Kent · England
Tapas & canapé catering in Kemsing, Kent
Planning tapas catering in Kemsing? We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook while your guests watch.
- Table tapas as a starter
- Tapas with a paella main course
- Launches and office parties
Live tapas catering in Kemsing
Tapas catering in Kemsing, cooked live
Many classic tapas are naturally vegetarian, such as tortilla, bravas and padrón peppers, and several can be made gluten-free. We’re often asked to cater office parties and launches and receptions and drinks parties, serving croquetas, albóndigas and patatas bravas.
In Kemsing, tapas work at home or in a local hall. We bring everything we need to cook, and pack down our cooking area when service is finished.
How it works
On the day, we set up our cooking area, light the burners and start the sofrito. The rice goes in about 20 minutes before serving, so the timing is planned around your event. At midsummer, it is light in Kemsing until about 9:20pm, perfect for canapés outdoors. By late September it is dark around 7:05pm, and in December by about 3:55pm.
- 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 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
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
Getting a price
Each quote is tailored to your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll confirm whether we are available that day.
Planning help
Planners, venues and businesses
If you’re booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we will explain how it works. We’re happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Kemsing? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we will suggest a menu.
Also in Kemsing
DIY paella versus live catering
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but there is shopping, prep and hours of cooking. A caterer handles all of that.
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 at scale is tricky. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Before you choose a spot
We cook in large pans over gas burners, so the cooking area needs a little planning. Here’s what we look for:
- Room on tables for sharing dishes
- Venue approval for outside catering
- Space to finish hot dishes
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise before you book.
Popular choices
- Albóndigas
- Croquetas
- Gambas al ajillo
- Manchego & membrillo
- Chorizo in red wine
- Tortilla española
- Serrano ham
- Patatas bravas
- Padrón peppers
- Olives & bread
Catering for every guest
A little planning makes sure everyone can eat. Here’s how:
- Let us know if tapas are a starter or the main event
- Widen the selection for a tapas-only menu
- Match tapas with Spanish drinks
- Canapés need staff to serve
Table tapas are set down to share at the start of the meal.
Crockery and serving dishes.
Is live paella right for your event?
Tapas can be a starter, a reception or the whole meal, which makes them easy to plan around. The cost per head normally falls as numbers rise, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Tell us your numbers for an accurate price.
What you get with us
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
Take a look at How we price And What paella catering costs.
Prices and what affects them
The price comes down to a few factors:
- Travel, parking and access
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Whether you need crockery
- How many staff you need
Cost depends on guest numbers, the menu and the courses, along with staff, extras and travel. We quote for each event individually.
What we need to know
Good planning starts with a few facts. Try to include:
- A photo of the space, if you can
- The date and time of the event
- The venue or postcode
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
Still deciding on the menu? That’s fine: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll suggest a menu. To start, fill in our quote form.
The menu, dish by dish
Manchego & membrillo
Manchego with sweet quince.
Gambas al ajillo
A favourite with seafood lovers.
Planning a tapas spread in Kemsing
Kemsing is about 2 miles north-east of Sevenoaks, in Kent. Anywhere in TN15, we’ll come to your venue or garden. Kemsing is one of 922 towns and villages in Kent we cover. We cook right across the region, from Kemsing to London (about 19 miles away).
Historic houses near Kemsing include Knole House (2.8 miles south) and Lullingstone Castle (3.7 miles north). Where a historic venue doesn’t allow live cooking, canapé tapas may still be possible; ask the venue. Canapé tapas suit the drinks after a ceremony at a church like Church of St Mary. Kemsing is within about 3 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape, a lovely setting for a drinks reception outdoors.
Tapas catering in TN15 is planned around your venue and timings. Whether your event is on High Street, Copperfields Walk and Childsbridge Lane or a nearby road, we’ll bring the pans to you. Other places close to Kemsing for tapas catering include Cotman's Ash (1 mile north-east), Heaverham (2 miles east), Woodlands (2 miles north-east), Romney Street (2 miles north) and Knatts Valley (2 miles north-east). Further out, we also cater in Maidstone (14 miles east), Dartford (9 miles north), Royal Tunbridge Wells (12 miles south), Gravesend (11 miles north-east), Tonbridge (8 miles south) and Northfleet (10 miles north-east).
Nearby you’ll also find Kemsing Castle Bank (0.5 miles east) and Otford Heritage Centre (1 mile west). The countryside around Kemsing includes Dryhill Nature Reserve.
- Schools near Kemsing include St Michael's Preparatory School (0.6 miles north-west) and Knole Academy (2 miles south-west)
Your questions about tapas catering in Kemsing
We are having a ceremony at Church of St Mary: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is usually elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
Can you cook at venues in the Kent Downs National Landscape?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about vehicles, ground and cooking, so check with yours. We will follow the site rules.
Do you cater for vegetarian guests?
Yes, and meat eaters frequently go back for seconds. Each is cooked separately, with its own stock and utensils.
Are the tapas served hot?
Yes, hot dishes are finished at the venue.
What do you need at the venue?
Level ground for the burners, pans and a table, in the open air or a ventilated covered area, and the venue’s permission for live cooking.
Can we add drinks?
Sangria and bar staff can be added.
What areas do you cover?
London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including Kemsing.
Can you serve drinks?
Sangria, yes. We can also supply bar staff for your own drinks.
- 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