Kent · England
Tapas & canapé catering in Sandway, Kent
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella for events in Sandway and across Kent.
- Engagement celebrations
- Birthday and anniversary parties
- Evening grazing
Tapas catering for Sandway events
Tapas catering for your event in Sandway
Tapas suit drinks receptions, evening parties, office events and weddings in and around Sandway. For cocktail parties and anniversary parties, we’ll put together a menu of albóndigas, padrón peppers and croquetas.
Near Sandway, tapas suit gardens, barns and marquees. Timings are planned around your event, whether that’s 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 look for:
- Room for a tapas table
- Parking near the venue
- Table space for sharing dishes at seated meals
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly before booking.
What we offer
- Tortilla española
- Padrón peppers
- Croquetas
- Patatas bravas
- Chorizo in red wine
- Manchego & membrillo
- Gambas al ajillo
- Albóndigas
- Olives & bread
- Serrano ham
Common questions in Sandway
We are having a ceremony at St Mary's Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking typically happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
Is Sandway too small for live paella?
Not at all. We cater in villages and hamlets as well as towns. Tell us about lanes, gates and parking.
Do you cater for coeliacs?
We can, if you tell us in advance. Rice is naturally gluten-free, but stock and some ingredients may not be, so we make a separate gluten-free pan.
How long do you need on site?
We get there in good time to set up. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
Do you provide plates and cutlery?
We can. Tell us what your venue provides and we will include the rest in the quote.
Do you serve drinks with tapas?
We can add sangria and bar staff.
Is it really cooked live?
Yes. We cook from scratch in large pans at your venue, where your guests can watch.
Can we have tapas without paella?
Of course. Tapas and canapés can be booked on their own.
Live paella or other catering?
Sandwich buffets are forgettable. Tapas feel like a treat. Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. We’ll send you a quote.
Why choose Love Paella in Sandway
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
- A quote that spells everything out
- Drinks service on request
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
See How we price Or The cost guide.
DIY paella versus live catering
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. Large pans need the right burners, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. Booking us means you get the show without the stress.
Planners, venues and businesses
Many venues have rules for outside caterers: where cooking is allowed, access times and the paperwork they need. Tell us what your venue needs and we’ll work to it.
Organising a club, school or community event in Sandway? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Give us the details and we’ll suggest a plan.
Places near Sandway
What else we do in Sandway
What’s in the pans
Tortilla española
A thick potato and egg omelette served in wedges or squares.
Croquetas
Always among the first to go.
Tapas for events in Sandway
Sandway is about 8 miles east of Maidstone, in Kent. For tapas catering in Sandway, we plan around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. Sandway is one of 922 places in Kent where we cook. We cook right across the region, from Sandway to Canterbury (17 miles away).
A picnic in Kiln Wood? Check the park’s rules first; a garden or hired venue is frequently easier for catering. For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Lenham station, about 0.5 miles north-east. The Kent Downs National Landscape is within about 4 miles of Sandway, a lovely setting for a drinks reception outdoors.
Tapas catering in ME17 is planned around your venue and timings. That could mean an event in a garden on Headcorn Road, Sandway Road and Old Ham Lane. For events just outside Sandway, we cover Platt's Heath (1 mile south-west), Liverton Street (1 mile south-west), Boughton Malherbe (1 mile south), Marley (1 mile north-west) and Harrietsham (1 mile north-west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Maidstone (8 miles west), Ashford (9 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (8 miles north), Faversham (10 miles north-east), Minster (14 miles north) and Kings Hill (13 miles west).
Well-known places in the area include The Dog Collar Museum (3.2 miles north-west) and Coldbridge Castle (2.1 miles south).
- Schools near Sandway include The Lenham School (0.8 miles north-east)
- Nearby, you’ll find Wishful Thinker pub (within half a mile south-east)
Perfect for your event in Sandway
Big or small, tapas work.
Live paella works for big and small events alike. Typical bookings include:
- Birthday drinks
- Sharing tapas starters
- Work receptions
- Tapas and paella menus
Canapé tapas suit the drinks after a ceremony at a church like St Mary's Church.
Comparing caterers
- Allergen information for each dish
- Plates, cutlery and napkins, or disposables
- Any travel, parking or access charges
- VAT, if it applies
How it works
It is a relaxed, well-organised set-up. Arrival and serving times are agreed beforehand, set up our cooking area, and cook and serve without fuss. At midsummer, it is light in Sandway until about 9:15pm, ideal for tapas in the garden. By late September it’s dark around 7:00pm, and in December by about 3:50pm.
- We check your date.
- You choose canapés, table tapas or both.
- We arrive and set up our station.
- We serve the spread.
- We clear away at the end.
Preparing for the day
- Share the running order, including any speeches
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Confirm numbers and diets before the day
Getting a price
Not sure what you need yet? No problem: give us the basics about your event, and we will make suggestions. To start, use our quote form.
Planning help
Catering for every guest
With a little notice, every diet is easy. Our advice:
- Allow more variety if tapas are the whole meal
- Collect dietary needs
- Match tapas with Spanish drinks
- Keep seafood and meat dishes clearly separate
Staff keep the canapés coming.
Churros or crema catalana to finish.
- 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