Southampton · England
Tapas & canapé catering in Itchen, Southampton
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella in Itchen and the surrounding area.
- Sharing boards for evening guests
- Sharing tapas starters
- Launches and office parties
Book tapas catering in Itchen
Working with your venue
Organising a club, school or community event in Itchen? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we’ll suggest a menu.
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we will keep everyone informed on the day.
About our tapas catering in Itchen
Receptions, parties, office events and weddings all suit tapas. Popular choices include tortilla española, padrón peppers and patatas bravas, and we’re often booked for evening sharing boards and office parties and launches.
For a party in a place like Itchen, a tapas spread is easy and sociable. Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included, each in a separate pan.
- Location
- Itchen (SO19, SO14)
- Region
- Southampton
- Special diets
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Also available
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quotes
- Contact us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
What affects the price in Itchen
There are no hidden charges: the price is based on:
- How many staff you need
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- The number of people
Live paella frequently compares well with a sit-down meal, as there’s no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. Ask us for a quote.
What we need to know
When you get in touch, it helps to tell us:
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- Whether the venue has crockery or staff
- The date and time of the event
- Roughly how many adults and children
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, plus any dietary needs, and we will reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, fill in our quote form.
Nearby places to Itchen
More for events in Itchen
How it works
On the day, we set up the burners and pans and start cooking the sofrito and stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, so the timing is planned around your event. Sunset in Itchen is around 9:25pm in June, which suits an outdoor reception.
- We check your date.
- You choose canapés, table tapas or both.
- We arrive and set up our station.
- We serve the spread.
- Afterwards, we clear up.
How to prepare
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
- Let us know who to talk to on the day
- Leave space around the cooking area
Getting a price
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. When you are ready, fill in our quote form.
Related guides
Questions from Itchen
Can you cook near the sea around Itchen?
Yes, with a sheltered cooking spot. Wind is the main issue on the coast, so we plan shelter.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Jesus Chapel - St Mary Extra?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking generally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
Are there vegetarian tapas?
Lots. Tortilla, patatas bravas, padrón peppers and Manchego are vegetarian classics.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes, and meat eaters frequently go back for seconds. They have their own pans, stock and spoons.
Which areas do you serve?
We cover London and the South East, Southampton included. See all areas.
What do you need at the venue?
A level space for the pans, burners and a serving table, in the open air or a ventilated covered area, and the venue’s permission for live cooking.
How long do you need on site?
We get there in good time to set up. The rice itself takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
Do you serve drinks with tapas?
Yes. Sangria can be added, and bar staff if you are providing the drinks.
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Nibbles fill a gap. Tapas are a real course. The cost per head normally falls as numbers rise, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
Why choose Love Paella in Itchen
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Sangria and bar staff available
- Live cooking, not reheated food
Read How we price Or The cost guide.
Drinks receptions around Itchen
Itchen is about 2 miles south-east of Southampton, in Southampton. Anywhere in SO19, we can cook for your guests. We cater in all 40 towns and villages across Southampton, from the larger towns to small villages.
If you’re looking at a historic venue around Itchen, check its catering rules early, as many limit cooking. Parks such as Houndwell Park have their own rules for catering, so check before planning a party there. Itchen is within about 7 miles of the New Forest National Park, ideal for an outdoor reception. The coast is within about 2 miles, so garlic prawns are popular.
Tapas catering in SO19 and SO14 is planned around your venue and your guests. From Sea Road, Oak Road and West Road or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. Main roads around Itchen include the A3025, which makes travel to your event easy. Nearby, we also cater events in Peartree Green (1 mile north-west), Northam (1 mile north-west), Sholing (1 mile east), Bitterne (1 mile north-east) and St Mary's (1 mile west). Further out, we also cater in Shirley (3 miles north-west), Regents Park (3 miles west), Maybush (4 miles north-west), Coxford (4 miles north-west), Freemantle (3 miles west) and Lordswood (4 miles north-west). Being one of Southampton’s larger places, Itchen has lots of places to hold an event.
Well-known places in the area include Bitterne Local History Society Heritage And Research Centre (0.9 miles north) and Marlands Shopping Centre (1.6 miles west). Green spaces nearby include Netley Common.
- Nearby schools include Woolston School (within half a mile south) and Oasis Academy Sholing (0.6 miles north-east)
- Nearby, you will find The Engineers Arms (1 mile north-west)
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right for dozens of people takes experience. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. Ask us for a quote and compare.
Planning for every diet
We take diets and allergies seriously. Help us by following these steps:
- Decide whether tapas are a starter, canapés or the whole meal
- Book staff to carry canapés round
- Label vegetarian and allergen-free dishes
- Ask guests about diets and allergies
Afterwards, we clear away.
Crockery and serving dishes.
Events we cater in Itchen
They cover lots of tastes and diets in one spread.
Live paella works for big and small events alike. Typical bookings include:
- Tapas before paella
- Evening grazing
- Birthday drinks
- Welcome-drink canapés
Guests travelling by rail: Woolston station is in Itchen itself.
Comparing caterers
- How each diet is kept separate
- What the price includes, item by item
- How bad weather is handled
- Who provides the crockery
Planning the cooking area
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so the cooking area needs a little planning. Here’s what we look for:
- The venue’s agreement to outside caterers
- Parking near the venue
- Space on each table
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we will say what we think before booking.
Menu ideas
- Serrano ham
- Manchego & membrillo
- Chorizo in red wine
- Gambas al ajillo
- Croquetas
- Tortilla española
- Olives & bread
- Patatas bravas
- Padrón peppers
- Albóndigas
- 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