West Sussex · England
Wedding Paella Catering for Tilgate events
Paella catering for weddings, from canapés to the wedding breakfast and evening food in Tilgate: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, in full view of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Rustic barn weddings
- Wedding receptions after a small ceremony
- Informal wedding breakfasts
Book wedding paella catering in Tilgate
The process
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. At midsummer, sunset in Tilgate is about 9:20pm, so we can time the evening paella around your photos. Sunset is around 8:50pm in late May and 7:05pm in late September.
- Send us your wedding date, venue and numbers.
- Together we plan each course.
- We agree timings with you and your venue.
- We cook live on the day 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
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Share the running order, including any speeches
Ask for a quote
Every quote is put together for your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we will confirm whether we are available that day.
Related guides
Wedding paella catering for your wedding in Tilgate
Paella has a natural rhythm: the rice needs about 20 minutes and is best served immediately. We time it around your speeches and photos. Whether it is farm and barn venues and vow renewals and civil ceremonies, we can cook canapé tapas, evening paella and a paella wedding breakfast and more.
For a smaller place like Tilgate, a garden or farm wedding is frequently the dream. We need level ground and access. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
- Area
- Tilgate (RH10, RH11)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Special diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Also available
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Planning the cooking area
No two venues are the same, so we ask about the space before we confirm. Generally, we look for:
- Good ventilation: outdoors, or an open-sided cover
- Access for unloading near the cooking spot
- Flat, firm ground for the cooking area
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think before booking.
Popular choices
- Canapé tapas
- Sangria & bar staff
- Table tapas
- Evening paella
- Paella wedding breakfast
- Dessert
Events we cater in Tilgate
It fills the gap between ceremony and meal: watch the pans.
Whatever you are celebrating in Tilgate, live paella can be the centrepiece. We frequently cook for:
- Barn and farm weddings
- Garden and marquee weddings
- Vow renewals and civil ceremonies
- Food for evening guests
For guests travelling by train, Crawley station is about 0.6 miles away.
Comparing caterers
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- When final numbers are due
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- VAT, if it applies
For planners, venues and organisers
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We’ll provide any information the landowner or council asks for.
If you’re booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will explain how it works. We’re happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
Weddings in Tilgate: venues, ceremonies and travel
Tilgate is about 1 mile south-east of Crawley, in West Sussex. We cater weddings at gardens, halls and venues around Tilgate and nearby villages. We cater in all 371 towns and villages in West Sussex. Our nearest city page is Brighton, about 19 miles away.
Nearby historic houses include Tyes Place (4.6 miles south). If your reception is at a historic house or estate, ask early about its rules on caterers and live cooking. For outdoor photos, Tilgate Lake is close by, and the countryside around Tilgate suits an outdoor reception.
Wedding paella catering in RH10 and RH11 is planned around your venue and your guests. From York Road, Nash Road and Cook Road or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. Nearby, we also cater weddings in Southgate (1 mile west), Crawley (1 mile north-west), Three Bridges (1 mile north-east), Maidenbower (1 mile east) and West Green (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Horsham (7 miles south-west), Haywards Heath (8 miles south-east), Burgess Hill (10 miles south), East Grinstead (7 miles east), Billingshurst (13 miles south-west) and Roffey (6 miles west).
Well-known places in the area include County Mall (0.7 miles north-west) and Crawley Hospital (1.2 miles north-west). Open spaces near Tilgate include Tilgate Lake.
- Local schools include Three Bridges Junior School (0.5 miles north-west) and Thomas Bennett Community College (0.6 miles south-west)
- Pubs nearby include The Grasshopper pub (within half a mile south)
FAQs for Tilgate
Can you cook in Tilgate Park?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, typically the council. Ask them first, and we’ll send any information they need.
Is Tilgate close to London?
About 28 miles from central London, and well within our area.
Do you do desserts?
We do. Churros, crema catalana and tarta de Santiago are popular choices, or you can serve your own cake.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Yes, children are easy to cater for. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we’ll plan a pan with them in mind.
Can you cook indoors?
Usually we cook outdoors or under a ventilated cover, because we use gas burners. We will check whether your venue has a suitable space.
What space do you need to cook?
Less than you might think: a flat spot away from anything flammable, with space to serve. Send us a picture if you’re not sure.
What if the timings change?
Tell us and we will adjust. We keep in touch with your venue on the day so the paella is served fresh.
Is paella too casual for a wedding?
With the right presentation, it feels special: canapés, table tapas, good crockery and staff serving the tables.
The menu, dish by dish
Paella wedding breakfast
The main event: paellas for every diet, served straight from the pan.
Evening paella
Fresh pans for evening guests, served quickly so the party keeps going.
Live paella or other catering?
Compared with formal catering, live paella is relaxed and sociable, but with canapés, table tapas and good crockery, it still feels special. Got a budget? Let us know, and we will put together a menu that fits. A simple menu can still feel generous.
What you get with us
- A clear, itemised quote
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- Events in Tilgate and across West Sussex
Diets, allergies and planning
We take diets and allergies seriously. Here’s how you can help:
- Tell us about suppliers who need feeding
- Add a dietary question to your RSVP cards
- Enquire early for peak dates
- Tell us how many evening guests to expect
If things run late, and we will adjust the cooking so the paella is served at its best.
Table tapas make a sociable starter.
Nearby places to Tilgate
More for events in Tilgate
What affects the price in Tilgate
There are no hidden charges: the quote reflects:
- Whether you need crockery
- The length of service
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- Parking and unloading
When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
Details that help
For a quote, it helps to have:
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- The date and rough timings
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
We need only a few details to quote: date, location, guest numbers and diets. You can use our quote form.
- 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