Hampshire · England
Tapas Catering in Fordingbridge
From the first sizzle in the pan to the last crispy spoonful, Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella makes the food a highlight of your event in Fordingbridge.
- Engagement drinks
- Receptions and drinks parties
- Canapés with welcome drinks
Planning an event in Fordingbridge?
Tapas catering for your event in Fordingbridge
Tapas and paella go hand in hand, as a starter while the rice cooks, but they’re great on their own. Whether it is evening grazing and engagement parties, we can cook tortilla española, Manchego with membrillo and Serrano ham.
Around Fordingbridge, tapas suit garden parties and village-hall celebrations. All the cooking equipment comes with us, and we clear our cooking area away afterwards.
Perfect for your event in Fordingbridge
They’re easy to eat with a drink in hand.
Here are some of the events we cook for in Fordingbridge and Hampshire:
- Evening sharing boards
- Work receptions
- Tapas and paella menus
- Drinks reception canapés
Nearby historic houses include Breamore House (2.8 miles north). For a drinks reception at a historic venue, canapé tapas can work where live cooking is not allowed.
What to look for in a quote
- How each diet is kept separate
- The deposit and payment dates
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
- When final numbers are due
Nearby places to Fordingbridge
Also in Fordingbridge
Paella compared with other options
If you want food that encourages guests to mingle, tapas are hard to beat. Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
What you get with us
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Catering across Hampshire, including Fordingbridge
- A clear, itemised quote
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
Prices and what affects them
The price comes down to a few factors:
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- The length of service
If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we will suggest a menu to match. A simple menu can still feel generous.
What we need to know
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- A photo of the space, if you can
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- The address or venue name
To get a price, send us your details through our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we will suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Questions from Fordingbridge
We’re having a ceremony at St Mary's Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is usually elsewhere. Tell us where the reception will be.
How many tapas per person?
It depends on whether they’re a starter, canapés or the whole meal. We’ll suggest quantities for your event.
Do you provide serving staff?
Staff make canapés work, and we can provide them.
Will there be enough food?
We plan quantities from your guest numbers, timings and other courses, with a little extra built in. Give us accurate numbers for the best result.
Where do you cater?
We cover London and the South East, Hampshire included. See all areas.
How long do you need on site?
We get there in good time to set up. The rice itself takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
Should we have more than one paella?
Two or three is usual: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We’ll help you decide the split.
What if the weather’s bad?
We cook under cover, such as a gazebo, marquee or open-sided barn with good ventilation. We plan for rain with you in advance.
Planning for every diet
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. Our advice:
- Allow more variety if tapas are the whole meal
- Book staff to carry canapés round
- Add sangria or cava
- Make sure dishes are labelled
Canapés go round with the drinks.
Add a live paella main.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. 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.
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
What we need at the venue
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We look for:
- A spot for our serving station
- Access to unload near the serving area
- An area to prepare hot tapas
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think before booking.
What we offer
- Albóndigas
- Manchego & membrillo
- Chorizo in red wine
- Olives & bread
- Padrón peppers
- Croquetas
- Patatas bravas
- Tortilla española
- Gambas al ajillo
- Serrano ham
Tapas for events in Fordingbridge
Fordingbridge is in Hampshire. Across the SP6 area, we’ll come to your venue or garden. Fordingbridge is one of 683 towns and villages in Hampshire we cover. You can also see our page for Southampton, about 17 miles away.
Historic buildings near Fordingbridge frequently have strict catering rules, so ask early if that is your venue. After a ceremony at a church such as St Mary's Church, canapé tapas with the drinks keep guests happy during photos.
We cover events in every part of the SP6 postcode area. From High Street, Station Road and Picket Close or anywhere nearby, we will bring the pans to you. Being close to the A338 and B3078, Fordingbridge is simple for us to get to. For events just outside Fordingbridge, we cover Horseport (1 mile south-east), Tinkers Cross (1 mile north), Lower Burgate (1 mile north-east), Criddlestyle (1 mile east) and Stuckton (1 mile south-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Totton (13 miles east), Romsey (14 miles east), New Milton (13 miles south-east), Ringwood (6 miles south), Barton on Sea (14 miles south-east) and Marchwood (15 miles east).
Other landmarks nearby include Godshill Castle Hill (1.6 miles north-east) and Fordingbridge Museum (less than half a mile south-east). Not far away are Blashford Lakes and Linbrook Lake.
- Nearby schools include The Burgate School and Sixth Form (0.5 miles north-east)
- Local pubs include The Ship Inn (within half a mile south)
The process
The cooking is part of the entertainment. Onion, garlic, peppers and tomato go in first, then the stock and saffron, then the rice, which cooks without stirring. A summer drinks reception in Fordingbridge has daylight until about 9:25pm at midsummer, ideal for tapas in the garden. In late September, sunset is about 7:10pm; winter receptions, dark by 4:05pm, are better indoors.
- 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 pack down when service ends.
Getting ready for the day
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
Getting a price
Getting a quote is simple: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We will send a clear, itemised quote.
Read more
Working with your venue
Throwing a party at home? Send us a picture of the garden and tell us about access, and we will tell you honestly whether live paella will work.
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Tell us what your venue needs and we will work to it.
- 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