Kent · England
Tapas Catering in Shoreham
From the first sizzle in the pan to the last crispy spoonful, Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella makes the food a highlight of your event in Shoreham.
- Tapas before paella
- Tapas starters
- Work receptions
Tapas catering near Shoreham
Tapas catering in Shoreham, made fresh on the day
Sangria and bar staff can be added, for a complete drinks and tapas package. For sharing boards for evening guests and birthday drinks, we can cook gambas al ajillo, Serrano ham and tortilla española for your guests.
In a rural spot like Shoreham, tapas can be served in a garden, barn or marquee. Timings are planned around your event, so the paella is ready when you want to eat.
Shoreham questions
We are having a ceremony at Church of St Peter and St Paul: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a nearby garden, marquee or hall where we can cook. Live cooking usually happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
Can you cook in Raspberry Hall Park?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, normally the council. Ask them first, and we’ll send any information they need.
When should we book?
As soon as you have a date. Peak dates go quickly, so contact us early.
Can you cook indoors?
Indoors only where ventilation and the venue allow it. Courtyards, doorways and terraces frequently work.
How long does the paella take?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. The rice itself takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
Do you provide drinks?
We can make sangria, and we can staff a bar with your drinks.
Do we need staff for canapés?
We can provide staff. Canapés need staff to carry them round.
How do you work out quantities?
It depends on whether they’re a starter, canapés or the whole meal. Tell us about the event and we’ll suggest quantities.
The process
We work to your timings. If speeches run late or the photos take longer, we adjust the cooking so it is served at its best. Sunset in Shoreham is around 9:20pm in June, which suits an outdoor reception.
- Tell us the date, venue and numbers.
- You get a selection and a price.
- We set up and finish the hot dishes.
- We serve canapés or table tapas.
- We pack down when service ends.
Before we arrive
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Give us a contact for the day
Getting a price
Not sure what you need yet? No problem: tell us about the occasion and the guests, and we will suggest a menu. To start, fill in our quote form.
Related guides
Why choose live paella in Shoreham?
A plated starter needs a kitchen and staff. Table tapas are shared and relaxed. Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so it helps to tell us about your venue. The full price is confirmed before booking.
Why choose Love Paella in Shoreham
- Drinks service on request
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Catering across Kent, including Shoreham
- Separate pans for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests
See Our prices page And The cost guide.
Planning the cooking area
We cook in large pans over gas burners, so we need a suitable spot. These are the things we check:
- A suitable spot to finish hot tapas
- The venue’s agreement to outside caterers
- Room for a tapas table
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before booking.
Menu ideas
- Padrón peppers
- Tortilla española
- Croquetas
- Serrano ham
- Albóndigas
- Chorizo in red wine
- Gambas al ajillo
- Patatas bravas
- Manchego & membrillo
- Olives & bread
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. The usual problems are a pan too big for the burner, too much rice and stirring once the rice is in. If you’d rather enjoy the party, let us cook.
You can cook paella for a crowd yourself, but it takes practice. A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, and getting the rice right at scale is tricky. Our guide to cooking paella for a crowd explains how.
The menu, dish by dish
Patatas bravas
Crisp potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce, often with alioli.
Gambas al ajillo
Prawns sizzled in garlic and olive oil with a little chilli.
For event organisers in Shoreham
If you’re booking for a business, tell us how you’d like to handle the booking and payment, and we’ll explain how it works. We are happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
Venues frequently have their own rules about outside caterers: where cooking is allowed, access times and the paperwork they need. Send us your venue’s requirements and we will follow them.
How we price tapas catering
We will give you a clear, itemised quote. What affects it most:
- Whether you need crockery
- Waiting and bar staff
- Guest numbers
- The length of service
When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: staff, crockery, sides, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
What we need to know
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- Anything your venue supplies
- Roughly how many adults and children
- The date and rough timings
- A picture of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
We need only a few details to quote: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. You can fill in our quote form.
Catering for every guest
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. Our advice:
- Match tapas with Spanish drinks
- Collect dietary needs
- Keep seafood and meat dishes clearly separate
- Widen the selection for a tapas-only menu
Staff carry canapés round and keep boards topped up.
Serving boards and crockery.
Receptions and parties in Shoreham
Shoreham is about 4 miles north of Sevenoaks, in Kent. Whether your event is in the middle of Shoreham or on the outskirts, tapas catering works the same way: live cooking, separate pans for every diet and a clear price. Shoreham is one of 922 places in Kent where we cook. Our nearest city page is London, about 16 miles away.
If you are looking at a historic venue around Shoreham, check its catering rules early, as many limit cooking. A picnic in Raspberry Hall Park? Check the park’s rules first; a garden or hired venue is frequently easier for catering. Shoreham is within about a mile of the Kent Downs National Landscape, ideal for an outdoor reception.
Here we cover the TN14 postcode area, and we can cater your event anywhere in it. From High Street, Boakes Meadow and Church Street or anywhere nearby, we can cook there. If your venue is just outside Shoreham, we also cover Badgers Mount (1 mile west), Sepham Heath (1 mile south-west), Twitton (1 mile south), Otford (2 miles south) and Lullingstone (2 miles north). We also cook in nearby towns such as Dartford (8 miles north), Sevenoaks (4 miles south), Royal Tunbridge Wells (14 miles south), Gravesend (11 miles north-east), Tonbridge (10 miles south-east) and Northfleet (10 miles north-east).
Well-known places in the area include Sevenoaks Hospital (3.2 miles south) and Otford Heritage Centre (1.9 miles south). Open spaces near Shoreham include Dryhill Nature Reserve.
- Local pubs include The Old George Inn (within half a mile south-east)
Nearby places to Shoreham
Also in Shoreham
- 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