Hampshire · England
Tapas & canapé catering in Lee, Hampshire
Cooked live, served hot and made to share: Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella in Lee and the surrounding area.
- Anniversary parties
- Evening sharing boards
- Office parties and launches
Tapas catering near Lee
How our tapas catering works in Lee
We can add sangria and bar staff, for a complete drinks and tapas package. We cook croquetas, gambas al ajillo and patatas bravas, and we’re regularly asked to cater launches and office parties and canapés with welcome drinks.
Near Lee, tapas and sangria suit a garden or field party. We plan the timings around your day, so the paella is ready when you want to eat.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it is in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For larger numbers, mixed diets or a wedding, a caterer takes the pressure off, and handles separate pans for each diet.
Lee: your questions answered
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of St Boniface?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is generally elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
Can you cook near the sea around Lee?
Yes, as long as we can shelter from the wind. Sea breezes cool the pan, so a windbreak, building or gazebo helps.
Do you do desserts?
We can add a dessert. Let us know if you’d like one when you ask for a quote.
Do you do tapas on their own?
Absolutely, for receptions, parties and evening food.
Who clears up?
We take our equipment and leave the cooking area tidy. Ask us about table clearing if you need it.
What if the weather’s bad?
A covered, ventilated spot keeps us cooking in the rain. We will talk it through before the day.
Do you provide plates and cutlery?
Yes, if you need them. Let us know what you have, and we will quote for the rest.
What areas do you cover?
London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including Lee.
Lee: venues and local tips
Lee is about 2 miles south of Romsey, in Hampshire. For tapas catering in Lee, we plan around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. We cover all 683 towns and villages across Hampshire.
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Romsey station, about 2.4 miles north. If you are looking at a historic venue around Lee, check its catering rules early, as many limit cooking. The New Forest National Park is within about 8 miles of Lee, a lovely setting for a drinks reception outdoors. With the sea within about 6 miles, seafood tapas such as gambas al ajillo are a natural choice.
Here we cover the SO51 postcode area. Local streets include Lee Lane and Lee Church Lane; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. If your venue is just outside Lee, we also cover Ashfield (1 mile east), Toothill (1 mile east), Upton (1 mile south-east), Nursling (1 mile south-east) and Rownhams (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cater in Winchester (10 miles north-east), Eastleigh (6 miles east), Fareham (15 miles south-east), Totton (3 miles south), Chandler's Ford (5 miles north-east) and Hedge End (9 miles east).
Other landmarks nearby include Romsey Community Hospital (2.3 miles north) and King Johns House (2.3 miles north). Not far away are Testwood Lakes.
- Other local spots include Romsey Extra (1.5 miles north-west)
More for events in Lee
How the day works
Serving is fast: we serve straight from the pan, so large groups are fed quickly. Afterwards we clear our cooking area away. At midsummer, it is light in Lee until about 9:25pm, perfect for canapés outdoors. In late September, sunset is about 7:10pm; winter receptions, dark by 4:00pm, are better indoors.
- 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 pack down when service ends.
Preparing for the day
- Check the venue allows live cooking
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Give us a contact for the day
How to get a price
Planning tapas catering in Lee? Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll come back with ideas and a quote. Just use our quote form.
Read more
Paella compared with other options
Nibbles fill a gap. Tapas are a real course. Live paella pricing depends on the event. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. Your quote spells it all out.
What you get with us
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Fast service from the pan
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
- A clear, itemised quote
Take a look at Our pricing Or Our guide to catering costs.
Planning the cooking area
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so we need a suitable spot. These are the things we check:
- The venue’s agreement to outside caterers
- Space on each table
- Parking near the venue
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly.
Popular choices
- Padrón peppers
- Croquetas
- Chorizo in red wine
- Manchego & membrillo
- Olives & bread
- Albóndigas
- Patatas bravas
- Gambas al ajillo
- Tortilla española
- Serrano ham
Catering for every guest
Nearly every event has some special diets. To plan for them:
- Pair tapas with sangria, cava or sherry
- Ask for labels on each dish
- Separate seafood dishes from the rest
- Allow more variety if tapas are the whole meal
Table tapas are set down to share at the start of the meal.
Sangria and bar staff.
What tapas catering costs
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, depending on:
- The length of service
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
- Whether you need crockery
- How many guests are eating
Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so the menu you choose affects the price. We will suggest options to suit your budget.
What we need to know
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- Roughly how many adults and children
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- The venue or postcode
Every event is quoted individually, so you only pay for what you need. To ask for one, send us your details through our quote form.
Perfect for your event in Lee
Tapas are sociable food.
Whatever the occasion, live paella can be the centrepiece. We regularly cater:
- Table tapas as a starter
- Evening grazing
- Launches and office parties
- Tapas before paella
Canapé tapas suit the drinks after a ceremony at a church like Church of St Boniface.
Questions to ask before booking
- How bad weather is handled
- The deposit and payment dates
- Allergen information for each dish
- What the caterer needs from your venue
Organising for someone else?
Venues often have their own rules about outside caterers: where cooking is allowed, access times and the paperwork they need. Send us your venue’s requirements and we’ll follow them.
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so guests are fed quickly. Let us know how long the food break is.
- 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