Southampton · England
Tapas Catering for Sholing events
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella in Sholing and the surrounding area.
- Birthday and anniversary parties
- Tapas starters
- Drinks reception canapés
Tapas catering for Sholing events
About our tapas catering in Sholing
For standing receptions, canapés work best; table tapas suit seated meals. Lots of events do both. Whether it’s birthday drinks and canapés with welcome drinks, we’ll put together a menu of patatas bravas, Manchego with membrillo and Serrano ham.
For a party in a place like Sholing, a tapas spread is easy and sociable. Each paella is cooked from scratch on the day, not reheated, and served as soon as it is ready.
- Area
- Sholing (SO19)
- Region
- Southampton
- Diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Also available
- Tapas, churros, sangria, crockery
- Quotes
- Ask us for a quote
- Page updated
- 23 October 2026
Common questions in Sholing
Could we have live paella in Westwood Woodland Park?
Only if the landowner, generally the council, allows it. Check with them, and we’ll provide our paperwork.
What about events near the coast?
Yes, as long as we can shelter from the wind. Wind is the main issue on the coast, so we plan shelter.
Are there vegetarian tapas?
Yes. Tortilla, bravas and Manchego are popular vegetarian choices.
Do you cook it at the event?
Yes. Every paella is cooked from scratch on site, in front of your guests.
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.
Can we have tapas without paella?
Absolutely, for receptions, parties and evening food.
What do you need at the venue?
A level space for the pans, burners and a serving table, outdoors or in a marquee or well-ventilated area, and the venue’s permission for live cooking.
Can you provide dessert?
Yes. Churros, crema catalana and tarta de Santiago are popular choices.
Planning for every diet
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. We suggest:
- Include staff for canapés
- Label seafood clearly
- Add sangria or cava
- Label vegetarian and allergen-free dishes
Canapés circulate with drinks as guests arrive.
Add a live paella main.
Planners, venues and businesses
If your event is in a public space, such as a park, check what permission you need first. We’ll provide any information the landowner or council asks for.
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so guests are fed quickly. Tell us how long you have for food.
Occasions we cook for in Sholing
They suit standing receptions where a full meal does not fit.
We can help if you are planning any of the following:
- Welcome-drink canapés
- Birthday and anniversary parties
- Office parties and launches
- Table tapas as a starter
Historic buildings near Sholing frequently have strict catering rules, so ask early if that’s your venue.
What your quote should include
- Space, access and power needs
- VAT, if it applies
- What the price includes, item by item
- Whether travel is included
About the dishes
Tortilla española
A thick potato and egg omelette served in wedges or squares.
Patatas bravas
Always popular and generally vegetarian.
What happens on the day
Once the rice is in, we don’t stir it. That is how the grains cook evenly and the toasted base, the socarrat, forms. The smell typically draws people over. A summer drinks reception in Sholing has daylight until about 9:25pm at midsummer, ideal for tapas in the garden. In late September, sunset is about 7:10pm; winter receptions, dark by 4:00pm, are better indoors.
- First, we check availability.
- You choose canapés, table tapas or both.
- We set up on arrival.
- We serve the spread.
- We clear away at the end.
Before we arrive
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
- Plan cover in case of rain
- Share the running order, including any speeches
Get a quote
Each quote is tailored to your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we will confirm whether we are available that day.
Related guides
What we need at the venue
We will agree the cooking spot with you before the day. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- Table space for sharing dishes at seated meals
- Parking near the venue
- Venue approval for outside catering
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we will tell you honestly before booking.
Popular choices
- Manchego & membrillo
- Patatas bravas
- Tortilla española
- Croquetas
- Gambas al ajillo
- Serrano ham
- Albóndigas
- Olives & bread
- Padrón peppers
- Chorizo in red wine
Towns and villages near Sholing
Other catering in Sholing
What tapas catering costs
Live paella pricing is straightforward once we know the basics:
- Your choice of paellas
- Guest numbers
- Starters, canapés and desserts
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
Cost depends on guest numbers, the menu and the courses, plus any staff, crockery and travel. We quote for each event individually.
Getting an accurate quote
For a quote, it helps to have:
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- What the venue already provides
- Roughly how many adults and children
- A picture of the space, if you can
It’s easy to get a price: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We’ll send a clear, itemised quote.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. Common mistakes are mismatched pans and burners, overfilling and stirring. If you’d rather be with your guests, we’ll do the cooking.
A DIY paella party works for small groups. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
Planning a tapas spread in Sholing
Sholing is about 2 miles south-east of Southampton, in Southampton. For tapas catering in Sholing, we plan around your venue and timings: a clear quote, agreed timings and paella cooked live on the day. Sholing is one of 40 places in Southampton we cover.
After a ceremony at a church such as Church of St Mary, canapé tapas with the drinks keep guests happy during photos. Guests travelling by rail: the nearest station is Sholing station, about 0.5 miles south-west. Sholing is within about 8 miles of the New Forest National Park, ideal for an outdoor reception. With the sea within about 2 miles, seafood tapas such as gambas al ajillo are a natural choice.
Tapas catering in SO19 is planned around your venue and your guests. Whether your event is on Bay Road, Ashby Road and Loane Road or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. Sholing sits on or near the A3025, so getting the burners and pans to your event is simple. We also cook at events in Itchen (1 mile west), Thornhill (1 mile north-east), Bitterne (1 mile north), Peartree Green (1 mile west) and Northam (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Shirley (4 miles north-west), Regents Park (4 miles west), Maybush (5 miles north-west), Coxford (4 miles north-west), Freemantle (3 miles west) and Lordswood (4 miles north-west). Sholing is one of the larger places we cover in Southampton, with plenty of venues for events.
A little further out are Netley Castle (1.6 miles south) and Marlands Shopping Centre (2.3 miles west). The countryside around Sholing includes Netley Common.
- Schools near Sholing include Oasis Academy Sholing (less than half a mile north) and Woolston School (0.6 miles south-west)
- Local pubs include The Red Lion pub (1 mile north)
- 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