Kent · England
Tapas Catering in Highsted
Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella in Highsted: paella cooked from scratch in huge pans, in full view of your guests, with tapas, desserts and drinks if you want them.
- Office parties and launches
- Drinks parties and receptions
- Tapas before paella
Tapas catering for Highsted events
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it is in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but you will still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. We take care of all of it.
Tapas catering in Highsted, made fresh on the day
We’ll recommend a tapas selection for your event, starter or main event. On the menu are padrón peppers, albóndigas and gambas al ajillo, and we’re regularly asked to cater office parties and launches and birthday drinks.
In a rural spot like Highsted, tapas can be served in a garden, barn or marquee. You can add tapas, desserts, sangria, bar staff and waiting staff, so the whole menu comes from one caterer.
Why choose tapas catering in Highsted?
Big or small, tapas work.
Whatever the occasion, live paella can be the centrepiece. We regularly cater:
- Evening sharing boards
- Drinks reception canapés
- Birthday drinks
- Engagement drinks
Canapé tapas suit the drinks after a ceremony at a church like Church of St Nicholas.
Questions to ask before you book
- When final numbers are due
- The wet-weather plan
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- How many staff are coming, and for how long
Towns and villages near Highsted
More for events in Highsted
Working with your venue
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so guests are fed quickly. Tell us how long you have for food.
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We will provide any information the landowner or council asks for.
What tapas catering costs
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- Your choice of paellas
- Timings and hours
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- Guest numbers
Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so it helps to tell us about your venue. Everything is confirmed in writing.
Getting an accurate quote
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what’s useful:
- The date and time of the event
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Where the event is
- Roughly how many adults and children
We need only a few details to quote: date, location, guest numbers and diets. You can fill in our quote form.
Highsted questions
We are having a ceremony at Church of St Nicholas: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking usually happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
Could we have live paella in Cromers Wood?
Only if the landowner, usually the council, allows it. Ask them first, and we will send any information they need.
Where do you cater?
London and South East England: Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
What do you need at the venue?
Less than you might think: a flat spot away from anything flammable, with space to serve. If in doubt, send a picture.
Do you take everything away?
We pack down our cooking area after service. Clearing guests’ plates and tables can be added with waiting staff.
Do you cook it at the event?
Yes. Every paella is cooked from scratch on site, in front of your guests.
How much paella per person?
We size the pans for your numbers and the rest of the menu. Let us know about any other food. Our guide to portions explains more.
How far ahead should we book?
As early as you can, especially for summer weekends. Ask about your date even if it is soon.
How it works
We cook over gas burners in wide, shallow pans. We need a level, ventilated spot, which we agree with you beforehand. Evening receptions in Highsted stay light until about 8:50pm in late May and 9:15pm in late June, so canapés can go round outdoors on a summer evening.
- Send us the date, venue, numbers and serving style.
- We suggest a selection and confirm a quote.
- We arrive, set up and finish hot dishes on site.
- Canapés circulate with drinks, or tapas go to the tables.
- We clear away our equipment when service is finished.
Preparing for the day
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
Ask for a quote
Still deciding on the menu? No problem: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we’ll make suggestions. Start when you’re ready: fill in our quote form.
Planning help
Paella compared with other options
Standard canapés can feel samey. Spanish tapas bring colour and flavour. If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we will put together a menu that fits. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Why Highsted hosts choose us
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Sangria and bar staff available
See How we price Or The cost guide.
Planning a tapas spread in Highsted
Highsted is about 2 miles south of Sittingbourne, in Kent. Anywhere in ME9, we can bring the pans to you. Highsted is one of 922 towns and villages in Kent we cover. We cook right across the region, from Highsted to Canterbury (about 15 miles away).
For guests coming by train, Sittingbourne station is about 1.6 miles away. A picnic in Cromers Wood? Check the park’s rules first; a garden or hired venue is often easier for catering. Highsted is within about 6 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape, a lovely setting for a drinks reception outdoors.
We cook at events all over ME9 and the streets around it. We can cater an event on streets such as Stockers Hill and Highsted Road. If your venue is just outside Highsted, we also cover Rodmersham Green (1 mile east), Rodmersham (1 mile east), Tunstall (1 mile west), Bapchild (1 mile east) and Dungate (1 mile south). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (10 miles west), Ashford (13 miles south-east), Canterbury (15 miles east), Whitstable (13 miles east), Faversham (6 miles east) and Minster (7 miles north).
Nearby you’ll also find Sittingbourne and Milton Urban District (2.2 miles north) and Sittingbourne Heritage Museum (1.4 miles north).
- Schools near Highsted include Fulston Manor School (1 mile north)
Space, weather and the venue
Before the day, we will agree where we cook. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- Space to finish hot dishes
- Space for a serving table or station
- Access to unload near the serving area
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly.
On the menu in Highsted
- Tortilla española
- Serrano ham
- Patatas bravas
- Manchego & membrillo
- Albóndigas
- Gambas al ajillo
- Croquetas
- Olives & bread
- Chorizo in red wine
- Padrón peppers
About the dishes
Patatas bravas
A tapas classic and generally vegetarian.
Tortilla española
Tortilla is vegetarian and naturally gluten-free when made carefully.
- 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