Southampton · England
Tapas & canapé catering in Bitterne, Southampton
Bring the theatre of live paella to your event in Bitterne. Everything is cooked fresh on the day, and serve it straight from the pan.
- Canapés with welcome drinks
- Office parties and launches
- Drinks parties and receptions
Tapas catering for Bitterne events
Occasions we cook for in Bitterne
They suit standing receptions where a full meal does not fit.
These are some of the occasions we cater around Bitterne:
- Engagement celebrations
- Anniversary parties
- Tapas starters
- Evening sharing boards
Parks such as Riverside Park have their own rules for catering, so check before planning a party there.
Questions to ask before booking
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- When final numbers are due
Tapas catering in Bitterne, made fresh on the day
Many classic tapas are naturally vegetarian, such as tortilla, bravas and padrón peppers, and several can be made gluten-free. Popular choices include tortilla española, albóndigas and croquetas, and we are often booked for welcome-drink canapés and sharing tapas starters.
Around Bitterne, tapas suit garden parties and village-hall celebrations. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
- Where
- Bitterne (SO18, SO19)
- County
- Southampton
- Special diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Also available
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quote
- Ask us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Paella compared with other options
Crisps and nibbles fill a gap. Tapas are a real course. Compared with a plated meal, live paella is frequently good value, as there’s no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. We’ll send you a quote.
Why us?
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- Every diet catered for, pan by pan
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
Read Our pricing Or The cost guide.
A closer look at the menu
Croquetas
Croquetas disappear fast.
Manchego & membrillo
Easy and classic.
Working with your venue
Organising a club, school or community event in Bitterne? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we’ll suggest a menu.
For repeat events, such as annual staff parties or seasonal fairs, let us know your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and handles separate pans for each diet.
Some hosts like to cook themselves. The usual problems are a pan too big for the burner, too much rice and stirring once the rice is in. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
What affects the price in Bitterne
These are the factors that matter most:
- How many staff you need
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Your choice of paellas
Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so the menu you choose affects the price. Tell us your budget and we will suggest a menu.
Getting an accurate quote
When you contact us, it helps to tell us:
- A photo of the space, if you can
- Expected numbers
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- Which courses you have in mind
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, along with any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. Just fill in our quote form.
Receptions and parties in Bitterne
Bitterne is about 1 mile east of Southampton, in Southampton. We cook at events in homes, gardens and venues in Bitterne and nearby villages. We cater in all 40 towns and villages across Southampton.
Guests travelling by rail: Bitterne station is about 0.7 miles away. If you’re looking at a historic venue around Bitterne, check its catering rules early, as many limit cooking. Bitterne is within about 8 miles of the New Forest National Park, a lovely setting for a drinks reception outdoors. The coast is within about 2 miles, so garlic prawns are popular.
Tapas catering in SO18 and SO19 is planned around your venue. Local streets include Bath Road, Ruby Road and Dean Road; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Bitterne is on the A3024, so it is easy for us to reach with the van and pans. Close by, we cover events in Northam (1 mile west), Bitterne Park (1 mile north-west), Itchen (1 mile south-west), Midanbury (1 mile north) and Harefield (1 mile north-east). Larger places within reach include Shirley (3 miles west), Regents Park (3 miles west), Maybush (4 miles west), Coxford (4 miles west), Freemantle (3 miles west) and Lordswood (4 miles north-west).
A little further out are Bitterne Local History Society Heritage And Research Centre (within half a mile north-west) and Marlands Shopping Centre (2 miles west). Green spaces nearby include Netley Common.
- Nearby schools include Itchen College (under half a mile south-east) and St Mary's Independent School (0.5 miles north-west)
- Nearby, you’ll find The Red Lion pub (less than half a mile north-east)
FAQs for Bitterne
Which station should guests use for Bitterne?
The closest is Bitterne station, roughly 0.7 miles away.
Can you cook in Riverside Park?
Only if the landowner, generally the council, allows it. Check with them, and we will provide our paperwork.
How many paellas should we have?
Two or three covers most guests. We will recommend a mix based on diets.
Do you cater for young children?
Yes. Children often love a simple chicken paella. Include children in your numbers.
Do you cover Bitterne?
Yes, we do. We cook at events in Bitterne and across Southampton. Send us your date to check availability.
Do you provide drinks?
Sangria, yes. We can also supply bar staff for your own drinks.
Can you do sangria?
Yes. Sangria can be added, and bar staff if you’re providing the drinks.
Do we need staff for canapés?
Staff make canapés work, which we can supply.
Catering for every guest
Good planning keeps every guest safe and happy. Try these:
- Ask guests about diets and allergies
- Label seafood clearly
- Tell us what role tapas play
- Pair tapas with sangria, cava or sherry
Each dish is labelled.
Add a live paella main.
Places near Bitterne
What else we do in Bitterne
Step by step
Here’s how the day usually runs: we arrive, set up and start cooking, the rice cooks in front of your guests, and it’s served hot from the pan when you are ready to eat. Sunset in Bitterne is around 9:25pm in June, which suits an outdoor reception.
- Tell us the date, venue and numbers.
- We suggest a selection and a quote.
- We set up and finish the hot dishes.
- Canapés go round or tapas go to the tables.
- We clear our equipment afterwards.
Before we arrive
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Check the venue allows live cooking
Ask for a quote
We need only a few details to quote: date, location, guest numbers and diets. To send them, send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
- 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