Greater London · England
Tapas & canapé catering in Barkingside, Greater London
Something for every guest: separate pans for meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan guests. Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella in Barkingside.
- Receptions and drinks parties
- Birthday and anniversary parties
- Drinks reception canapés
Tapas catering for Barkingside events
Tapas catering in Barkingside, made fresh on the day
For standing receptions, canapés work best; table tapas suit seated meals. Many events have both. Popular choices include albóndigas, Manchego with membrillo and padrón peppers, and we’re regularly asked to cater tapas starters and evening grazing.
Canapé tapas suit smaller London spaces in Barkingside. Every pan is cooked in front of your guests, so it arrives hot and becomes part of the event.
- Area
- Barkingside (IG6, IG2, IG5)
- Area hub
- Greater London
- Dietary options
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Add-ons
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Price
- Contact us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Organising for someone else?
Venues often have their own rules about outside caterers: where cooking is allowed, access times and the paperwork they need. Tell us what your venue needs and we’ll work to it.
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.
Paella compared with other options
For food that gets people mingling, tapas are hard to beat. Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so your choice of paellas affects the total. Tell us your budget and we will suggest a menu.
Why choose Love Paella in Barkingside
- Events in Barkingside and across Greater London
- A clear, itemised quote
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
Read How we price And What paella catering costs.
Step by step
Service is quick: we serve straight from the pan, so even a long queue moves. Afterwards we clear our cooking area away. At midsummer, it’s light in Barkingside until about 9:20pm, ideal for tapas in the garden. By late September it is dark around 7:05pm, and in December by about 3:50pm.
- Send us the date, venue, numbers and serving style.
- We put together a tapas selection and a quote.
- On the day we arrive, set up and finish the hot tapas on site.
- Canapés circulate with drinks, or tapas go to the tables.
- We pack down when service ends.
How to prepare
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Ensure we can park close by to unload
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
How to get a price
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, plus any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. Just send us your details through our quote form.
Planning help
Receptions and parties in Barkingside
Barkingside is about 3 miles south-east of Woodford, in Greater London. Wherever your event is in the IG6 area, we will come to your venue or garden. Barkingside is one of 764 places in Greater London we cover. Our events stretch from Barkingside to London (10 miles away).
Historic buildings near Barkingside frequently have strict catering rules, so ask early if that’s your venue. Canapé tapas suit the drinks after a ceremony at a church like Children's Church And Lych Gate At Barnardo's.
For tapas catering in IG6, IG2 and IG5, we plan around your venue and your guests. That could mean an event in a garden on Bute Road, Duke Road and Oaks Lane or the roads around them. We also cook at events in Newbury Park (1 mile south), Gants Hill (1 mile south-west), Seven Kings (1 mile south-east) and Redbridge (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (10 miles south-west), City of Westminster (11 miles south-west), Marylebone (11 miles south-west), Kensington (14 miles south-west), St Pancras (10 miles south-west) and Shoreditch (8 miles south-west).
Well-known places in the area include Waltham Holy Cross Urban District (1.2 miles north-east) and King George Hospital (1.2 miles east). Not far away are Hollow Pond and Hainault Lodge.
- Nearby schools include Ilford County High School (0.5 miles north-west)
- Local pubs include The New Fairlop Oak pub (0.6 miles north)
Nearby places to Barkingside
Other catering in Barkingside
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and handles separate pans for each diet.
What affects the price in Barkingside
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, because of:
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- How long we are needed on site
- The number of people
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
The cost per head usually falls as numbers rise, since the set-up is much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
Getting an accurate quote
To speed things up, tell us:
- The courses you’d like
- A picture of where we’d cook
- What the venue already provides
- The date and time of the event
Planning tapas catering in Barkingside? Tell us what you have in mind and we will reply with a menu and a clear price. Just use our quote form.
Events we cater in Barkingside
Easy to eat with a glass in hand.
Big or small, live paella works well. Common bookings include:
- Engagement drinks
- Sharing boards for evening guests
- Anniversary parties
- Office parties and launches
Parks such as Fairlop Waters have their own rules for catering, so check before planning a party there.
Questions to ask before booking
- How long the team stays
- A clear list of what’s included
- How late numbers can change
- The deposit and payment dates
Dishes our guests love
Croquetas
Creamy croquettes with a crisp coat, frequently with ham or mushroom.
Patatas bravas
Always popular.
Questions from Barkingside
Is parking a problem for events in Barkingside?
London parking needs planning: let us know about permits or off-street space. We’ll plan unloading around it.
We are having a ceremony at Children's Church And Lych Gate At Barnardo's: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking generally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes, we do. We use halal chicken and leave out pork and alcohol, in its own pan.
When do you arrive?
It depends on the menu and numbers. We agree the timings in advance so the paella is ready when you want it.
Do you cover Barkingside?
We do. We cook at events in Barkingside and across Greater London. Send us your date to check availability.
What about pudding?
We can add a dessert. Tell us what you have in mind when you ask for a quote.
Is the paella cooked on site?
Yes, always. We cook from scratch in large pans at your venue, where your guests can watch.
How do you work out quantities?
We plan quantities from your guest numbers, timings and other courses, with a sensible margin. Give us accurate numbers for the best result.
Planning the cooking area
We will be honest if a space will not work. The main points are:
- Room on tables for sharing dishes
- Space to finish hot dishes
- The venue’s agreement to outside caterers
Barkingside is in London, within the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking can be tight: tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway.
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we’ll say what we think before booking.
Menu ideas
- Padrón peppers
- Manchego & membrillo
- Gambas al ajillo
- Olives & bread
- Croquetas
- Tortilla española
- Chorizo in red wine
- Patatas bravas
- Albóndigas
- Serrano ham
- 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