Paella Catering in East Sussex

Food Comes First provides professional caterers based in East Sussex and cater for most events across the South East. From private dining to weddings, music festivals to paellas and barbecues.

What do you need to know from an organiser in order to provide a comprehensive quote?

In order to provide a comprehensive quote for your event there are a number of details we need.
The event date and potential venue and whether it is inside or outside. The estimated amount of guests and what type of occasion it is. The type of food and a rough idea of budget. What equipment the venue has so we can decide what we need to bring or potentially hire?

What advice would you give to a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?

It is important to ask the provider about their experience and whether their type of catering is suited to your event. Ask how many years of experience they have and ask for some examples of similar events. Be clear about the style of service you want; whether it be formal or informal, served or self-serve. Ask whether they have the necessary equipment for your event or whether they would need to hire it. Most caterers are adaptable and will try and fit in with your wishes.

Please tell us a little bit about how and why you started the business.

I spent most of my 20s working in hotel management and my 30s working in the arts and bringing up children. Then in my late 30s, I took on a business running the catering for the biggest catering attraction in the South East. After 10 years I moved to the south coast and started Food Comes First. I wanted to go back to working with interesting and exciting food and being more hands-on. I also wanted more flexibility. I gradually built up the business doing house parties and small events and have built it up to regularly doing weddings for 100-plus people. I love the whole process of planning a wedding; from the first to chat, to tastings, to visiting venues to the big day itself.

Please tell us about a booking you've had through Add to Event, how did it go? Would you recommend us to others?

I get probably a third of my work through Add to Event; the rest is word of mouth or repeat business, so it is a very valuable site for our business.
I have met so many interesting people and have made some great contacts. The types of events are diverse; from dinners to parties, wakes and christenings and weddings. I particularly like doing canapes and paellas.
One of my favourites this year was a wedding in a barn for 120. They had champagne and canapes, a BBQ, cocktails and cakes in the afternoon and then we ran the bar and provided hot dogs for 150 in the evening. It was a beautiful day and everyone was so happy and my team were amazing.