Medway · England
Tapas & canapé catering in Strood, Medway
Hot, generous and cooked in front of everyone: Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella for events in Strood and across Medway.
- Welcome-drink canapés
- Evening grazing
- Engagement parties
Tapas catering for Strood events
What happens on the day
We work to your timings. If speeches run late or the photos take longer, we hold the paella at the right stage so it is still served fresh. At midsummer, it is light in Strood until about 9:20pm, perfect for canapés outdoors. By late September it is dark around 7:00pm, and in December by about 3:50pm.
- First, we check availability.
- You pick the style.
- We arrive and set up our station.
- Hot and cold tapas are served.
- We clear away at the end.
Before we arrive
- Send us final numbers and dietary needs in good time
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Ensure we can park close by to unload
Ask for a quote
Getting a quote is simple: tell us the date, place, numbers and any dietary needs. We’ll come back with a clear quote and a suggested menu.
Planning help
How our tapas catering works in Strood
Tapas are sharing food, made for conversation. Canapés go round while guests mingle, or table tapas go out to share. Popular choices include Serrano ham, albóndigas and tortilla española, and we’re regularly asked to cater birthday drinks and tapas with a paella main course.
In a town like Strood, tapas suit garden parties, hall parties and receptions. We need a small area to finish hot tapas. Tapas, canapés, desserts, sangria and staff can all be added, so the whole menu comes from one caterer.
Is live paella right for your event?
Crisps and nibbles fill a gap. Tapas are a real course. There’s 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 us?
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Tapas, canapés and desserts if you want them
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- A quote that spells everything out
Read Our prices page And Our guide to catering costs.
Cook it yourself or book a caterer?
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.
Not sure whether to cook yourself or book a caterer? Think about numbers, diets and how much you want to enjoy the day. Ask us for a quote and compare.
What tapas catering costs
These are the factors that matter most:
- Guest numbers
- Your choice of paellas
- How many courses
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
Access and travel can make a difference to the cost, so tell us about the venue when you ask for a quote. Everything is confirmed in writing.
Details that help
The more we know about your event, the better we can plan. Try to include:
- Expected numbers
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Any dietary needs and allergies
- The address or venue name
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.
Strood: venues and local tips
Strood is about 3 miles north-west of Chatham, in Medway. Anywhere in ME2, we can cook for your guests. Strood is one of 68 places in Medway where we cook. You can also see our page for London, about 26 miles away.
Parks such as Rede Common have their own rules for catering, so check before planning a party there. Nearby historic houses include Temple Manor (0.5 miles south-east) and Restoration House (1.2 miles east). For a drinks reception at a historic venue, canapé tapas can work where live cooking isn’t allowed.
We cater events across the ME2, ME1 and ME3 postcode area and the streets around it. We can cater an event on streets such as Ash Road, Gun Lane and Pine Road or the roads around them. Being close to the A2 and A226, Strood is easy for us to reach. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Rochester (1 mile east), Borstal (1 mile south), Cuxton (2 miles south-west), Lower Bush (2 miles south-west) and Upper Bush (2 miles south-west). Further out, we also cater in Gillingham (4 miles east), Chatham (3 miles south-east), Rainham (6 miles east), Luton (3 miles south-east), Park Wood (6 miles south-east) and Lordswood (5 miles south-east). Strood is one of the larger places we cover in Medway, with plenty of venues for events.
Other landmarks nearby include Six Poor Travellers House (1.2 miles east) and French Hospital (1.2 miles east). The countryside around Strood includes Rede Common and Gad's Hill.
- Local schools include Strood Academy (0.6 miles north-west) and Temple School (1.2 miles north-east)
- Pubs nearby include Crispin And Crispianus Public House (0.6 miles east)
- Parks and local facilities nearby include City of Rochester-upon-Medway (0.9 miles east)
Dishes our guests love
Gambas al ajillo
Popular with prawn fans.
Manchego & membrillo
Manchego with sweet quince.
Towns and villages near Strood
More for events in Strood
Dietary needs and planning tips
Nearly every event has some special diets. To cater well for them:
- Label seafood clearly
- Ask guests about diets and allergies
- Decide whether tapas are a starter, canapés or the whole meal
- Make sure dishes are labelled
Canapés circulate with drinks as guests arrive.
Spanish desserts to finish.
Who books tapas catering in Strood?
Tapas get people talking.
We’re booked for all kinds of occasions in Strood and nearby. Some of the most common are:
- Engagement drinks
- Welcome-drink canapés
- Tapas with a paella main course
- Cocktail parties
For guests coming by train, the nearest station is Strood station, about 1 mile east.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- Travel and parking costs
- The wet-weather plan
- Payment terms and deposit
Strood: your questions answered
Can you cook in Rede Common?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, usually the council. Check with them, and we will provide our paperwork.
We’re having a ceremony at St Francis' Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking usually happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
What happens if it rains?
We cook under cover, such as a gazebo, marquee or open-sided barn with good ventilation. We will agree a wet-weather plan with you.
What areas do you cover?
We cater across London and the South East, including Medway. See all areas.
Can you serve drinks?
We can make sangria, and provide bar staff to serve drinks you supply.
Do you do tapas on their own?
Yes, tapas work on their own, for receptions, parties and evening food.
How much space do you need?
Level ground for the burners, pans and a table, outdoors or in a marquee or well-ventilated area, plus the venue’s agreement to cooking.
Do you provide serving staff?
Canapés work best with staff serving, and we can provide them.
Working with your venue
Throwing a party at home? Send a picture of the space and tell us about parking, and we’ll let you know if live paella is a good fit.
Organising a club, school or community event in Strood? Live paella feeds a crowd quickly and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we’ll suggest a menu.
- 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