Isle of Wight · England
Tapas Catering for Shanklin events
Paella for every guest: separate pans for meat, seafood and vegetarian or vegan guests. Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella in Shanklin.
- Evening sharing boards
- Tapas and paella menus
- Tapas starters
Tapas catering for Shanklin events
The process
When the rice goes in, it is left alone. That is what gives paella its separate grains and crispy base. Your guests will smell it before they see it. Evening receptions in Shanklin stay light until about 8:55pm in late May and 9:20pm in late June, so canapés can go round outdoors on a summer evening.
- We check your date.
- You choose canapés, table tapas or both.
- We set up on arrival.
- We serve the spread.
- We clear away at the end.
Getting ready for the day
- Ensure we can park close by to unload
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
Get a quote
Every event is quoted individually, so the price fits what you actually want. To ask for one, use our quote form.
Read more
Tapas catering in Shanklin, cooked live
Tapas are made for sharing and talking over. Canapés go round while guests mingle, or table tapas go out to share. Whether it’s sharing boards for evening guests and work receptions, we’ll put together a menu of albóndigas, patatas bravas and Manchego with membrillo.
In Shanklin, tapas work at home or in a local hall. Timings are planned around your event, whether that is speeches, a lunch break or a festival schedule.
- Area
- Shanklin (PO37, PO36)
- Region
- Isle of Wight
- Dietary options
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Extras
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quote
- Ask us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Space, weather and the venue
We cook in large pans over gas burners, so we need a suitable spot. Here’s what we look for:
- Room for a tapas table
- A suitable spot to finish hot tapas
- Permission from the venue
Shanklin is a more remote spot, so tell us early and we’ll plan the journey.
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we’ll tell you honestly before booking.
What we offer
- Tortilla española
- Croquetas
- Serrano ham
- Chorizo in red wine
- Olives & bread
- Gambas al ajillo
- Patatas bravas
- Manchego & membrillo
- Albóndigas
- Padrón peppers
Dietary needs and planning tips
Nearly every event has some special diets. To cater well for them:
- Tell us what role tapas play
- Ask for labels on each dish
- Widen the selection for a tapas-only menu
- Keep seafood and meat dishes clearly separate
Dishes are labelled for diets and allergens.
Add a live paella main.
Tapas for events in Shanklin
Shanklin is about 6 miles south of Ryde, in the Isle of Wight. For tapas catering in Shanklin, we plan around your venue and timings: a quote, a plan and live cooking on the day. We cook in all 125 towns and villages in the Isle of Wight, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Southampton, about 22 miles away.
Guests travelling by rail: Shanklin has its own station, Shanklin station. If you are looking at a historic venue around Shanklin, check its catering rules early, as many limit cooking. The coast is within about 3 miles, so garlic prawns are popular.
Here we cover the PO37 and PO36 postcode area, so your event can be anywhere in it. That could mean an event in a garden on High Street, Church Road and Regent Street or the roads around them. Being close to the A3020 and A3055, Shanklin is simple for us to get to for your event. For events just outside Shanklin, we cover Luccombe Village (1 mile south), Lake (1 mile north), Sandown (2 miles north-east), Queen's Bower (2 miles north) and Alverstone (2 miles north). Further out, we also cater in Newport (7 miles north-west), Ryde (6 miles north), Cowes (10 miles north-west), Ventnor (3 miles south-west), East Cowes (10 miles north-west) and Oakfield (6 miles north). Shanklin is one of the larger places we cover in the Isle of Wight, with plenty of venues for events. If your event is somewhere remote, tell us early so we can plan the journey.
A little further out are South Wight (2.4 miles south-west) and Arthur Webster Memorial Hospital for Children (less than half a mile north). Open spaces near Shanklin include Alverstone Mead and St Boniface Down.
- Schools near Shanklin include Sandown Bay Academy (1.9 miles north)
- Pubs nearby include The Falcon pub (less than half a mile south-west)
Paella compared with other options
If you want food that encourages guests to mingle, tapas are hard to beat. Larger events typically cost less per head, because the cooking set-up is similar for different sizes of event. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
Why Shanklin hosts choose us
- A clear, itemised quote
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Real theatre, not just catering
Read Our prices page And Our guide to catering costs.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. We are happy to give you a quote to compare.
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but there is shopping, prep and hours of cooking. We take care of all of it.
Prices and what affects them
Your quote will be clear and itemised. What affects it most:
- Guest numbers
- Your choice of paellas
- Extra courses such as canapés, tapas and dessert
- Travel, parking and access
Travel, parking and access can affect the price, so it helps to tell us about your venue. Everything is confirmed in writing.
What to tell us
When you contact us, it helps to tell us:
- Roughly how many adults and children
- A picture of where we’d cook
- The venue or postcode
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy numbers
Thinking about tapas catering for your event in Shanklin? Send us the details and we will reply with a menu and a clear price. To contact us, fill in our quote form.
Nearby places to Shanklin
More for events in Shanklin
Organising for someone else?
Planners and coordinators can contact us directly, and we will keep you updated on timings and set-up.
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We will provide any information the landowner or council asks for.
About the dishes
Manchego & membrillo
Manchego with sweet quince.
Tortilla española
A vegetarian favourite.
FAQs for Shanklin
What’s the nearest station to Shanklin for guests?
Shanklin has its own station: Shanklin station.
We are having a ceremony at St. Paul's Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking typically happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
Should we have more than one paella?
Most events have two or three: a meat or mixed paella, a seafood paella and a vegetable or vegan one. We will help you decide the split.
Can you do gluten-free paella?
We can, if you tell us in advance. The rice is gluten-free, but stocks and chorizo can contain gluten, so we cook a gluten-free paella separately.
Do you cover Shanklin?
Yes. We cover London and the South East, including Shanklin. For a quote, use our quote form.
Can you cater for children?
Of course. Children frequently love a simple chicken paella. Tell us how many are coming.
What if the weather’s bad?
We cook under cover, such as a gazebo, marquee or open-sided barn with good ventilation. We’ll agree a wet-weather plan with you.
Is halal food available?
Yes, we do. We use halal chicken and leave out pork and alcohol, in a separate pan.
- 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