Oxfordshire · England
Tapas & canapé catering in Headington, Oxfordshire
Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella in Headington: paella made from scratch in big, shallow pans, right in front of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Engagement drinks
- Evening sharing boards
- Cocktail parties
Tapas catering in Headington
What tapas catering costs
Every event is priced individually, based on a few main things:
- Timings and hours
- Distance and access to the venue
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
- The number of people
Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so it helps to tell us about your venue. The full price is confirmed before you book.
What we need to know
When you contact us, it helps to tell us:
- Diets and allergies you know about
- What the venue already provides
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- A picture of where we’d cook
To get a price, use our quote form. Give us the details of your event, and we will suggest paellas and extras to suit.
About our tapas catering in Headington
Plenty of tapas are vegetarian, such as tortilla, bravas and padrón peppers, and several can be made gluten-free. Typical bookings include table tapas as a starter and welcome-drink canapés, with Serrano ham, padrón peppers and gambas al ajillo.
Around Headington, tapas suit garden parties and village-hall celebrations. Every pan is cooked in front of your guests, so the food is hot, fresh and part of the occasion.
- Area
- Headington (OX3)
- County
- Oxfordshire
- Diets
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Also available
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quote
- Quoted for your event
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Headington questions
We are having a ceremony at St Andrew'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. Send us the reception address.
What’s the nearest station to Headington for guests?
Oxford station, about 2.6 miles west of the centre.
Do you cook inside?
Only in a suitable, well-ventilated area with the venue’s permission. Courtyards, doorways and terraces often work.
Is tapas catering available separately?
Yes, tapas work on their own, for receptions, parties and evening food.
Are the tapas fresh?
We finish hot dishes on site; cold tapas are laid out as guests arrive.
Can you cook halal paella?
Yes, on request. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and it’s cooked separately.
Can we add tapas or canapés?
Yes, it’s the classic pairing. Tapas go out first, then the paella.
How many tapas per person?
It depends on whether they’re a starter, canapés or the whole meal. We will suggest quantities for your event.
Diets, allergies and planning
A little planning makes sure everyone can eat. Try these:
- Canapés need staff to serve
- Add sangria or cava
- Keep seafood and meat dishes clearly separate
- Tell us what role tapas play
Each dish is labelled.
Bar staff and sangria.
Occasions we cook for in Headington
They suit standing receptions where a full meal does not fit.
Whatever you are celebrating in Headington, paella can be the star of the food. We often cook for:
- Table tapas as a starter
- Evening sharing boards
- Receptions and drinks parties
- Engagement drinks
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Oxford station, about 2.6 miles west.
Before booking anyone
- What the price includes, item by item
- How each diet is kept separate
- VAT, if it applies
- Staff numbers and hours
Live paella or other catering?
Generic canapés all look the same. Spanish tapas bring colour and flavour. Larger events typically cost less per head, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we’ll quote.
What you get with us
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- A quote that spells everything out
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
Take a look at How we price And The cost guide.
What happens on the day
Service is quick: the paella goes straight from the pan to the plate, so even a long queue moves. Afterwards we clear our cooking area away. At midsummer, it’s light in Headington until about 9:25pm, ideal for tapas in the garden. By late September it’s dark around 7:10pm, and in December by about 3:55pm.
- Send us the date, venue, numbers and serving style.
- We put together a tapas selection and a quote.
- On the day we arrive, set up and finish the hot tapas on site.
- Canapés go round with the drinks, or table tapas go out to share.
- We clear away our equipment when service is finished.
Getting ready for the day
- Keep the cooking spot clear of fences, hedges and branches
- Tell us where to park and unload
- Give us a contact for the day
Getting a price
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. When you are ready, send us your details through our quote form.
Related guides
Planning a tapas spread in Headington
Headington is about 1 mile north-east of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. Give us the address of your event in Headington, and we’ll plan access and set-up. Headington is one of 443 places in Oxfordshire we cover.
A picnic in Bury Knowle Park? Check the park’s rules first; a garden or hired venue is often easier for catering. Historic buildings near Headington frequently have strict catering rules, so ask early if that’s your venue.
This part of Oxfordshire takes in OX3, and we can cater your event anywhere in it. Local streets include Upway Road, Osler Road and Beech Road; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Other places close to Headington for tapas catering include Northway (1 mile north-west), Headington Quarry (1 mile south-east), Headington Hill (1 mile south-west), New Marston (1 mile west) and Oxford (1 mile south-west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Didcot (11 miles south), Bicester (10 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (7 miles south-west), Witney (12 miles west), Thame (10 miles east) and Wantage (15 miles south-west).
Well-known places in the area include Rumble Museum (0.9 miles south-west) and Churchill Hospital (within half a mile west). Open spaces near Headington include CS Lewis Nature Reserve and Headington Hill.
- Local schools include Headington Rye Oxford (0.7 miles south-west) and Cheney School (0.9 miles south-west)
- Nearby, you’ll find White Hart Inn (within half a mile south)
- Other local spots include English Faculty Library (1.6 miles west)
A closer look at the menu
Patatas bravas
Crisp potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce.
Tortilla española
A thick potato and egg omelette cut into bites.
Nearby places to Headington
What else we do in Headington
Organising for someone else?
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can hold the date.
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so guests are fed quickly. Tell us how long you have for food.
Should I cook it myself?
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but you’ll still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. A caterer handles all of that.
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
- 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