Greater London · England
Tapas & canapé catering in Old Town, Greater London
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella for events in Old Town and across Greater London.
- Drinks reception canapés
- Birthday and anniversary parties
- Engagement drinks
Live tapas catering in Old Town
Your questions about tapas catering in Old Town
Which station should guests use for Old Town?
Old Town has its own station: West Croydon station.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Croydon Minster?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking generally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
Do you supply canapé staff?
Staff make canapés work, and we can provide them.
Do you provide plates and cutlery?
Yes, on request. Crockery, cutlery and napkins, or good-quality disposables can be added to your booking.
Can you do gluten-free paella?
A gluten-free pan is no problem. Let us know about coeliac guests in advance so we take the right care.
Are your tapas vegetarian-friendly?
Yes. Tortilla, bravas and Manchego are popular vegetarian choices.
How long does the paella take?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
Do you clear up afterwards?
We take our equipment and leave the cooking area tidy. Table clearing is available with waiting staff.
Tapas catering in Old Town, cooked live
We’ll suggest a selection to suit your timings and guests, starter or main event. We’re often asked to cater tapas before paella and evening grazing, with Serrano ham, Manchego with membrillo and albóndigas.
Canapé tapas suit smaller London spaces in Old Town. We serve straight from the pan, so it is hot and generous, and service is quick once it is ready.
- Location
- Old Town (CR0, CR9, CR90)
- Area hub
- Greater London
- Diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Extras
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quotes
- Contact us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
For planners, venues and organisers
Venues frequently 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 big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so guests are fed quickly. Tell us how long you have for food.
What affects the price in Old Town
Each event is quoted on its own, and the price depends on a few things:
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Timings and hours
- Staff: cooks, waiting staff and bar staff
Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so your choice of paellas affects the total. Tell us your budget and we’ll suggest a menu.
What to tell us
For a quote, it helps to have:
- The courses you’d like
- The date and time of the event
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- A picture of where we’d cook
Send us the date, your venue or CR0 postcode and guest numbers, along with any dietary needs, and you’ll get a menu idea and a price. To get started, use our quote form.
Receptions and parties in Old Town
Old Town is about 1 mile north-west of Croydon, in Greater London. Tell us where your event in Old Town will be, and we will plan the journey and set-up. We cook in all 764 towns and villages across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages. Our events stretch from Old Town to London (9 miles away).
Guests travelling by rail: Old Town has its own station, West Croydon station. Nearby historic houses include Addington Palace (3 miles east) and Kingswood House (4.1 miles north). Where a historic venue doesn’t allow live cooking, canapé tapas may still be possible; ask the venue.
Anywhere in CR0, CR9 and CR90, we can cook for your guests, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Streets in the area include Park Lane, Fell Road and Abbey Road, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Nearby, we also cater events in Waddon (1 mile south-west), Broad Green (1 mile north), Beddington (1 mile west), Bandonhill (1 mile south-west) and Russell Hill (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (9 miles north), City of Westminster (10 miles north), Marylebone (10 miles north), Kensington (10 miles north-west), St Pancras (11 miles north) and Shoreditch (11 miles north).
Other landmarks nearby include Centrale Croydon (less than half a mile north-east) and Croydon University Hospital (1.2 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Roundshaw Downs and Duppas Hill.
- Schools near Old Town include St Andrew's CofE School (less than half a mile south-west) and Rutherford School (1.4 miles south-east)
- Pubs nearby include The Gun Tavern (less than half a mile north-east)
- Other local spots include County Borough of Croydon (under half a mile east)
Should I cook it myself?
Not sure whether to cook yourself or book a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. We are happy to give you a quote to compare.
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and handles separate pans for each diet.
Planning for every diet
Few dishes handle mixed diets as well as paella, because every paella has its own pan. A few tips:
- Decide whether tapas are a starter, canapés or the whole meal
- Widen the selection for a tapas-only menu
- Ensure dishes are labelled
- Ask guests about diets and allergies
Canapés go round with the drinks as guests arrive.
Sangria and bar staff.
Before you choose a spot
Most outdoor spaces and many venues work for live paella, but there are a few things to check:
- A spot for our serving station
- Parking near the venue
- Space on each table
As a London location, Old Town is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway.
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise.
Popular choices
- Padrón peppers
- Tortilla española
- Albóndigas
- Gambas al ajillo
- Serrano ham
- Patatas bravas
- Olives & bread
- Manchego & membrillo
- Croquetas
- Chorizo in red wine
What’s in the pans
Patatas bravas
Crisp potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce.
Croquetas
Crisp outside, creamy inside.
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Tapas can be a starter, a reception or the whole meal, so they fit most plans. If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we’ll suggest a menu to match. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Why book with us
- Events in Old Town and across Greater London
- Cooking your guests will gather round to watch
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
- Paella cooked from scratch on site
See Our pricing And What paella catering costs.
The process
When the rice goes in, it’s left alone. That is how the grains cook evenly and the toasted base, the socarrat, forms. The smell typically draws people over. At midsummer, it’s light in Old Town until about 9:20pm, perfect for canapés outdoors. In late September, sunset is about 7:05pm; winter receptions, dark by 3:55pm, are better indoors.
- We check your date.
- You choose canapés, table tapas or both.
- We set up on arrival.
- Hot and cold tapas are served.
- We clear away at the end.
How to prepare
- Name one person we can ask on the day
- Have a level space ready for the pans
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
Getting a price
To get a price, send us your details through our quote form. Tell us about your event in Old Town, and we will put together a menu and price.
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Nearby places to Old Town
Also in Old Town
- 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