Wedding Catering Sussex
Choosing Your Catering Style
Before you think about menus, think about the experience you want your guests to have around the table. The format shapes everything else.
Formal sit-down dinner — The traditional choice, and still very much the most popular. Guests are seated, courses are served, and the whole thing has a considered, unhurried pace. Works beautifully for weddings with a classic, elegant feel. Most caterers will offer a two or three course format, sometimes with an amuse-bouche or pre-dessert added for a more special touch.
Sharing and feasting — This has grown enormously in popularity over the last few years, and for very good reason. Large platters are placed along the centre of the table for guests to help themselves, which creates an immediate sense of warmth and celebration. It’s relaxed, generous, and tends to generate more conversation than individual plated meals. Particularly well-suited to barn venues like Selden Barns where the atmosphere is naturally convivial.
Food stations — Rather than a single sitting, different food stations are spread around the venue and guests graze as they move between them. Think carved meats, pasta stations, mezze spreads, wood-fired pizza, or paella.
This works especially well for evening receptions or for couples who want a more relaxed, festival-style feel to the day.Hog roast and BBQ — A perennial favourite for summer weddings and outdoor receptions, done well by the right caterer these feel genuinely spectacular rather than casual. The theatre of a whole roasted animal at the centre of proceedings never fails to impress, and the food is always crowd-pleasing.
Afternoon tea — Increasingly popular for daytime or early evening celebrations, particularly for smaller weddings. Finger sandwiches, scones, pastries, and miniature cakes feel indulgent and distinctly British — and they photograph beautifully.
Most couples choose a combination across the day: canapés during the drinks reception, a sit-down or feasting dinner for the wedding breakfast, and then a lighter supper or street food-style spread for the evening guests.
Thinking Seasonally
One of the best things you can do for your wedding menu is lean into the season you’re marrying in. Seasonal ingredients are fresher, more flavourful, and — importantly — more abundant and affordable. Here’s how each season lends itself to wedding food:
Spring (March–May) — This is the season of lightness and freshness. Think English asparagus, pea and mint dishes, spring lamb, and delicate herb-forward flavours. Lighter canapés and starter courses feel very at home here, and floral garnishes on desserts tie the food into the season beautifully. For evening food, antipasti boards and grazing tables work wonderfully as the evenings begin to brighten.
Summer (June–August) — Summer weddings at Selden Barns are made for outdoor drinks, BBQs, and long evening receptions. Crowd-pleasers like hog roasts, grilled fish, vibrant salads, and cold desserts come into their own. Canapés with strawberries and elderflower, or a Pimm’s-inspired drinks course, set the tone perfectly. Food stations and sharing boards work especially well when the mood is relaxed and guests are drifting inside and out.
Autumn (September–November) — Arguably the most luxurious season for food. Game, root vegetables, earthy mushrooms, pumpkins, and late-harvest fruits give menus a rich, warming quality that feels genuinely indulgent. Think slow-braised meats, velvety soups as a starter, and desserts featuring apple, pear, or spiced plum. This is also the season where a cheese course with local Sussex cheeses and artisan crackers really comes into its own.
Winter (December–February) — Winter is a wonderful time to be at Selden Barns, and the food can feel wonderfully theatrical. Warming canapés, rich starters, hearty mains, and desserts that feel comforting and celebratory all make sense here. Consider mulled wine and mince pies for the drinks reception, and don’t underestimate the impact of a late-night hot snack — sausage rolls, mac and cheese, or a mini burger station — to send your guests home happy.
Thinking Seasonally
One of the best things you can do for your wedding menu is lean into the season you’re marrying in. Seasonal ingredients are fresher, more flavourful, and — importantly — more abundant and affordable. Here’s how each season lends itself to wedding food:
Spring (March–May) — This is the season of lightness and freshness. Think English asparagus, pea and mint dishes, spring lamb, and delicate herb-forward flavours. Lighter canapés and starter courses feel very at home here, and floral garnishes on desserts tie the food into the season beautifully. For evening food, antipasti boards and grazing tables work wonderfully as the evenings begin to brighten.
Summer (June–August) — Summer weddings at Selden Barns are made for outdoor drinks, BBQs, and long evening receptions. Crowd-pleasers like hog roasts, grilled fish, vibrant salads, and cold desserts come into their own. Canapés with strawberries and elderflower, or a Pimm’s-inspired drinks course, set the tone perfectly. Food stations and sharing boards work especially well when the mood is relaxed and guests are drifting inside and out.
Autumn (September–November) — Arguably the most luxurious season for food. Game, root vegetables, earthy mushrooms, pumpkins, and late-harvest fruits give menus a rich, warming quality that feels genuinely indulgent. Think slow-braised meats, velvety soups as a starter, and desserts featuring apple, pear, or spiced plum. This is also the season where a cheese course with local Sussex cheeses and artisan crackers really comes into its own.
Winter (December–February) — Winter is a wonderful time to be at Selden Barns, and the food can feel wonderfully theatrical. Warming canapés, rich starters, hearty mains, and desserts that feel comforting and celebratory all make sense here. Consider mulled wine and mince pies for the drinks reception, and don’t underestimate the impact of a late-night hot snack — sausage rolls, mac and cheese, or a mini burger station — to send your guests home happy.
Our Trusted Catering Partners
At Selden Barns, we’ve spent years building relationships with caterers who not only produce excellent food, but who also know our barn and work brilliantly within it. These four are our preferred partners, and every one of them has delivered consistently outstanding results for our couples.
Ren’s Kitchen is a Worthing-based catering company, bakery, and café founded by Ren, a professionally trained chef with decades of experience. Their food is modern, vibrant, and globally influenced, with a particular strength in vegetarian and vegan cooking, artisan baking, and the kind of generous family feasting menus that turn a dining room into a party. Transparent pricing, no hidden costs, and complimentary tasting sessions before you book make them one of the most approachable and stress-free choices on our list.
The Gourmet Chef, based in Goring-by-Sea, is the choice for couples who want genuine culinary finesse. Their menus are always bespoke, always built on the finest local Sussex ingredients, and span everything from elegant multi-course dinners through to wood-fired pizza, paella, hog roasts, and afternoon tea. Members of the National Caterers Association and founding members of the Association of Bridal and Wedding Businesses, they bring both creativity and rigorous professionalism to every event they cater.
Mid Sussex Catering is a family-run business with over a decade of experience and thousands of events behind them. They offer a genuinely comprehensive service — food, bar, staffing, table linen, equipment hire — so couples who want everything handled in one place will find them an excellent fit. They’re particularly valued for the care and attentiveness they bring to every individual brief, ensuring personal touches and dietary details are always followed through.
Hardings Catering is one of the South Coast’s most established catering companies, built almost entirely on word-of-mouth over 18 years. Family-run and Worthing-based, they specialise in bespoke weddings and events and are known for their exceptional use of locally sourced Sussex ingredients — working with named local producers including Handcross Butchers, fresh seafood from Hove Lagoon, and Sussex cheeses from Turners. Every package includes full menu consultation, all crockery, glassware, white table linen, uniformed staff, and a dedicated event manager on the day.
Ready to Start Planning?
All four of our preferred caterers offer consultations and tastings, so you can get a genuine feel for the food and the team before committing. We’re always happy to share our thoughts on which caterer might suit your particular vision and guest numbers.
To find out more, visit our catering page — or get in touch and we’ll be delighted to help you start putting your day together.