East Sussex · England
Wedding paella catering in Shortgate, East Sussex
Bring the theatre of live paella to your wedding in Shortgate. We cook from scratch on site, and serve it straight from the pan.
- Food for evening guests
- Informal wedding breakfasts
- Vow renewals and civil ceremonies
Live wedding paella catering in Shortgate
How our wedding paella catering works in Shortgate
Timing is everything with paella: once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, and it’s best served right away. We time it around your speeches and photos. We are frequently asked to cater relaxed sharing-style wedding breakfasts and food for evening guests, with Spanish desserts, table tapas and a paella wedding breakfast.
Rural weddings around Shortgate have a magic of their own, and paella cooking in the open air adds to it. Plan for access and a wet-weather cover. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, never made in advance and reheated, and served the moment it is ready.
- Area
- Shortgate (BN8)
- Area hub
- East Sussex
- Diets
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Extras
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quote
- Contact us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Events we cater in Shortgate
It gives guests something to do between the ceremony and the meal: gather round the cooking.
Whatever the occasion, live paella can be the centrepiece. We regularly cater:
- Relaxed sharing-style wedding breakfasts
- Food for evening guests
- Civil partnerships and vow renewals
- Marquee and garden weddings
For guests travelling by train, Uckfield station is about 3.9 miles away.
What to look for in a quote
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- How bad weather is handled
- Whether VAT is included
Your questions about wedding paella catering in Shortgate
Is Shortgate close to London?
Roughly 41 miles from the centre of London, and well within our area.
Do you cater in the South Downs National Park?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We’ll work to whatever the site needs.
How many different paellas?
Two or three is usual: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We will suggest a split based on your guests.
Is paella too casual for a wedding?
With the right presentation, it feels special: canapés, table tapas, good crockery and staff serving the tables.
Do you take everything away?
Our cooking area is packed away and left clean. Ask us about table clearing if you need it.
How long does the paella take?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
Will you talk to our venue?
Yes. We’ll speak to your venue about access and timings.
Can you cater the whole day?
We can cater as much or as little of the day as you like, from canapés to evening food.
A closer look at the menu
Paella wedding breakfast
Paellas for every guest, served hot and generous.
Canapé tapas
One- and two-bite tapas on boards, ideal for the drinks reception.
Weddings in Shortgate: venues, ceremonies and travel
Shortgate is about 4 miles south of Uckfield, in East Sussex. For wedding paella catering in Shortgate, we plan around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. Shortgate is one of 289 towns and villages in East Sussex we cover. Our events stretch from Shortgate to Brighton (12 miles away).
Nearby historic houses include Glyndebourne (3.5 miles south-west) and Glynde Place (4 miles south-west). Historic houses and estates frequently have their own rules on caterers and cooking, so check early if that is your venue. Cliffe Hill nearby makes a lovely backdrop for photos, and the countryside around Shortgate suits an outdoor reception. The South Downs National Park is within about 6 miles of Shortgate, with plenty of rural wedding settings. Check vehicle access and cooking rules with the venue.
Here we cover the BN8 postcode area. Close by, we cover weddings in Halland (1 mile north-east), East Hoathly (2 miles east), Whitesmith (2 miles east), Chiddingly (3 miles east) and Framfield (4 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Eastbourne (12 miles south-east), Seaford (10 miles south), Lewes (6 miles south-west), Hailsham (7 miles south-east), Crowborough (10 miles north) and Newhaven (9 miles south).
Nearby you’ll also find Uckfield Community Hospital (3.6 miles north) and Tickerage Castle (4.1 miles north). The countryside around Shortgate includes Cliffe Hill and Malling Down.
Nearby places to Shortgate
Other catering in Shortgate
Paella compared with other options
Hog roasts are popular but tricky for mixed diets. Separate paella pans cover every diet. Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so it helps to tell us about your venue. Everything is confirmed in writing.
Why choose Love Paella in Shortgate
- Live cooking, not reheated food
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- A clear, itemised quote
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
Diets, allergies and planning
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. We suggest:
- Check the venue’s rules for outside caterers
- Enquire early for peak dates
- Connect us with your coordinator
- Send us the running order and speech times
Fresh pans can be cooked for evening guests, timed for after the first dance.
A table tapas starter gets everyone sharing.
What happens on the day
The cooking is part of the entertainment. We start with the sofrito, add the stock and saffron, then spread the rice across the pan and leave it alone to cook while your guests chat. In Shortgate, midsummer sunset is about 9:15pm, and by late September it is nearer 7:05pm, so an evening paella for evening guests is normally served in daylight in high summer. For autumn and winter weddings, when it is dark by about 3:55pm in December, plan lighting for the cooking area.
- Share your date, venue, numbers and plans for the day.
- We plan a menu with you, course by course, and confirm a quote.
- We fit our timings around your speeches, photos and venue.
- We cook live on the day and serve every course on cue.
- Afterwards we clear our area; any staff you’ve booked stay as planned.
How to prepare
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Ensure we can park close by to unload
Ask for a quote
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, plus any dietary needs, and you will get a menu idea and a price. To get started, use our quote form.
Read more
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and do not stir once the rice goes in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. 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.
What affects the price in Shortgate
Every event is priced individually, based on a few main things:
- Waiting and bar staff
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Distance and access to the venue
- Timings and hours
Live paella pricing depends on the event. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. Your quote spells it all out.
What we need to know
To check availability and price, we need:
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- The address or venue name
- Expected numbers
- The courses you’d like
Getting a quote is simple: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We’ll come back with a clear quote and a suggested menu.
Before you choose a spot
We’ll be honest if a space won’t work. What matters most:
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- Agreement from the venue or landowner to cook on site
- A cooking spot outside the marquee, not inside it
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think before booking.
Popular choices
- Canapé tapas
- Evening paella
- Table tapas
- Paella wedding breakfast
- Sangria & bar staff
- Dessert
- 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