Brighton and Hove · England
Wedding Paella Catering for Hollingdean events
From the first sizzle in the pan to the last crispy spoonful, paella catering for weddings, from canapés to the wedding breakfast and evening food makes the food a highlight of your wedding in Hollingdean.
- Evening wedding food
- Garden and marquee weddings
- Big weddings with every diet
Wedding paella catering near Hollingdean
Wedding paella catering for your wedding in Hollingdean
At a wedding, paella is both the meal and a bit of a show. Guests wander over to watch while the photos are taken, and the food arrives hot and plentiful. Whether it’s wedding receptions after a small ceremony and rustic barn weddings, we can cook evening paella, table tapas and a paella wedding breakfast and more.
Weddings in a place like Hollingdean frequently feel personal: a local church, then a marquee in a garden or field. A huge pan on the lawn fits right in. Tell us about access to the field or garden. You can add tapas, desserts, sangria, bar staff and waiting staff, so one booking can cover the whole menu.
- Location
- Hollingdean (BN1, BN2)
- Area hub
- Brighton and Hove
- Special diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Extras
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Price
- Contact us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Dishes our guests love
Table tapas
Bowls and boards set down in the middle of each table, such as patatas bravas, croquetas and Manchego.
Canapé tapas
Canapés keep guests happy between the ceremony and the meal.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, have hot stock ready, and don’t stir once the rice goes in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and handles separate pans for each diet.
Organising for someone else?
Venues frequently have their own rules about outside caterers: where cooking is allowed, access times and the paperwork they need. Send us your venue’s requirements and we’ll follow them.
If you are booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we’ll explain how it works. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Getting married in Hollingdean?
Hollingdean is about 1 mile north of Brighton, in Brighton and Hove. For a wedding in Hollingdean, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices. Hollingdean is one of 30 towns and villages in Brighton and Hove we cover.
Put the station on your invitation: the nearest station is Moulsecoomb station, about 0.5 miles east. If you are marrying at a church near Hollingdean, such as St Richard's, a reception in a garden, marquee or hired venue nearby keeps the day flowing: the paella can be cooking while you have photos taken, so it is ready as guests arrive. The South Downs National Park is within about 6 miles of Hollingdean, with plenty of rural wedding settings. Ask your venue about access and cooking rules. The sea is within about 2 miles, perfect for a seafood paella wedding. Coastal wind needs a sheltered cooking spot.
Wherever your wedding is in BN1 and BN2, we can bring wedding paella catering to you. Local streets include Mayo Road, Dewe Road and Rugby Road; a wedding at home on any of them works well with live paella. For weddings just outside Hollingdean, we cover Brighton (1 mile south), Preston (1 mile west), Moulsecoomb (1 mile east), Prestonville (1 mile south-west) and Hanover (1 mile south). Further out, we also cater in Brighton and Hove (3 miles west), Aldrington (3 miles west), Hangleton (3 miles west), Saltdean (5 miles south-east), East Saltdean (5 miles south-east) and Roedean (3 miles south-east). Being one of Brighton and Hove’s larger places, Hollingdean has lots of places to hold a wedding.
Well-known places in the area include Brighton General Hospital (1.1 miles south-east) and Clayton Castle (4.6 miles north). Open spaces near Hollingdean include Newmarket Hill and Bevendean Down.
- Local schools include Varndean School (0.5 miles north-west) and Varndean College (0.8 miles north-west)
- Local pubs include The Pub at Fiveways (within half a mile west)
Planning the cooking area
Most outdoor spaces and many venues work for live paella, but a few things matter:
- An open-sided catering gazebo next to the marquee
- Outdoor space or a ventilated gazebo
- A level, firm spot for the burners and pans
If you’re unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think.
Menu ideas
- Dessert
- Table tapas
- Evening paella
- Paella wedding breakfast
- Sangria & bar staff
- Canapé tapas
Planning for every diet
Most events have a mix of diets. To plan for them:
- Enquire early for peak dates
- Tell us about suppliers who need feeding
- Put us in touch with your venue
- Collect dietary needs on the RSVP
We clear our cooking area away afterwards; staff you’ve booked stay as agreed.
Canapés during the photos keep hunger at bay.
What happens on the day
Your timings come first. If speeches run late or the photos take longer, we adjust the cooking so it’s served at its best. At midsummer, sunset in Hollingdean is about 9:15pm, so we can time the evening paella around your photos. In late May, sunset is about 8:50pm, and in late September about 7:05pm.
- We start with your date, venue, numbers and ideas.
- We build the menu course by course and send a quote.
- We fit our timings around your speeches, photos and venue.
- On the day, we set up, cook in front of your guests and serve each course.
- We pack down our cooking area, with staff staying as long as agreed.
Getting ready for the day
- Give us a contact for the day
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Let us know the timings for the day
Get a quote
Every quote is put together for your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we will check availability at the same time.
Planning help
What wedding paella catering costs
Here’s what makes the biggest difference to the price:
- Your choice of paellas
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- Guest numbers
Live paella pricing depends on the event. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. We itemise everything in your quote.
Details that help
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. Here’s what’s useful:
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Which courses you have in mind
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- The date and rough timings
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. To send your details, send us your details through our quote form.
Events we cater in Hollingdean
It suits outdoor and rustic venues particularly well, where plated meals are harder.
Live paella suits almost any gathering. In Hollingdean, people book us for occasions like:
- Spanish-themed and destination-style weddings
- Informal wedding breakfasts
- Big weddings with every diet
- Barn and farm weddings
Historic houses near Hollingdean include Preston Manor & Gardens (0.9 miles west) and Royal Pavilion (1.5 miles south). If your reception is at a historic house or estate, ask early about its rules on caterers and live cooking.
What your quote should include
- Travel and parking costs
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- The deposit and payment dates
Also near Hollingdean
What else we do in Hollingdean
Questions from Hollingdean
Could we have live paella in William Clarke Park?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, usually the council. Check with them, and we will provide our paperwork.
Can you cater a reception after a service at St Richard's?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking normally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
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.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
We can, if you tell us in advance. The rice is gluten-free, but stocks and chorizo can contain gluten, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
Can you bring crockery?
Yes, if you need them. Let us know what you have, and we’ll quote for the rest.
Do you offer tastings?
Ask us about tastings when you get in touch.
Do you cook it at the event?
Yes. Every paella is cooked from scratch on site, in front of your guests.
Do you provide drinks?
Sangria, yes. We can also supply bar staff for your own drinks.
- 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