Buckinghamshire · England
Tapas & canapé catering in Elmhurst, Buckinghamshire
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella in Elmhurst and the surrounding area.
- Evening sharing boards
- Receptions and drinks parties
- Work receptions
Tapas catering for Elmhurst events
Tapas catering for your event in Elmhurst
We finish hot tapas on site, so they’re served at their best. Whether it is tapas with a paella main course and welcome-drink canapés, we can cook albóndigas, patatas bravas and gambas al ajillo for your guests.
For a party in a place like Elmhurst, a tapas spread is easy and sociable. All the cooking equipment comes with us, and we clear our cooking area away afterwards.
- Location
- Elmhurst (HP20, HP19, HP21)
- Region
- Buckinghamshire
- Special diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quotes
- Contact us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Step by step
Watching it cook is half the fun. Onion, garlic, peppers and tomato go in first, then the stock and saffron, then the rice, which cooks without stirring while your guests chat. Evening receptions in Elmhurst stay light until about 8:55pm in late May and 9:25pm in late June, which suits an outdoor reception.
- First, we check availability.
- You pick the style.
- We set up on arrival.
- Hot and cold tapas are served.
- Afterwards, we clear up.
Preparing for the day
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
How to get a price
Not sure what you need yet? That is fine: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we’ll suggest a menu. To start, fill in our quote form.
Related guides
Space, weather and the venue
Most outdoor spaces and many venues work for live paella, but a few things matter:
- An area to prepare hot tapas
- Access to unload near the serving area
- Table space for sharing dishes at seated meals
If you’re unsure, send a photo of the space and we will say what we think before you book.
What we offer
- Olives & bread
- Chorizo in red wine
- Manchego & membrillo
- Patatas bravas
- Serrano ham
- Padrón peppers
- Gambas al ajillo
- Albóndigas
- Tortilla española
- Croquetas
Questions from Elmhurst
Is Elmhurst close to London?
About 38 miles from central London, and we cover it as standard.
What’s the nearest station to Elmhurst for guests?
The closest is Aylesbury station, roughly 0.9 miles away.
What if the weather’s bad?
A covered, ventilated spot keeps us cooking in the rain. We will talk it through before the day.
Can we have tapas without paella?
Yes, tapas work on their own.
Can you do gluten-free paella?
Yes, on request. Rice is naturally gluten-free, but stock and some ingredients may not be, so we cook a gluten-free paella separately.
How much paella per person?
We plan quantities from your guest numbers, timings and other courses, with a little extra built in. Accurate numbers help.
Do you take everything away?
We clear our cooking area away when service is finished. Clearing guests’ plates and tables can be added with waiting staff.
Do you serve drinks with tapas?
Yes. Sangria can be added, and bar staff if you’re providing the drinks.
Why choose tapas catering in Elmhurst?
Big or small, tapas work.
These are some of the occasions we cater around Elmhurst:
- Evening sharing boards
- Tapas before paella
- Welcome-drink canapés
- Tapas starters
If you’re looking at a historic venue around Elmhurst, check its catering rules early, as many limit cooking.
What your quote should include
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- When payment is due
- Whether VAT is included
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
Prices and what affects them
Each event is quoted on its own, based on a few main things:
- Timings and hours
- Guest numbers
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so it helps to tell us about your venue. The full price is confirmed before you book.
Getting an accurate quote
Good planning starts with a few facts. Try to include:
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- A picture of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- The venue or postcode
- Diets and allergies you know about
Most quotes start with a few simple details: date, location, guest numbers and diets. You can fill in our quote form.
About the dishes
Manchego & membrillo
A simple, classic pairing.
Patatas bravas
Always popular and typically vegetarian.
Also near Elmhurst
What else we do in Elmhurst
Catering for every guest
Nearly every event has some special diets. To plan for them:
- Canapés need staff to serve
- Make sure dishes are labelled
- Let us know if tapas are a starter or the main event
- Keep seafood and meat dishes clearly separate
Hot tapas are finished on site and served straight away.
Staff to serve canapés.
Should I cook it myself?
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather be with your guests, we will do the cooking.
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.
Live paella or other catering?
Tapas can be a starter, a reception or the whole meal, so they fit most plans. Compared with a plated meal, live paella is frequently good value, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. Ask us for a quote.
Why choose Love Paella in Elmhurst
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- No hidden extras in your quote
Take a look at Our pricing And The cost guide.
Planning a tapas spread in Elmhurst
Elmhurst is about 1 mile north-east of Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire. We cater events at homes, gardens and venues in Elmhurst and nearby villages. We cater in all 263 towns and villages in Buckinghamshire, from the larger towns to small villages. We cook right across the region, from Elmhurst to Milton Keynes (15 miles away).
After a ceremony at a church such as Church of St Mary, canapé tapas with the drinks keep guests happy during photos. For guests coming by train, Aylesbury station is about 0.9 miles away. Elmhurst is within about 6 miles of the Chilterns National Landscape, a lovely setting for a drinks reception outdoors.
We cook at events all over HP20, HP19 and HP21. From Cock Lane, Vale Road and Manor Road or a nearby road, we’ll bring the pans to you. Main roads around Elmhurst include the A4157, which makes travel to your event easy. For events just outside Elmhurst, we cover New Zealand (1 mile west), Watermead (1 mile north), Aylesbury (1 mile south-west), Queens Park (1 mile south) and Quarrendon Estate (1 mile west). We also cook in nearby towns such as High Wycombe (14 miles south), Chesham (12 miles south-east), Buckingham (14 miles north-west), Amersham (14 miles south-east), Princes Risborough (7 miles south) and Haddenham (6 miles south-west). As one of the bigger places in Buckinghamshire, Elmhurst has lots of places to hold an event.
Other landmarks nearby include Roald Dahl Children's Gallery (0.7 miles south-west) and Tindal Centre (within half a mile south-east).
- Nearby schools include Stocklake Park Community School (0.5 miles south) and Aylesbury Grammar School (0.9 miles south)
- Pubs nearby include The New Zealand pub (within half a mile west)
- 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