Catering and event hire in Brighton & Hove

For a celebration near Brighton seafront or Hove Lagoon, decide where guests will eat if the beachside spot feels exposed on the day. Share the indoor and outdoor floor plans with us so food service fits the space you actually have booked.

Wedding guests enjoying pizza beside the Fables vintage horsebox
Stone-baked pizza from the Fables horsebox.

Bring the food and event setup together

Start with what you want the day to feel like. You might want canapés while the wedding photographs are taken, lunch that fits a conference break, or hot pizza as guests arrive at an evening party. If you need a marquee, tables, crockery or a photo booth as well, we can work those into the same enquiry. Fables is based near Peterborough and travels to Brighton & Hove for pre-booked events. For an event elsewhere in England, browse our city catering guides.

Catering for your occasion

Guests taking slices from an open box of pepperoni pizza

Weddings

Choose food for the whole day or just the part you need. A drinks reception can start with canapés, followed by a sit-down wedding breakfast or sharing platters. A vintage pizza horsebox or street food can serve your evening guests. Give us separate daytime and evening numbers so we can plan each service around your timetable.

Guests sharing pizza from takeaway boxes in front of a bright mural

Corporate events

Book breakfasts, buffet lunches, canapé receptions or hot food for meetings, conferences and staff celebrations. Let us know if guests have one short break or several shifts. The service window helps us decide where to put the food and how quickly your group can be served.

Guest being served from barbecue buffet trays at a booked event

Private parties

For a birthday, anniversary or family celebration, pick a menu that suits how guests will eat. A staffed buffet works indoors when everyone is ready at once. A barbecue or pizza horsebox can suit a relaxed outdoor reception where the venue has room for cooking and serving.

Choose food that works for your event

Compare serving styles before you settle on a menu. The space, the number of people eating at once and the time you have to feed them are as important as the food itself.

A vintage green Fables horsebox with its serving hatch and branded sign at an indoor exhibition

Pizza horseboxes

Stone-baked pizza cooked at your venue. Serve it as the main food at a party or bring it in for the evening part of a wedding.

Serving bowls of salads and grilled flatbread on a buffet table

BBQ and grill

A relaxed hot-food option for celebrations and staff events with an agreed outdoor cooking area and a plan for wet weather.

A grazing board with cheese, cured meat, crackers, tomatoes and fruit

Buffets and grazing

Compare a staffed buffet for a meal with a grazing display guests can visit as they mingle. Tell us which role the food needs to play.

Cherry tomato and cream cheese crostini on a slate serving board

Canapés and receptions

Serve small bites while guests arrive, network or wait for the next part of the day. Agree the serving window and whether you need waiting staff.

Inside the Fables double-decker catering bus, with wooden dining tables and green lampshades

Street food

Set up an informal meal for an evening reception or company celebration. Decide where guests will queue and whether they’ll eat standing or at tables.

Tiered stand with scones and small cakes beside cups and saucers

Breakfast and afternoon tea

Start an early meeting with breakfast, or plan sandwiches, cakes and tea for a seated celebration or a longer meeting break.

Event hire to go with your catering

If you’re starting with a garden, field or empty room, tell us what the venue already has. We can quote for the extra items you need and plan when suppliers can set up around the food service.

Round tables arranged in a cream-lined marquee

Marquees and outdoor cover

Plan space for dining, serving and dancing, with room for the team to work. We’ll need the proposed location, available ground and delivery access.

A star-lit dance floor beneath a dark canopy with seated event guests

Furniture, crockery and staff

Ask about tables, chairs, tableware and waiting staff. Confirm quantities and service hours in the quote so you know what is included on the day.

An illuminated mirror photo booth beside red ropes

Photo booths and finishing touches

Add a photo booth or other hire for the part of the day guests will use it. Share the floor plan so we can discuss where it fits without blocking access.

What does catering in Brighton & Hove cost?

Our published package guide uses typical weddings of 70–110 guests. It gives the following figures to help you plan. For your own event, we quote against the menu, guest numbers, venue access, serving times and any hire or staffing you need.

