlow Down includes Selwyns Wood.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but you will still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. A caterer handles all of that.
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. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Hadlow Down questions
Can you cater a reception after a service at St Mark's Church?
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 generally elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
Is Hadlow Down close to London?
About 37 miles from central London.
When do you arrive?
It depends on the menu and numbers. We agree the timings in advance.
Can you cater for children?
Children are welcome. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we’ll plan for them.
Do you cater in Hadlow Down?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, and Hadlow Down is within our area. To check your date, fill in our quote form.
Do you do desserts?
We do. Spanish desserts such as churros or crema catalana.
How much paella per person?
Pans are sized to your numbers and other courses. Let us know about any other food. See how much paella per person.
How soon do we need to book?
Early, particularly for summer Saturdays. Even if it’s short notice, it is worth asking.
Step by step
The paella is cooked in huge, shallow pans over gas burners. We need a level, ventilated spot, which we agree with you beforehand. At midsummer, sunset in Hadlow Down is about 9:15pm, which helps us time evening food around your photos. In late May, sunset is about 8:50pm, and in late September about 7:05pm.
- Send us your wedding date, venue and numbers.
- We plan your menu course by course.
- We agree timings with you and your venue.
- On the day, we cook and serve each course.
- We clear our area; staff stay as booked.
How to prepare
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Tell us where to park and unload
Getting a price
Send us the date, your venue or TN22 postcode and guest numbers, along with any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, fill in our quote form.
Planning help
The menu, dish by dish
Evening paella
A second round of paella for the evening, served quickly so the party keeps going.
Desserts
To finish: churros, crema catalana or your wedding cake.
Events we cater in Hadlow Down
Paella can work for the wedding breakfast, the evening, or both, so it fits any plan.
We are booked for all kinds of occasions in Hadlow Down and nearby. Popular bookings include:
- Relaxed sharing-style wedding breakfasts
- Barn and farm weddings
- Wedding receptions after a small ceremony
- Civil partnerships and vow renewals
For guests travelling by train, the nearest station is Buxted station, about 2.1 miles west.
What to look for in a quote
- Whether travel is included
- The deposit and payment dates
- How each diet is kept separate
- Whether VAT is included
Planning the cooking area
Most outdoor spaces and many venues work for live paella, but a few things matter:
- Parking close enough to carry equipment
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- Level ground for the pans and burners
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise.
Popular choices
- Canapé tapas
- Sangria & bar staff
- Paella wedding breakfast
- Dessert
- Table tapas
- Evening paella
Places near Hadlow Down
What else we do in Hadlow Down
How we price wedding paella catering
Your quote will be clear and itemised. The main things that affect it are:
- The paellas you choose
- The number of people
- Parking and unloading
- The length of service
The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, plus any staff, crockery and travel. We quote for each event individually.
What we need to know
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what’s useful:
- The address or venue name
- A photo of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- Roughly how many adults and children
Each quote is tailored to your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we’ll check availability at the same time.
Is live paella right for your wedding?
Choosing between paella and a traditional menu?, think about your venue, your guests’ diets and the feel of the day. Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you can choose exactly what you need.
What you get with us
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Events in Hadlow Down and across East Sussex
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
Take a look at Our prices page Or Our guide to catering costs.
- 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