Greater London · England
Tapas Catering in Picketts Lock
Looking for tapas catering in Picketts Lock? We arrive with the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook in front of your guests.
- Receptions and drinks parties
- Engagement drinks
- Launches and office parties
Tapas catering for Picketts Lock events
Perfect for your event in Picketts Lock
They work for any size of event.
Whatever the occasion, paella can be the star of the food. We regularly cater:
- Tapas and paella menus
- Sharing boards for evening guests
- Sharing tapas starters
- Cocktail parties
Historic houses near Picketts Lock include Bruce Castle (2.6 miles south-west) and Forty Hall (3.4 miles north-west). For a drinks reception at a historic venue, canapé tapas can work where live cooking isn’t allowed.
Comparing caterers
- How long the team stays
- The deposit and payment dates
- Who provides the crockery
- What happens if it rains
About our tapas catering in Picketts Lock
Sangria and bar staff can be added, so drinks and nibbles come from one booking. For tapas starters and office parties and launches, we can cook patatas bravas, Serrano ham and albóndigas.
Canapé tapas suit smaller London spaces in Picketts Lock. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, never made in advance and reheated.
- Location
- Picketts Lock (N9, E4, N18)
- Area hub
- Greater London
- Special diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Also available
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quote
- Ask us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
The menu, dish by dish
Croquetas
Creamy croquettes with a crisp coat.
Manchego & membrillo
A simple, classic pairing.
For event organisers in Picketts Lock
Hosting a party at home? Send a photo of the space and tell us about parking, and we will let you know if live paella is a good fit.
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Tell us what your venue needs and we will work to it.
Towns and villages near Picketts Lock
What else we do in Picketts Lock
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Plated starters need a kitchen. Table tapas are shared and relaxed. Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so it helps to tell us about your venue. Everything is confirmed in writing.
Why book with us
- Real theatre, not just catering
- Served hot, straight from the pan
- Crockery and waiting staff if you need them
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
Take a look at How we price And What paella catering costs.
What happens on the day
Your timings come first. If speeches run late or the photos take longer, we adjust the cooking so it’s served at its best. A summer drinks reception in Picketts Lock has daylight until about 9:20pm at midsummer, perfect for canapés outdoors. By late September it’s dark around 7:05pm, and in December by about 3:50pm.
- Send us the date, venue, numbers and serving style.
- 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.
How to prepare
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Check the venue allows live cooking
Ask for a quote
The quickest way to a quote is to use our quote form. Tell us about your event in Picketts Lock, and we’ll suggest paellas and extras to suit.
Related guides
Tapas for events in Picketts Lock
Picketts Lock is about 1 mile west of Chingford, in Greater London. For an event in Picketts Lock, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices in and around Picketts Lock. Picketts Lock is one of 764 towns and villages in Greater London where we cook. You can also see our page for London, about 9 miles away.
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Ponders End station, about 1.2 miles north. Parks such as Pymmes Park have their own rules for catering, so check before planning a party there.
Here we cover the N9, E4 and N18 postcode area. From Ardra Road, Goodwin Road and Hennessy Road or anywhere nearby, we’ll bring the pans to you. Being close to the A1037, Picketts Lock is easy for us to reach. We also cook at events in Chingford Mount (1 mile south-east), South Chingford (1 mile south), Chingford (1 mile east), Edmonton (1 mile west) and Ponders End (1 mile north-west). Larger places within reach include London (9 miles south), City of Westminster (9 miles south-west), Marylebone (9 miles south-west), Kensington (11 miles south-west), St Pancras (8 miles south-west) and Shoreditch (7 miles south).
A little further out are Edmonton Green Shopping Centre (1.1 miles west) and The Epping Forest Museum (2.2 miles east). Not far away are Pole Hill and Highams Park Lake.
- Nearby schools include Nightingale Academy (0.8 miles north-west)
- Pubs nearby include The King's Ford pub (1 mile south-east)
- Other local spots include Municipal Borough of Edmonton (1.7 miles west)
Questions from Picketts Lock
Is parking a problem for events in Picketts Lock?
London parking needs planning: let us know about permits or off-street space. We’ll plan unloading around it.
We’re having a ceremony at All Saints' Church: 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. Tell us where the reception will be.
How long do you need on site?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. The rice itself takes about 20 minutes, and we time it to your schedule.
Do you offer halal options?
Yes, on request. Tell us how many guests need halal food, and it’s cooked separately.
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.
Is it really cooked live?
It is. We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook it there and then, serving it hot from the pan.
How do you work out quantities?
We plan quantities from your guest numbers, timings and other courses, with a sensible margin. Accurate numbers help.
Do you cook inside?
Typically we cook outdoors or under a ventilated cover, since the burners are gas. We will check whether your venue has a suitable space.
DIY paella versus live catering
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and handles separate pans for each diet.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
Space, weather and the venue
The right spot keeps things safe and helps the paella cook evenly. We look for:
- Room for a tapas table
- Room on tables for sharing dishes
- A suitable spot to finish hot tapas
As a London location, Picketts Lock is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: let us know about permits, bays or off-street parking.
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly.
Menu ideas
- Albóndigas
- Manchego & membrillo
- Patatas bravas
- Olives & bread
- Chorizo in red wine
- Padrón peppers
- Tortilla española
- Croquetas
- Serrano ham
- Gambas al ajillo
What affects the price in Picketts Lock
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, because of:
- How long we are needed on site
- Parking and unloading
- Guest numbers
- How many courses
Cost depends on guest numbers, the menu and the courses, along with staff, extras and travel. Every event gets its own quote.
Details that help
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
- What the venue already provides
- Where the event is
- A photo of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
Not sure what you need yet? That’s fine: give us the basics about your event, and we’ll make suggestions. To start, 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