Surrey · England
Tapas Catering in Christmas Pie
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella for events in Christmas Pie and across Surrey.
- Launches and office parties
- Cocktail parties
- Engagement parties
Live tapas catering in Christmas Pie
Tapas catering in Christmas Pie, cooked live
Plenty of tapas are vegetarian, like tortilla and padrón peppers, and some can be gluten-free. Typical bookings include birthday drinks and tapas starters, serving albóndigas, patatas bravas and Manchego with membrillo.
In a rural spot like Christmas Pie, tapas can be served in a garden, barn or marquee. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
Dietary needs and planning tips
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To make it work smoothly:
- Canapés need staff to serve
- Match tapas with Spanish drinks
- Allow more variety if tapas are the whole meal
- Ask for labels on each dish
Staff keep the canapés coming.
Add a live paella main.
Dishes our guests love
Croquetas
Crisp outside, creamy inside, often with ham or mushroom.
Gambas al ajillo
Garlic prawns with a little chilli.
Christmas Pie questions
We are having a ceremony at Church of St Bartholomew: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking usually happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
Is Christmas Pie close to London?
About 31 miles from central London, and well within our area.
Are the tapas fresh?
Hot tapas are finished on site and served right away; cold ones go out as guests arrive.
Is the paella gluten-free?
We can cook a gluten-free paella in its own pan. Let us know about coeliac guests in advance so we take the right care.
Do you have vegetarian tapas?
Plenty are vegetarian, such as tortilla, bravas and padrón peppers. Each dish is labelled.
Do you cook it at the event?
Yes. We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook on the day, then serve straight from the pan.
Is tapas catering available separately?
Absolutely.
What do you need at the venue?
Not a lot: a level spot clear of fences, hedges and branches, with room for a serving table. If in doubt, send a photo.
What happens on the day
We arrive in good time before you want to eat, set up the cooking area and get the stock going. Your guests are welcome to watch while it cooks. A summer drinks reception in Christmas Pie has daylight until about 9:20pm at midsummer, ideal for tapas in the garden. In late September, sunset is about 7:05pm; winter receptions, dark by 3:55pm, are better indoors.
- It starts with your date, venue, numbers and how you want the tapas served.
- We put together a tapas selection and a quote.
- On the day we arrive, set up and finish the hot tapas on site.
- Canapés go round with the drinks, or table tapas go out to share.
- We pack down when service ends.
Getting ready for the day
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Make sure we can park close by to unload
- Give us a contact for the day
How to get a price
Each quote is tailored to your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll check availability at the same time.
Related guides
Perfect for your event in Christmas Pie
Tapas get people talking, because everyone shares.
In Christmas Pie and nearby, we cater all sorts of events. Popular bookings include:
- Engagement drinks
- Birthday and anniversary parties
- Drinks reception canapés
- Drinks parties and receptions
Canapé tapas suit the drinks after a ceremony at a church like Church of St Bartholomew.
What to look for in a quote
- The deadline for final numbers
- Travel and parking costs
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- Whether VAT is included
Organising for someone else?
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
Space, weather and the venue
Every venue is different, so we ask about the space before we confirm. Generally, we look for:
- Room for a tapas table
- Permission from the venue
- An area to prepare hot tapas
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we’ll say what we think before you book.
Menu ideas
- Gambas al ajillo
- Tortilla española
- Manchego & membrillo
- Croquetas
- Serrano ham
- Patatas bravas
- Chorizo in red wine
- Albóndigas
- Olives & bread
- Padrón peppers
Towns and villages near Christmas Pie
Also in Christmas Pie
Drinks receptions around Christmas Pie
Christmas Pie is about 2 miles east of Ash, in Surrey. Tell us where your event in Christmas Pie will be, and we’ll plan the journey and set-up. Christmas Pie is one of 395 towns and villages in Surrey we cover.
Historic buildings near Christmas Pie often have strict catering rules, so ask early if that is your venue. Guests travelling by rail: Christmas Pie has its own station, Wanborough station.
Anywhere in GU3, we can cook for your guests. Local streets include Cull's Road, Westwood Lane and Flexford Road; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Close by, we cover events in Flexford (1 mile north), Wanborough (1 mile south-east), Normandy (1 mile north), Puttenham (1 mile south) and Willey Green (1 mile north-east). Larger places within reach include Guildford (4 miles east), Woking (7 miles north-east), Camberley (7 miles north), Farnham (6 miles west), Egham (14 miles north) and Walton-on-Thames (15 miles north-east).
Well-known places in the area include Guildford Hospital (2.6 miles east) and Guildford Castle (4.3 miles east). The countryside around Christmas Pie includes Ash Ranges and Hog's Back.
- Local schools include Ash Manor School (2.5 miles west)
- Parks and local facilities nearby include Seale and Tongham (2.6 miles south-west)
What affects the price in Christmas Pie
The price comes down to a few factors:
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Distance and access to the venue
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Your choice of paellas
There’s no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. Your quote spells it all out.
Details that help
These details help us quote quickly:
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- The address or venue name
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
We quote for each event separately, so you only pay for what you need. To ask for one, send us your details through our quote form.
Why choose live paella in Christmas Pie?
Standard canapés can feel samey. Tapas bring something different. The price depends on your guest numbers, the menu and how many courses you choose, plus any staff, crockery and travel. We quote for each event individually.
Why Christmas Pie hosts choose us
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- Fast service from the pan
- Catering across Surrey, including Christmas Pie
Read Our pricing And Our guide to catering costs.
- 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