Kent · England
Tapas Catering in Maidstone
Love Paella cooks Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella across Maidstone and Kent, catering for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests.
- Birthday drinks
- Cocktail parties
- Canapés with welcome drinks
Planning an event in Maidstone?
About our tapas catering in Maidstone
For standing receptions, canapés work best; table tapas suit seated meals. Many events have both. Typical bookings include canapés with welcome drinks and office parties and launches, with Serrano ham, gambas al ajillo and croquetas.
Canapés keep a reception in Maidstone moving. We plan the timings around your day, whether that is speeches, a lunch break or a festival schedule.
Planning the cooking area
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We need:
- Access to unload near the serving area
- Space for a serving table or station
- Table space for sharing dishes at seated meals
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we will tell you honestly before booking.
Menu ideas
- Albóndigas
- Chorizo in red wine
- Croquetas
- Manchego & membrillo
- Tortilla española
- Olives & bread
- Gambas al ajillo
- Padrón peppers
- Serrano ham
- Patatas bravas
Also near Maidstone
Also in Maidstone
Diets, allergies and planning
Paella is one of the easiest dishes for mixed diets, because each paella is cooked in its own pan. A few tips:
- Include staff for canapés
- Allow more variety if tapas are the whole meal
- Ask guests about diets and allergies
- Let us know if tapas are a starter or the main event
Canapés circulate with drinks.
Serving boards and crockery.
Why choose tapas catering in Maidstone?
Easy to eat with a glass in hand.
Big or small, live paella works well. Common bookings include:
- Receptions and drinks parties
- Sharing boards for evening guests
- Work receptions
- Anniversary parties
Nearby historic houses include Stoneacre (2.4 miles south-east) and Leeds Castle (4.6 miles east). For a drinks reception at a historic venue, canapé tapas can work where live cooking is not allowed.
What to look for in a quote
- What the caterer needs from your venue
- When final numbers are due
- Whether VAT is included
- When payment is due
For planners, venues and organisers
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can plan ahead.
Planning an event for a club, school or charity in Maidstone? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we will suggest a menu.
The process
When the rice goes in, it’s left alone. That’s what gives paella its separate grains and crispy base. Your guests will smell it before they see it. At midsummer, it is light in Maidstone until about 9:15pm, perfect for canapés outdoors. In late September, sunset is about 7:00pm; winter receptions, dark by 3:50pm, are better indoors.
- We check your date.
- You choose canapés, table tapas or both.
- We arrive and set up our station.
- Hot and cold tapas are served.
- We clear away at the end.
Getting ready for the day
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Name one person we can ask on the day
Ask for a quote
It is easy to get a price: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We’ll send a clear, itemised quote and a suggested menu.
Related guides
Maidstone questions
Can you cook in River Len LNR?
Only if the landowner, typically the council, allows it. Ask them first, and we will send any information they need.
Can you cater a reception after a service at St Philip's Church?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is usually elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
Do you have vegetarian tapas?
Lots. Tortilla, patatas bravas, padrón peppers and Manchego are vegetarian classics.
Do we need staff for canapés?
We can provide staff. Canapés need staff to carry them round.
What about pudding?
Yes, Spanish desserts can be added. Tell us what you have in mind when you ask for a quote.
Is the paella cooked on site?
It is. We arrive with everything we need and cook it there and then, serving it hot from the pan.
When should we book?
As soon as you have a date. Peak dates go quickly, so it pays to ask early.
How do you work out quantities?
Quantities depend on numbers, timing and courses, with a sensible margin. Accurate numbers help.
Why choose live paella in Maidstone?
Generic canapés all look the same. Spanish tapas bring colour and flavour. Premium seafood costs more than chicken or vegetables, so your choice of paellas affects the total. We’ll suggest options to suit your budget.
Why Maidstone hosts choose us
- Drinks service on request
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Events in Maidstone and across Kent
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
Take a look at Our pricing And The cost guide.
Dishes our guests love
Croquetas
Crisp outside, creamy inside.
Manchego & membrillo
Easy and classic.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Cooking paella for a crowd yourself is possible, but it’s harder than it looks. 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.
Some hosts like to cook themselves. 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 enjoy the party, let us cook.
Receptions and parties in Maidstone
Maidstone is about 31 miles south-east of London, in Kent. Events in Maidstone are planned around your venue and timings: a quote, a plan and live cooking on the day. Maidstone is one of 922 towns and villages in Kent where we cook. You can also see our page for Canterbury, about 24 miles away.
Historic buildings near Maidstone often have strict catering rules, so ask early if that is your venue. Canapé tapas suit the drinks after a ceremony at a church like St Philip's Church. Maidstone is within about 5 miles of the Kent Downs National Landscape, a lovely setting for a drinks reception outdoors.
For tapas catering in ME15, ME16, ME14 and ME17, we plan around your venue. That could mean an event in a garden on Square Hill Road, Arundel Square and Square Hill. Maidstone sits on or near the A20 and A26, so getting the burners and pans to your event is simple. Close by, we cover events in Tovil (1 mile west), Foley Park (1 mile north), Shepway (1 mile south-east), Penenden Heath (1 mile north) and Weavering (1 mile east). Within a short drive, we also cover Sittingbourne (10 miles north-east), Sevenoaks (15 miles west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (14 miles south-west), Gravesend (13 miles north-west), Tonbridge (12 miles south-west) and Northfleet (14 miles north-west). Maidstone is one of the larger places we cover in Kent, with plenty of venues for events.
Well-known places in the area include Maidstone Carriage Museum (within half a mile north-west) and Oakwood Hospital (1.8 miles west). Green spaces nearby include Burham Down and Boxley Hills.
- Local schools include Maidstone Grammar School (within half a mile south-east) and St Augustine Academy (1.2 miles west)
- Local pubs include Paper Makers Arms (under half a mile north)
- 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