Pizza horsebox or street food

£700–£2,000+

Typical wedding package guide

Canapés

£10–£18 per guest

Published typical price guide

View packages and guide prices

Planning a catered event around Brighton & Hove

The first useful detail is the venue postcode. Two venues close to each other can have very different supplier entrances, working spaces and access times.

Brighton seafront and promenade venues

Confirm whether the venue’s supplier entrance is reached from the road or from behind the building. The promenade may be the obvious route for guests, but your venue needs to confirm the approach for catering equipment. Ask where a queue can form without sharing the public walkway.

Visit Brighton’s seafront overview

Weather cover for a Hove celebration

For a seafront-facing terrace or garden in Hove, plan where the meal can move if wind or rain affects the outside setup. Check what shelter the venue permits and whether the indoor room has enough space for a serving point and seated guests.

Supplier access and setup

Ask whether suppliers can enter from the seafront or a street behind the venue. If you have an outdoor serving space, check the prevailing exposure with the venue and agree a sheltered fallback before you book.

Catering venue checklist

What organisers say about Fables

One wedding customer reported that Fables served pizza to all 130 guests and that the service ran smoothly. In verified Add to Event reviews, a corporate organiser praised the team’s organisation and food, and another customer described how the team arranged pizza catering at short notice.

A chef preparing pizza beside the counter inside the catering unit
Photos show Fables catering and hire at a range of events.

How to book

  1. Tell us about the event

    Send the date, venue postcode, approximate guest numbers and which parts of the day you want us to cater.

  2. Choose your menu and setup

    We’ll check availability and discuss which menus, serving arrangements and hire work at your venue.

  3. Review your quote

    Check the food, agreed service times and hire items together. Share any venue restrictions before confirming.

Brighton & Hove catering questions

Can I book pizza for the evening if another caterer is doing the wedding breakfast?

Yes. Tell us when evening guests will arrive and when the main meal is due to finish. We’ll discuss the position for the horsebox and the serving window around speeches, dancing and the other supplier’s plans.

Evening wedding pizza
Can a pizza horsebox serve at a city-centre venue in Brighton & Hove?

It depends on the venue and vehicle route. We need a suitable place to turn and park, room to serve guests, and electricity. Ask the venue for its supplier entrance and loading arrangements, then send us the postcode and photos of the proposed pitch.

Horsebox venue planning
What can you do if our venue has no kitchen or outdoor power?

Tell us what the venue can provide before choosing a menu. A horsebox still needs a suitable pitch and electricity. If the venue cannot supply power at the agreed location, ask whether we can provide our own and include it in the quote.

Catering venue checklist
Can you serve a corporate lunch in a short break?

Share the break length and how many guests will arrive together. We can discuss an appropriate menu, serving position and whether to stagger arrivals. Confirm the serving timetable when you agree your booking.

Corporate catering options
Can I combine catering and a marquee in the same quote?

Yes. Share your postcode, guest numbers, available space and plans for dining and dancing. Tell us if you also need tables, chairs, lighting or waiting staff so those can be priced as part of the same brief.

Marquee site planning
How should I plan for bad weather at an outdoor event?

Agree where guests can eat and how they will reach the serving point if it rains. Tell us what cover is available and check the venue’s rules for cooking or equipment under it. We’ll discuss a layout that works for the agreed menu and site.

Outdoor event planning
What information do you need if daytime and evening guest numbers differ?

Give a separate estimate for each service and tell us what food is already planned. For example, a drinks reception, meal and evening pizza may each have a different headcount. We’ll use those numbers when discussing portions and timing.

Wedding catering options
Do guests pay for food at the event?

The event organiser books and pays for catering in advance. We agree the menu, guest numbers and serving times with you so your guests can be served as part of the event.

Can we have a barbecue at a private venue near the Brighton or Hove seafront?

Ask whether your venue permits cooking outdoors and agree a sheltered serving spot within your hire area. Send a photo of the space and tell us which indoor food options you could use if the outdoor setup is unavailable.

Do you cater outside Brighton & Hove as well?

Yes. We are based near Peterborough and cater across the UK. Share the venue postcode so we can check travel, availability and setup for your particular booking.

Get a quote for your Brighton & Hove event

Send your date, venue or postcode, approximate guest numbers and the food or hire you have in mind. If you are still choosing a venue, tell us which area and serving style you are considering.