Southampton · England
Tapas & canapé catering in Lordswood, Southampton
Treat your guests to live paella at your event in Lordswood. Everything is cooked fresh on the day, and serve it straight from the pan.
- Tapas with a paella main course
- Birthday drinks
- Evening sharing boards
Book tapas catering in Lordswood
How our tapas catering works in Lordswood
Canapé tapas suit standing receptions; for seated meals, table tapas. Lots of events do both. For welcome-drink canapés and drinks parties and receptions, we’ll put together a menu of padrón peppers, croquetas and Serrano ham for your guests.
For a party in a place like Lordswood, a tapas spread is easy and sociable. All the cooking equipment comes with us, and we clear our cooking area away afterwards.
- Area
- Lordswood (SO16, SO15)
- Area hub
- Southampton
- Dietary options
- Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal
- Extras
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Price
- Quoted for your event
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
For event organisers in Lordswood
Organising a club, school or community event in Lordswood? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Give us the details and we’ll suggest a plan.
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 can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Drinks receptions around Lordswood
Lordswood is about 2 miles north-west of Southampton, in Southampton. Wherever your event is in the SO16 area, we can bring the pans to you. We cook in 40 places across Southampton.
Parks such as St James' Park have their own rules for catering, so check before planning a party there. If you’re looking at a historic venue around Lordswood, check its catering rules early, as many limit cooking. The New Forest National Park is within about 8 miles of Lordswood, a lovely setting for a drinks reception outdoors. The coast is within about 4 miles, so garlic prawns are popular.
Anywhere in SO16 and SO15, we can bring tapas catering to you. From Peach Road, Linden Road and Woburn Road or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. For events just outside Lordswood, we cover Coxford (1 mile south-west), Bassett (1 mile east), Rownhams (1 mile north-west), Maybush (1 mile south-west) and Chilworth (1 mile north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Townhill Park (3 miles east), Midanbury (3 miles east), Thornhill (5 miles south-east), Chartwell Green (4 miles east), Harefield (4 miles south-east) and Itchen (4 miles south-east).
A little further out are Marlands Shopping Centre (2.8 miles south-east) and Princess Anne Hospital (0.5 miles south). Not far away are Testwood Lakes.
- Schools near Lordswood include Upper Shirley High School (1 mile south) and Oaklands Community School (1 mile west)
- Nearby, you’ll find Bridge Tavern (0.9 miles south-west)
DIY paella versus live catering
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. Read how to cook paella for a crowd.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and do not stir once the rice goes in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Step by step
We get there well before serving, set up the cooking area and get the stock going. Guests typically gather round to watch while it cooks. Sunset in Lordswood is around 9:25pm in June, so canapés can go round outdoors on a summer evening.
- 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 set up and prepare the hot tapas there.
- Canapés circulate with drinks, or tapas go to the tables.
- We pack down when service ends.
Before we arrive
- Let us know the timings for the day
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Give us your final numbers and diets
Ask for a quote
Most quotes start with a few simple details: date, location, guest numbers and diets. You can use our quote form.
Planning help
What else we do in Lordswood
Paella compared with other options
For food that gets people mingling, tapas are hard to beat. Cost depends on guest numbers, the menu and the courses, along with staff, extras and travel. We quote for each event individually.
Why Lordswood hosts choose us
- Fast service from the pan
- Plates, cutlery and waiting staff available
- Sangria and bar staff available
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
See Our pricing And Our guide to catering costs.
The menu, dish by dish
Patatas bravas
Always popular.
Gambas al ajillo
A favourite with seafood lovers.
Diets, allergies and planning
A little planning makes sure everyone can eat. Try these:
- Decide whether tapas are a starter, canapés or the whole meal
- Check diets in advance
- Include staff for canapés
- Allow more variety if tapas are the whole meal
Tapas go out to the tables at the start of the meal.
Sangria and bar staff.
Common questions in Lordswood
What’s the nearest station to Lordswood for guests?
The closest is Millbrook (Hants) station, roughly 2.2 miles away.
Could we have live paella in St James' Park?
Only if the landowner, typically the council, allows it. Check with them, and we will provide our paperwork.
Will there be enough food?
We size the pans for your numbers and the rest of the menu. Let us know about any other food. See how much paella per person.
Can you do sangria?
Yes, sangria. For other drinks, we can provide bar staff to serve what you buy.
Can you do sangria?
Sangria and bar staff can be added.
Do we need staff for canapés?
Staff make canapés work, and we can provide them.
Do you do desserts?
We do. Churros, crema catalana and tarta de Santiago are popular choices, or you can serve your own cake.
Do you cater for young children?
Of course. Children frequently love a simple chicken paella. Tell us how many are coming.
What we need at the venue
We will agree the cooking spot with you before the day. It needs to meet a few simple requirements:
- A spot for our serving station
- An area to prepare hot tapas
- Room on tables for sharing dishes
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we’ll advise.
Popular choices
- Croquetas
- Padrón peppers
- Tortilla española
- Manchego & membrillo
- Gambas al ajillo
- Serrano ham
- Albóndigas
- Olives & bread
- Chorizo in red wine
- Patatas bravas
What affects the price in Lordswood
Every event is priced individually, based on a few main things:
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- Guest numbers
- How many staff you need
Live paella frequently compares well with a sit-down meal, because it needs no kitchen and fewer staff. We’ll send you a quote.
What to tell us
These details help us quote quickly:
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Which courses you have in mind
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- What the venue already provides
Every event is quoted individually, so the price fits what you actually want. For a quote, fill in our quote form.
- 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