East Sussex · England
Wedding Paella Catering for Polegate events
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: paella catering for weddings, from canapés to the wedding breakfast and evening food for events in Polegate and across East Sussex.
- Wedding receptions after a small ceremony
- Rustic barn weddings
- Vow renewals and civil ceremonies
Wedding paella catering near Polegate
Wedding paella catering for your wedding in Polegate
Paella has a natural rhythm: the rice needs about 20 minutes and is best served immediately. We plan it around your speeches and photos. Whether it’s wedding receptions after a small ceremony and informal wedding breakfasts, we can cook table tapas, a paella wedding breakfast and evening paella.
For a smaller place like Polegate, a garden or farm wedding is frequently the dream. We need level ground and access. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, never made in advance and reheated.
- Where
- Polegate (BN26)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Dietary options
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Also available
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quote
- Quoted for your event
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Polegate questions
Is Polegate close to London?
About 49 miles from central London.
Can you cook at venues in the South Downs National Park?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We’ll follow the site rules.
What if the timings change?
We adapt. We stay in touch with your coordinator and time the rice so it is served at its best.
How many paellas should we have?
Normally two or three, so every guest has a choice. Tell us about your guests’ diets and we’ll suggest the mix.
Do you provide drinks?
We can make sangria, and provide bar staff to serve drinks you supply.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes, on request. Let us know your halal numbers, and it is cooked separately.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We pack down our cooking area after service. Clearing guests’ plates and tables can be added with waiting staff.
Can we add tapas or canapés?
Yes. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, while the rice is cooking.
Is live paella right for your wedding?
A buffet can leave food sitting out. Paella is served hot from the pan when guests are ready. Live paella pricing depends on the event. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. We itemise everything in your quote.
What you get with us
- Sangria and bar staff available
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- A quote that spells everything out
- Live cooking, not reheated food
Read Our prices page And Our guide to catering costs.
Perfect for your wedding in Polegate
It works as a wedding breakfast or evening food, so it fits any plan.
Live paella suits almost any gathering. In Polegate, people book us for events such as:
- Receptions after an intimate ceremony
- Spanish-themed and destination-style weddings
- Sharing-style wedding meals
- Barn and farm weddings
Nearby historic houses include Michelham Priory (3.2 miles north-west) and Alfriston Clergy House (4.1 miles west). Historic houses and estates often have their own rules on caterers and cooking, so check early if that’s your venue.
What your quote should include
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- How bad weather is handled
- The venue requirements
- A clear list of what’s included
Diets, allergies and planning
With a little notice, every diet is easy. We suggest:
- Add a dietary question to your RSVP cards
- Connect us with your coordinator
- Give us separate day and evening numbers
- Choose pan-side or table service
We clear our cooking area away afterwards; any staff stay as long as agreed.
Crockery, cutlery and waiting staff are available.
Planners, venues and businesses
If you are booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we’ll talk you through the process. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Cooking it yourself? Test your pan and burner first, keep the stock hot, and don’t stir once the rice goes in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
Places near Polegate
What else we do in Polegate
Planning the cooking area
We’ll agree the cooking spot with you before the day. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- Somewhere close to park and unload
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- A cooking spot outside the marquee, not inside it
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before you book.
Menu ideas
- Paella wedding breakfast
- Sangria & bar staff
- Table tapas
- Dessert
- Evening paella
- Canapé tapas
Step by step
The paella is cooked in giant, shallow pans over gas burners. It needs a level spot with some shelter and good ventilation, which we agree with you beforehand. In Polegate, midsummer sunset is about 9:15pm, and by late September it’s nearer 7:00pm, which means evening paella is generally served in daylight in June and July. Later in the year, plan lighting: in December it’s dark by about 3:55pm.
- First, we check your date.
- You pick the courses and dishes.
- We confirm the plan with your coordinator.
- Guests watch the paella cook during the reception.
- We serve, then pack down.
Getting ready for the day
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
- Tell us when you want to eat
Get a quote
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. When you’re ready, use our quote form.
Related guides
Dishes our guests love
Paella wedding breakfast
A choice of paellas, served at the pans or to the tables, with bread and salad.
Table tapas
Sharing tapas breaks the ice.
Polegate weddings: local tips
Polegate is about 3 miles south of Hailsham, in East Sussex. For a wedding in Polegate, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices in and around Polegate. Polegate is one of 289 towns and villages in East Sussex where we cook. We cook right across the region, from Polegate to Brighton (17 miles away).
If you’re marrying at a church near Polegate, such as St John's Church of England Church, a reception in a garden, marquee or hired venue nearby keeps the day flowing: we can be cooking during the photos, so it’s ready as guests arrive. Put the station on your invitation: Polegate station is in Polegate itself. The South Downs National Park is within about 5 miles of Polegate, with plenty of rural wedding settings. Ask your venue about access and cooking rules. The sea is within about 5 miles, perfect for a seafood paella wedding. Coastal wind needs a sheltered cooking spot.
Here we cover the BN26 postcode area. From Station Road, High Street and Church Road or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. Main roads around Polegate include the A27 and A2270, which makes travel to your wedding easy. If your venue is just outside Polegate, we also cover Wannock (1 mile south-west), Lower Willingdon (1 mile south), Willingdon (1 mile south), Filching (2 miles south-west) and Folkington (2 miles west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Eastbourne (3 miles south-east), Hastings (14 miles east), Bexhill-on-Sea (10 miles east), Seaford (7 miles south-west), Lewes (11 miles west) and Hailsham (3 miles north).
Other landmarks nearby include Burlough Castle (3.4 miles west) and Eastbourne District General Hospital (2.5 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Combe Hill.
- Schools near Polegate include Willingdon Community School (0.8 miles south-west)
- Nearby, you will find Horse & Groom pub (less than half a mile south-west)
- 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