Greater London · England
Tapas Catering for Forest Gate events
Bring the theatre of live paella to your event in Forest Gate. Everything is cooked fresh on the day, then served hot from the pan.
- Tapas and paella menus
- Office parties and launches
- Engagement celebrations
Live tapas catering in Forest Gate
Tapas catering in Forest Gate, made fresh on the day
Tapas and paella go hand in hand, served while the paella cooks, but they’re great on their own. On the menu are croquetas, patatas bravas and albóndigas, and we are often booked for evening sharing boards and engagement celebrations.
Canapé tapas suit smaller London spaces in Forest Gate. Timings are planned around your event, so the paella is ready when you want to eat.
- Where
- Forest Gate (E7, E15, E11)
- County
- Greater London
- Diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Also available
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Price
- Contact us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Perfect for your event in Forest Gate
They cover lots of tastes and diets in one spread.
Big or small, live paella works well. Common bookings include:
- Work receptions
- Canapés with welcome drinks
- Sharing boards for evening guests
- Engagement drinks
After a ceremony at a church such as A Radical Church, canapé tapas with the drinks keep guests happy during photos.
What your quote should include
- Exactly what’s included in the price
- Staff numbers and hours
- How each diet is kept separate
- What the caterer needs from your venue
Common questions in Forest Gate
What’s the nearest station to Forest Gate for guests?
Forest Gate has its own station: Wanstead Park station.
What about parking in Forest Gate?
It can be, so tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway. We’ll work around it.
How much is live paella catering?
The price depends on numbers, menu, courses, staff and travel. Send us the details for a quote.
Are the tapas fresh?
Yes, hot dishes are finished at the venue.
How much paella per person?
Pans are sized to your numbers and other courses. Let us know about any other food. Our guide to portions explains more.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Children are welcome. Tell us how many and roughly how old, and we will plan for them.
Do you provide plates and cutlery?
Yes, if you need them. Let us know what you have, and we will quote for the rest.
How many paellas should we have?
Two or three is usual: meat or mixed, seafood, and vegetable or vegan. We’ll suggest a split based on your guests.
What tapas catering costs
There is nothing hidden: the quote reflects:
- Timings and hours
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
Larger events usually cost less per head, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
What we need to know
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- The date and rough timings
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- The courses you’d like
- What the venue already provides
To get a price, use our quote form. Tell us about your event in Forest Gate, and we will suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Places near Forest Gate
What else we do in Forest Gate
Space, weather and the venue
If a space is not suitable, we will tell you, and help find another spot. What matters most:
- Room for a tapas table
- Table space for sharing dishes at seated meals
- Space to finish hot dishes
As a London location, Forest Gate is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: let us know about permits, bays or off-street parking.
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think.
On the menu in Forest Gate
- Chorizo in red wine
- Albóndigas
- Padrón peppers
- Patatas bravas
- Olives & bread
- Croquetas
- Serrano ham
- Gambas al ajillo
- Manchego & membrillo
- Tortilla española
Step by step
We cook over gas burners in wide, shallow pans. We need a level, ventilated spot, which we agree with you beforehand. Evening receptions in Forest Gate stay light until about 8:50pm in late May and 9:20pm in late June, so canapés can go round outdoors on a summer evening.
- Tell us the date, venue and numbers.
- You get a selection and a price.
- We set up and finish the hot dishes.
- We serve canapés or table tapas.
- We clear our equipment afterwards.
Before we arrive
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Ensure we can park close by to unload
Ask for a quote
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. When you’re ready, send us your details through our quote form.
Planning help
Paella compared with other options
If you want food that encourages guests to mingle, tapas are hard to beat. Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so your choice of paellas affects the total. We’ll suggest options to suit your budget.
Why us?
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Sangria and bar staff available
- No hidden extras in your quote
For event organisers in Forest Gate
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.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
Catering for every guest
We take diets and allergies seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Let us know if tapas are a starter or the main event
- Check diets in advance
- Widen the selection for a tapas-only menu
- Add sangria or cava
Table tapas are set down to share.
Waiting staff for canapés.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but you will still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. A caterer handles all of that.
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 be with your guests, we will do the cooking.
Planning a tapas spread in Forest Gate
Forest Gate is about 6 miles north-east of London, in Greater London. Whether your event is in the middle of Forest Gate or on the outskirts, tapas catering works the same way: paella cooked live, every diet catered for and a clear quote. We cover 764 places across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for London, about 6 miles away.
A picnic in West Ham Park? Check the park’s rules first; a garden or hired venue is often easier for catering. Nearby historic houses include Valentines Mansion (2.2 miles north-east) and Eastbury Manor House (3.3 miles east). For a drinks reception at a historic venue, canapé tapas can work where live cooking isn’t allowed.
Wherever your event is in E7, E15 and E11, we can cook for your guests. That could mean an event in a garden on Elm Road, Ash Road and Cary Road. With the A114 and A116 close by, Forest Gate is easy for us to reach. For events just outside Forest Gate, we cover Upton (1 mile south), Aldersbrook (1 mile north), Holloway Down (1 mile west), Plashet (1 mile south-east) and Little Ilford (1 mile east). Further out, we also cater in London (6 miles south-west), City of Westminster (8 miles west), Marylebone (8 miles west), Kensington (10 miles west), St Pancras (6 miles west) and Shoreditch (5 miles west).
A little further out are Cann Hall (0.8 miles north-west) and Passmore Edwards Museum (0.9 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include Hollow Pond and Old Ford Island.
- Nearby schools include Forest Gate Community School (less than half a mile west) and Tyndale Academy (0.6 miles south-east)
- Local pubs include The Hudson Bay pub (less than half a mile south)
- 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