Isle of Wight · England
Tapas Catering in Ashey
Planning tapas catering in Ashey? We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook while your guests watch.
- Engagement celebrations
- Tapas and paella menus
- Drinks reception canapés
Live tapas catering in Ashey
How our tapas catering works in Ashey
We finish hot tapas on site, so they arrive hot. On the menu are croquetas, patatas bravas and tortilla española, and typical bookings are for sharing boards for evening guests and tapas starters.
Near Ashey, tapas and sangria suit a garden or field party. You can add tapas, desserts, sangria, bar staff and waiting staff, so the whole menu comes from one caterer.
- Where
- Ashey (PO33)
- Area hub
- Isle of Wight
- Special diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Extras
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Price
- Contact us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
For planners, venues and organisers
If you are booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we’ll talk you through the process. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Throwing a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we will let you know if live paella is a good fit.
What happens on the day
Service is quick: the paella goes straight from the pan to the plate, so large groups are fed quickly. Afterwards we clear our cooking area away. At midsummer, it’s light in Ashey until about 9:20pm, ideal for tapas in the garden. By late September it is dark around 7:10pm, and in December by about 4:00pm.
- First, we check availability.
- You choose canapés, table tapas or both.
- We arrive and set up our station.
- Hot and cold tapas are served.
- We clear away at the end.
Preparing for the day
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Give us a contact for the day
- Tell us where to park and unload
Get a quote
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. To send your details, fill in our quote form.
Planning help
What we need at the venue
Safety and good cooking both depend on the spot we use. We look for:
- Venue approval for outside catering
- Access to unload near the serving area
- A spot for our serving station
For somewhere as remote as Ashey, early notice helps us plan the trip.
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
What we offer
- Patatas bravas
- Albóndigas
- Manchego & membrillo
- Gambas al ajillo
- Croquetas
- Chorizo in red wine
- Serrano ham
- Tortilla española
- Padrón peppers
- Olives & bread
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. 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.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it is in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Planning a tapas spread in Ashey
Ashey is about 2 miles south-west of Ryde, in the Isle of Wight. For an event in Ashey, we can cook in gardens, marquees, barns, courtyards and offices. We cook in all 125 towns and villages in the Isle of Wight, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is Southampton, about 18 miles away.
Historic buildings near Ashey frequently have strict catering rules, so ask early if that’s your venue. Nearby historic houses include Nunwell House (1.5 miles south-east) and Morton Manor (2.3 miles south-east). For a drinks reception at a historic venue, canapé tapas can work where live cooking is not allowed. With the sea within about 3 miles, seafood tapas such as gambas al ajillo are a natural choice.
For tapas catering in PO33, we plan around your venue and your guests. We also cook at events in Adgestone (2 miles south-east), Brading (2 miles south-east), Morton (2 miles south-east), Alverstone Garden Village (2 miles south) and Yarbridge (2 miles south-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Newport (5 miles west), Cowes (7 miles north-west), Sandown (3 miles south), Shanklin (5 miles south), Ventnor (7 miles south) and East Cowes (6 miles north-west). For an event at a remote venue, let us know early and we’ll plan the trip.
Other landmarks nearby include Sandown Castle (3.3 miles south-east) and Cothey Bottom Heritage Centre (2 miles north-east). Not far away are Briddlesford Nature Reserve and Brading Down.
What tapas catering costs
There’s nothing hidden: the price is based on:
- Waiting and bar staff
- The number of people
- Whether you need crockery
- Starters, canapés and desserts
There is no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. Your quote spells it all out.
Getting an accurate quote
The more we know about your event, the better we can plan. Please include:
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- What the venue already provides
- A photo of the space, if you can
- Where the event is
Every quote is put together for your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll check availability at the same time.
Dishes our guests love
Patatas bravas
Fried potatoes with spicy sauce, often with alioli.
Croquetas
Creamy croquettes with a crisp coat, often with ham or mushroom.
FAQs for Ashey
What’s the nearest station to Ashey for guests?
Smallbrook Junction station, about 1.5 miles north-east of the centre.
Do you come out to small places like Ashey?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Let us know about access and parking.
Do you do starters?
Yes. Canapé tapas with the drinks, or table tapas to share, served while the paella cooks.
How much space do you need?
A level space for the pans, burners and a serving table, in the open air or a ventilated covered area, plus the venue’s agreement to cooking.
Can you do gluten-free paella?
A gluten-free pan is no problem. Let us know about coeliac guests in advance so we take the right care.
Do you serve drinks with tapas?
Sangria, yes, plus bar staff for your own drinks.
How far ahead should we book?
As soon as you have a date. Popular dates book up first, so it pays to ask early.
Do you do vegan paella?
Yes. We cook vegetarian and vegan paellas in their own pans, alongside the meat and seafood pans.
Towns and villages near Ashey
More for events in Ashey
Events we cater in Ashey
They cover lots of tastes and diets in one spread.
These are some of the occasions we cater in Ashey and the Isle of Wight:
- Tapas with a paella main course
- Engagement drinks
- Table tapas as a starter
- Sharing boards for evening guests
Guests travelling by rail: Smallbrook Junction station is about 1.5 miles away.
What to look for in a quote
- The venue requirements
- Payment terms and deposit
- Travel and parking costs
- What happens if it rains
Planning for every diet
Paella is one of the easiest dishes for mixed diets, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. A few tips:
- Widen the selection for a tapas-only menu
- Keep seafood and meat dishes clearly separate
- Label vegetarian and allergen-free dishes
- Include staff for canapés
Tapas go out to the tables.
Bar staff and sangria.
- 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