Greater London · England
Tapas Catering for Hackbridge events
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella in Hackbridge and the surrounding area.
- Tapas starters
- Welcome-drink canapés
- Sharing boards for evening guests
Tapas catering in Hackbridge
Tapas catering in Hackbridge, cooked live
Sangria and bar staff can be added, for a complete drinks and tapas package. We are frequently asked to cater launches and office parties and tapas and paella menus, serving patatas bravas, gambas al ajillo and Serrano ham.
Canapé tapas suit smaller London spaces in Hackbridge. We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in a separate pan.
- Location
- Hackbridge (CR4, SW16, SM4)
- Area hub
- Greater London
- Diets
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Diets, allergies and planning
Most events have a mix of diets. To plan for them:
- Let us know if tapas are a starter or the main event
- Ask for labels on each dish
- Ask guests about diets and allergies
- Label seafood clearly
We clear our equipment when service ends.
Churros or crema catalana to finish.
Planning the cooking area
We will agree the cooking spot with you before the day. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- An area to prepare hot tapas
- Access to unload near the serving area
- Room on tables for sharing dishes
As a London location, Hackbridge is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway.
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly before booking.
Popular choices
- Chorizo in red wine
- Padrón peppers
- Albóndigas
- Manchego & membrillo
- Gambas al ajillo
- Serrano ham
- Patatas bravas
- Croquetas
- Olives & bread
- Tortilla española
DIY paella versus live catering
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and do not stir once the rice goes in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
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 at scale is tricky. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Your questions about tapas catering in Hackbridge
What about parking in Hackbridge?
It can be, so tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway. We will plan unloading around it.
Could we have live paella in Cranmer Green?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, usually the council. Check with them, and we will provide our paperwork.
What space do you need to cook?
Not a lot: a flat spot away from anything flammable, with space to serve. If in doubt, send a photo.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Yes. A simple chicken paella is usually popular with children. Include children in your numbers.
Is tapas catering available separately?
Yes. Tapas and canapés can be booked on their own.
Can you cook indoors?
Mostly outside or under an open cover, because we use gas burners. We will check whether your venue has a suitable space.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes, we do. Halal paella is cooked with halal chicken and no pork or alcohol, in a separate pan.
Do you supply canapé staff?
Canapés work best with staff serving, which we can supply.
Receptions and parties in Hackbridge
Hackbridge is about 2 miles west of Thornton Heath, in Greater London. Whether your event is in the middle of Hackbridge or on the outskirts, we offer the same service: paella cooked live, every diet catered for and a clear quote. We cater in 764 places in Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages. Our events stretch from Hackbridge to London (7 miles away).
Guests travelling by rail: the nearest station is Mitcham Eastfields station, about 0.5 miles north. Nearby historic houses include Southside House (3.6 miles west) and Kingswood House (3.6 miles north-east). For a drinks reception at a historic venue, canapé tapas can work where live cooking isn’t allowed.
This part of Greater London takes in CR4, SW16 and SM4. From Kings Road, Baker Lane and Manor Road or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. If your venue is just outside Hackbridge, we also cover Mitcham (1 mile north), Eastfields (1 mile north), Colliers Wood (1 mile north-west), Merton Abbey (2 miles north-west) and Furzedown (2 miles north). Further out, we also cater in London (7 miles north), City of Westminster (8 miles north), Marylebone (8 miles north), Kensington (7 miles north), St Pancras (9 miles north) and Shoreditch (9 miles north).
Well-known places in the area include Wilson Hospital (0.5 miles south-west) and Centrale Croydon (2.7 miles south-east). Not far away are Duppas Hill and Cranmer Green.
- Schools near Hackbridge include St Mark's Church of England Academy (0.5 miles north) and The Archbishop Lanfranc School (1.1 miles south-east)
- Local pubs include The White Lion of Mortimer pub (0.7 miles north-west)
- Local facilities include St Leonard's (2.1 miles north-east)
The process
We cook over gas burners in wide, shallow pans. We need a level, ventilated spot, and we agree where that is before the day. Sunset in Hackbridge is around 9:20pm in June, so canapés can go round outdoors on a summer evening.
- You tell us the date, venue, numbers and how you’d like the tapas served.
- You get a suggested selection and a price.
- On the day, we set up and prepare the hot tapas there.
- We serve canapés with drinks or set table tapas down to share.
- We pack down when service ends.
How to prepare
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Check the venue allows live cooking
How to get a price
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. To send your details, send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
Towns and villages near Hackbridge
What else we do in Hackbridge
Paella compared with other options
Nibbles fill a gap. Tapas make a proper course. Larger events usually cost less per head, since the set-up is much the same either way. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
Why us?
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Fast service from the pan
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- We cover Hackbridge and the whole of Greater London
Read How we price Or What paella catering costs.
Organising for someone else?
Organising a club, school or community event in Hackbridge? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we will suggest a menu.
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so everyone eats promptly. Let us know how long the food break is.
How we price tapas catering
We will give you a clear, itemised quote. What affects it most:
- Your choice of paellas
- Guest numbers
- How many courses
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
Live paella pricing depends on the event. A garden party lunch and a full wedding menu are very different jobs. We itemise everything in your quote.
Getting an accurate quote
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. Here’s what to include:
- The courses you’d like
- A picture of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- Your date and when you want to eat
- The address or venue name
Planning tapas catering in Hackbridge? Send us the details and we’ll come back with ideas and a quote. Just use our quote form.
Occasions we cook for in Hackbridge
They’re the classic starter before paella.
Whatever the occasion, live paella can be the centrepiece. We frequently cook for:
- Drinks reception canapés
- Tapas before paella
- Anniversary parties
- Launches and office parties
After a ceremony at a church such as St. Mark's Church, canapé tapas with the drinks keep guests happy during photos.
Before you book anyone
- How each diet is kept separate
- What the price includes, item by item
- Whether VAT is included
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- 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