Medway · England
Tapas & canapé catering in St Mary Hoo, Medway
Bring the theatre of live paella to your event in St Mary Hoo. We cook from scratch on site, and serve it straight from the pan.
- Evening sharing boards
- Tapas before paella
- Drinks reception canapés
Tapas catering near St Mary Hoo
Prices and what affects them
We will give you a clear, itemised quote. What affects it most:
- How long we are needed on site
- Parking and unloading
- Your choice of paellas
- How many staff you need
Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. Ask us for a quote.
What to tell us
To speed things up, tell us:
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- The venue or postcode
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
Each quote is tailored to your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we’ll check availability at the same time.
Tapas catering in St Mary Hoo, cooked live
Tapas suit drinks receptions, evening parties, office events and weddings in and around St Mary Hoo. Typical bookings include engagement drinks and tapas starters, with albóndigas, patatas bravas and gambas al ajillo.
Near St Mary Hoo, tapas suit gardens, barns and marquees. Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included, with each paella cooked in its own pan and clearly labelled.
What’s in the pans
Croquetas
Creamy croquettes with a crisp coat.
Gambas al ajillo
Prawns sizzled in garlic and olive oil with a little chilli.
The process
A typical event goes like this: we arrive, set up and start cooking, the rice cooks in front of your guests, and we serve straight from the pan at the agreed time. At midsummer, it’s light in St Mary Hoo until about 9:20pm, perfect for canapés outdoors. By late September it’s dark around 7:00pm, and in December by about 3:50pm.
- It starts with your date, venue, numbers and how you want 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.
- Canapés circulate with drinks, or tapas go to the tables.
- Afterwards, our equipment is cleared away.
Preparing for the day
- Confirm the venue is happy with live cooking
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
- Leave space around the cooking area
Ask for a quote
Tell us your date, venue or postcode and roughly how many guests, plus any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, use our quote form.
Related guides
Why choose tapas catering in St Mary Hoo?
One spread covers many tastes and diets.
In St Mary Hoo and nearby, we cater all sorts of events. Popular bookings include:
- Office parties and launches
- Cocktail parties
- Tapas with a paella main course
- Evening sharing boards
If you are looking at a historic venue around St Mary Hoo, check its catering rules early, as many limit cooking.
Questions to ask before booking
- When final numbers are due
- How dietary needs and allergies are handled
- If the price includes VAT
- The venue requirements
Drinks receptions around St Mary Hoo
St Mary Hoo is in Medway. Whether your event is in the middle of St Mary Hoo or on the outskirts, tapas catering works the same way: paella cooked live, every diet catered for and a clear quote. St Mary Hoo is one of 68 towns and villages in Medway we cover. Our events stretch from St Mary Hoo to Canterbury (about 24 miles away).
Canapé tapas suit the drinks after a ceremony at a church like Church of St Mary.
For tapas catering in ME3, we plan around your venue. Other places close to St Mary Hoo for tapas catering include Fenn Street (1 mile south-west), High Halstow (1 mile south-west), Sharnal Street (2 miles south-west), Tunbridge Hill (2 miles south) and Kingsnorth (2 miles south). We also cook in nearby towns such as Gillingham (6 miles south), Chatham (8 miles south), Rochester (6 miles south-west), Rainham (7 miles south), Strood (7 miles south-west) and Luton (7 miles south).
Other landmarks nearby include Bay Museum (3.6 miles north) and Medway Maritime Hospital (6 miles south-west). Open spaces near St Mary Hoo include Bishop Saltings.
Where we can cook in St Mary Hoo
We’ll be honest if a space will not work, and suggest an alternative. The main points are:
- A spot for our serving station
- Venue approval for outside catering
- Parking near the venue
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before you book.
Popular choices
- Tortilla española
- Patatas bravas
- Manchego & membrillo
- Serrano ham
- Padrón peppers
- Albóndigas
- Chorizo in red wine
- Gambas al ajillo
- Croquetas
- Olives & bread
Questions from St Mary Hoo
We’re having a ceremony at Church of St Mary: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking generally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
Is St Mary Hoo too small for live paella?
No, we cook in small places too. Let us know about access and parking.
Is the paella gluten-free?
We can cook a gluten-free paella in its own pan. Let us know about coeliac guests in advance so we take the right care.
Do you cook it at the event?
It is. We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook it there and then, then serve straight from the pan.
Can you do sangria?
Sangria and bar staff can be added.
How long does the paella take?
That depends on your menu and numbers. We agree the timings in advance so the paella is ready when you want it.
Do you cook tapas on site?
Hot tapas are finished on site.
Who clears up?
We clear our cooking area away when service is finished. Clearing guests’ plates and tables can be added with waiting staff.
Paella compared with other options
Crisps and nibbles fill a gap. Tapas are a real course. There is no one-size-fits-all price for live paella. A simple paella lunch costs less than a wedding with canapés, three paellas and waiting staff. We itemise everything in your quote.
Why St Mary Hoo hosts choose us
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Sangria and bar staff available
- Catering across Medway, including St Mary Hoo
Take a look at How we price Or Our guide to catering costs.
Can I cook paella for a crowd myself?
For a small group, cooking yourself can work well. For big numbers or lots of diets, a caterer makes life easier, and keeps vegetarian and allergy-safe pans separate.
Doing it yourself saves money, but the host ends up stuck at the stove. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
Places near St Mary Hoo
Other catering in St Mary Hoo
For event organisers in St Mary Hoo
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so everyone eats promptly. Let us know how long the food break is.
Venues often 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.
- 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