Kent · England
Tapas & canapé catering in Rusthall, Kent
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella in Rusthall and the surrounding area.
- Welcome-drink canapés
- Engagement drinks
- Drinks parties and receptions
Planning an event in Rusthall?
About our tapas catering in Rusthall
We finish hot tapas on site, so they arrive hot. We cook patatas bravas, gambas al ajillo and albóndigas, and we’re regularly asked to cater sharing boards for evening guests and tapas before paella.
In Rusthall, tapas work at home or in a local hall. Every pan is cooked in front of your guests, so the food is hot, fresh and part of the occasion.
How we price tapas catering
There is nothing hidden: the quote reflects:
- Distance and access to the venue
- How many guests are eating
- The paellas you choose
- The length of service
Got a budget? Let us know, and we’ll suggest a menu to match. A simple menu can still feel generous.
What to tell us
To speed things up, tell us:
- The date and time of the event
- The courses you’d like
- A photo of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- Where the event is
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.
How it works
The paella is cooked in giant, shallow pans over gas burners. It needs a level spot with some shelter and good ventilation, and we agree where that is before the day. A summer drinks reception in Rusthall has daylight until about 9:20pm at midsummer, perfect for canapés outdoors. By late September it is dark around 7:05pm, and in December by about 3:55pm.
- You tell us the date, venue, numbers and how you’d like the tapas served.
- We put together a tapas selection and a quote.
- On the day we arrive, set up and finish the hot tapas on site.
- We serve canapés with drinks or set table tapas down to share.
- We pack down when service ends.
Before we arrive
- Give us a contact for the day
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Leave space around the cooking area
Getting a price
Every quote is put together for your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll confirm whether we are available that day.
Read more
Receptions and parties in Rusthall
Rusthall is about 2 miles west of Royal Tunbridge Wells, in Kent. Across the TN4 area, we can bring the pans to you. Rusthall is one of 922 places in Kent we cover. We cook right across the region, from Rusthall to Brighton (about 26 miles away).
Nearby historic houses include Groombridge Place (2.2 miles south-west) and Penshurst Place (3.3 miles north-west). For a drinks reception at a historic venue, canapé tapas can work where live cooking is not allowed. Guests travelling by rail: Tunbridge Wells station is about 1.5 miles away. The High Weald National Landscape is within about 7 miles of Rusthall, a lovely setting for a drinks reception outdoors.
We cover events in every part of TN4 and TN3. Streets in the area include Rusthall High Street, Hill View Road and Manor Road, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Close by, we cover events in Langton Green (1 mile west), Bullingstone (1 mile north-west), Speldhurst (1 mile north-west), Stockland Green (1 mile north) and Broadwater Down (2 miles south-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Sevenoaks (10 miles north), Tonbridge (5 miles north-east), Kings Hill (12 miles north-east), Paddock Wood (7 miles east), Edenbridge (9 miles north-west) and Staplehurst (14 miles east).
Other landmarks nearby include Tonbridge Castle (4.5 miles north-east) and Kent and Sussex Hospital (1.3 miles east). Not far away are Barden Lake and Broadwater Warren RSPB Reserve.
- Schools near Rusthall include Rose Hill School (0.7 miles east) and Bennett Memorial Diocesan School (0.9 miles north-east)
- Nearby, you’ll find The Oak pub (within half a mile south-west)
Catering for every guest
With a little notice, every diet is easy. We suggest:
- Collect dietary needs
- Make sure dishes are labelled
- Match tapas with Spanish drinks
- Let us know if tapas are a starter or the main event
Dishes are labelled for diets and allergens.
Staff to serve canapés.
Questions from Rusthall
Is Rusthall close to London?
Roughly 29 miles from the centre of London, and well within our area.
Can you cook at venues in the High Weald National Landscape?
Yes, though some venues in protected landscapes have extra rules; ask your venue. We will work to whatever the site needs.
Is the paella gluten-free?
We can cook a gluten-free paella in its own pan. Tell us about any coeliac guests when you book so we can plan it carefully.
How much paella per person?
We plan quantities from your guest numbers, timings and other courses, with a little extra built in. Accurate numbers help.
Do you come to Rusthall?
Yes. We cater across London and the South East, and Rusthall is within our area and the rest of Kent. For a quote, fill in our quote form.
Do you provide serving staff?
We can provide staff. Canapés need staff to carry them round.
Which areas do you serve?
We cover London and the South East, including Kent. See all areas.
How many tapas per person?
We plan quantities around your timings and courses. Give us the details and we will advise.
Also near Rusthall
What else we do in Rusthall
Events we cater in Rusthall
They’re ideal when a full meal does not fit.
If you are planning any of these, we can help:
- Sharing tapas starters
- Sharing boards for evening guests
- Welcome-drink canapés
- Cocktail parties
After a ceremony at a church such as St Paul's Church Centre, canapé tapas with the drinks keep guests happy during photos.
What your quote should include
- Whether travel is included
- When payment is due
- Staff numbers and hours
- The wet-weather plan
The menu, dish by dish
Gambas al ajillo
Prawns sizzled in garlic and olive oil with a little chilli.
Tortilla española
A vegetarian favourite.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Not sure whether to cook yourself or book a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. Ask us for a quote and compare.
You can hire equipment and do it yourself, but there’s shopping, prep and hours of cooking. We take care of all of it.
Planners, venues and businesses
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.
If you are organising for someone else, whether you are a planner, an office manager or an event organiser, we are happy to deal with you and the venue directly. It saves passing messages back and forth.
What we need at the venue
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so the cooking area needs a little planning. Here’s what we look for:
- Permission from the venue
- Space to finish hot dishes
- Room for a tapas table
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly.
What we offer
- Padrón peppers
- Serrano ham
- Tortilla española
- Manchego & membrillo
- Olives & bread
- Albóndigas
- Patatas bravas
- Croquetas
- Gambas al ajillo
- Chorizo in red wine
- 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