Kent · England
Tapas Catering for East Malling events
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella for events in East Malling and across Kent.
- Birthday drinks
- Drinks parties and receptions
- Table tapas as a starter
Live tapas catering in East Malling
Tapas catering in East Malling, made fresh on the day
Tapas pair naturally with a live paella, served while the paella cooks, but they’re great on their own. For engagement celebrations and sharing boards for evening guests, we can cook Manchego with membrillo, gambas al ajillo and patatas bravas.
For a party in a place like East Malling, a tapas spread is easy and sociable. You can add tapas, desserts, sangria, bar staff and waiting staff, so one booking can cover the whole menu.
Perfect for your event in East Malling
They’re the classic starter before paella.
We can help if you’re planning any of the following:
- Tapas before paella
- Engagement parties
- Work receptions
- Sharing boards for evening guests
Guests travelling by rail: East Malling station is about 0.7 miles away.
Questions to ask before booking
- How bad weather is handled
- Who provides the crockery
- When final numbers are due
- The deposit and payment dates
Places near East Malling
What else we do in East Malling
For planners, venues and organisers
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we will explain how it works. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Throwing a party at home? Send a picture of the space and tell us about parking, and we will tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
Receptions and parties in East Malling
East Malling is about 4 miles north-west of Maidstone, in Kent. For an event in East Malling, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices. We cover all 922 towns and villages across Kent. Our nearest city page is London, about 27 miles away.
Parks such as Ditton Quarry have their own rules for catering, so check before planning a party there. Historic houses near East Malling include Starkey Castle (4.9 miles north). For a drinks reception at a historic venue, canapé tapas can work where live cooking isn’t allowed.
Here we cover the ME19 postcode area. Your event could be at a home on High Street, Chapman Way and Lister Close or the roads around them. For events just outside East Malling, we cover Well Street (1 mile south), Ditton (1 mile east), West Malling (1 mile west), Aylesford (2 miles east) and Kings Hill (2 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (4 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (13 miles east), Dartford (14 miles north-west), Sevenoaks (11 miles west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (13 miles south-west) and Gravesend (10 miles north).
Well-known places in the area include Leybourne Castle (0.9 miles north-west) and Fremlin Walk (3.9 miles east). Not far away are Burham Down and Blue Bell Hill.
- Nearby schools include The Malling School (under half a mile south) and The Malling School (within half a mile south)
- Local pubs include The Rising Sun pub (under half a mile south)
Space, weather and the venue
We will be honest if a space won’t work, and suggest an alternative. The main points are:
- A suitable spot to finish hot tapas
- Access to unload near the serving area
- Space for a serving table or station
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we will tell you honestly before you book.
Popular choices
- Patatas bravas
- Tortilla española
- Croquetas
- Albóndigas
- Gambas al ajillo
- Manchego & membrillo
- Chorizo in red wine
- Padrón peppers
- Olives & bread
- Serrano ham
Should I cook it myself?
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and handles separate pans for each diet.
Step by step
We arrive in good time before you want to eat, unload, set up the burners and prepare the stock. Guests generally gather round to watch as the paella takes shape. A summer drinks reception in East Malling has daylight until about 9:20pm at midsummer, ideal for tapas in the garden. In late September, sunset is about 7:00pm; winter receptions, dark by 3:50pm, are better indoors.
- First, we check availability.
- You choose canapés, table tapas or both.
- We arrive and set up our station.
- We serve the spread.
- We clear away at the end.
How to prepare
- Make sure we can park close by to unload
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
Ask for a quote
Send us the date, your venue or ME19 postcode and guest numbers, plus any dietary needs, and we will reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, fill in our quote form.
Planning help
East Malling questions
Could we have live paella in Ditton Quarry?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, normally the council. Check with them, and we will provide our paperwork.
Which station should guests use for East Malling?
The closest is East Malling station, roughly 0.7 miles away.
Are your tapas vegetarian-friendly?
Lots. Tortilla, patatas bravas, padrón peppers and Manchego are vegetarian classics.
What about pudding?
Yes. Churros, crema catalana and tarta de Santiago are popular choices.
Do you take everything away?
We take our equipment and leave the cooking area tidy. Ask us about table clearing if you need it.
Can you do gluten-free paella?
Yes, on request. The rice is gluten-free, but stocks and chorizo can contain gluten, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
What does tapas catering cost?
The price depends on numbers, menu, courses, staff and travel. Tell us about your event and we will send a quote.
Is the paella cooked on site?
It is. We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook on the day, then serve straight from the pan.
Diets, allergies and planning
Nearly every event has some special diets. To plan for them:
- Label seafood clearly
- Label vegetarian and allergen-free dishes
- Pair tapas with sangria, cava or sherry
- Check diets in advance
We clear our equipment when service ends.
Follow tapas with a live paella.
Is live paella right for your event?
A plated starter needs a kitchen and staff. Table tapas are relaxed and sociable. Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so the menu you choose affects the price. We will suggest options to suit your budget.
Why East Malling hosts choose us
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- A quote that spells everything out
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
Read How we price And Our guide to catering costs.
How we price tapas catering
Your quote will be clear and itemised. The main things that affect it are:
- Guest numbers
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Travel, parking and access
- Timings and hours
Live paella frequently compares well with a sit-down meal, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. Ask us for a quote.
What we need to know
The more we know about your event, the better we can plan. Please include:
- The venue or postcode
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Which courses you have in mind
- Anything your venue supplies
Planning tapas catering in East Malling? Send us the details and we’ll reply with a menu and a clear price. To contact us, use our quote form.
- 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