Brighton and Hove · England
Tapas & canapé catering in Hove, Brighton and Hove
Looking for tapas catering in Hove? We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook in front of your guests.
- Tapas with a paella main course
- Cocktail parties
- Table tapas as a starter
Tapas catering in Hove
How our tapas catering works in Hove
Tapas suit drinks receptions, evening parties, office events and weddings in and around Hove. Typical bookings include engagement parties and cocktail parties, serving tortilla española, padrón peppers and Manchego with membrillo.
Tapas work for parties and receptions in Hove. Hot tapas need a spot to finish them. Your quote spells out exactly what’s included: menu, staff, crockery and anything else you choose.
- Location
- Hove (BN3, BN1, BN52)
- County
- Brighton and Hove
- Dietary options
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Extras
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quotes
- Contact us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Catering for every guest
Most events have a mix of diets. To cater well for them:
- Widen the selection for a tapas-only menu
- Let us know if tapas are a starter or the main event
- Ask for labels on each dish
- Label seafood clearly
Canapés go round with the drinks.
Waiting staff for canapés.
Why choose live paella in Hove?
Plated starters need a kitchen. Table tapas are relaxed and sociable. Larger events generally cost less per head, since the set-up is much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
Why us?
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
- Catering across Brighton and Hove, including Hove
Read Our pricing Or What paella catering costs.
Should I cook it myself?
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
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.
For event organisers in Hove
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Send us your venue’s requirements and we will follow them.
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.
Hove questions
Can you cook in St. Ann's Well Gardens?
Only if the landowner, normally the council, allows it. Ask them first, and we’ll send any information they need.
Is Hove close to London?
About 46 miles from central London, and well within our area.
Will there be enough food?
We size the pans for your numbers and the rest of the menu. Tell us what else is being served. See how much paella per person.
Can you serve tapas as well?
Yes, it’s the classic pairing. Tapas go out first, then the paella.
Can you serve drinks?
Yes, sangria. For other drinks, we can provide bar staff to serve what you buy.
How many paellas should we have?
Two or three covers most guests. Tell us about your guests’ diets and we will suggest the mix.
Can we add drinks?
Sangria, yes, plus bar staff for your own drinks.
Where do you cater?
We cover London and the South East, Brighton and Hove included. See all areas.
Space, weather and the venue
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We look for:
- Space on each table
- Room for a tapas table
- The venue’s agreement to outside caterers
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before you book.
Popular choices
- Serrano ham
- Tortilla española
- Chorizo in red wine
- Gambas al ajillo
- Olives & bread
- Patatas bravas
- Albóndigas
- Manchego & membrillo
- Croquetas
- Padrón peppers
Dishes our guests love
Croquetas
Creamy croquettes with a crisp coat, often with ham or mushroom.
Manchego & membrillo
Manchego with sweet quince.
What affects the price in Hove
We will give you a clear, itemised quote. The main things that affect it are:
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Your choice of paellas
- The length of service
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
Live paella frequently compares well with a sit-down meal, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. We’ll send you a quote.
Getting an accurate quote
You do not need everything decided to ask for a quote, but these help:
- The date and time of the event
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- A photo of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
- Roughly how many adults and children
We need only a few details to quote: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. You can use our quote form.
Step by step
Service is quick: the paella goes straight from the pan to the plate, so large groups are fed quickly. When service is finished, we pack down. At midsummer, it is light in Hove until about 9:20pm, perfect for canapés outdoors. By late September it’s dark around 7:05pm, and in December by about 3:55pm.
- 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
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Let us know the timings for the day
Get a quote
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. To send your details, use our quote form.
Read more
Places near Hove
Other catering in Hove
Planning a tapas spread in Hove
Hove is about 2 miles west of Brighton, in Brighton and Hove. Whether your event is in the middle of Hove or on the outskirts, tapas catering works the same way: paella cooked live, every diet catered for and a clear quote. Hove is one of 30 towns and villages in Brighton and Hove we cover.
Canapé tapas suit the drinks after a ceremony at a church like Holy Trinity Church. Nearby historic houses include Preston Manor & Gardens (1.3 miles north-east) and Royal Pavilion (1.6 miles east). For a drinks reception at a historic venue, canapé tapas can work where live cooking isn’t allowed. Hove is within about 7 miles of the South Downs National Park, ideal for an outdoor reception. With the sea within about 2 miles, seafood tapas such as gambas al ajillo are a natural choice.
Anywhere in BN3, BN1 and BN52, we can bring tapas catering to you, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Streets in the area include Farm Road, York Road and Aymer Road, and we can cook for an event on any of them. You will find Hove on the A270 and A2023, so it’s easy for us to reach with the van and pans. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Brighton and Hove (1 mile north-west), Brunswick (1 mile south-east), Aldrington (1 mile west), Prestonville (1 mile north-east) and West Blatchington (1 mile north). Larger places within reach include Kemptown (3 miles east), Whitehawk (3 miles east), Moulsecoomb (3 miles east), Hollingbury (3 miles north-east), Bevendean (3 miles east) and Saltdean (6 miles east). Being one of Brighton and Hove’s larger places, Hove has lots of places to hold an event.
A little further out are British Engineerium (0.9 miles north) and Montefiore Hospital (0.7 miles east). The countryside around Hove includes Whitehawk Hill and Thundersbarrow Hill.
- Schools near Hove include The Drive Prep School (under half a mile north-east) and Hove Park School (0.7 miles north-west)
- Local pubs include The Urchin pub (less than half a mile south-west)
- 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