Surrey · England
Tapas & canapé catering in Thames Ditton, Surrey
Something for every guest: meat, seafood, vegetarian and vegan pans side by side. Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella for events in Thames Ditton.
- Table tapas as a starter
- Office parties and launches
- Drinks parties and receptions
Book tapas catering in Thames Ditton
The menu, dish by dish
Tortilla española
Potato omelette cut into bites.
Manchego & membrillo
Spanish sheep’s cheese with quince paste.
Tapas catering in Thames Ditton, cooked live
For standing receptions, canapés work best; for seated meals, table tapas. Lots of events do both. Popular choices include albóndigas, tortilla española and padrón peppers, and typical bookings are for launches and office parties and tapas and paella menus.
Around Thames Ditton, tapas suit garden parties and village-hall celebrations. Every pan is cooked in front of your guests, so the food is hot, fresh and part of the occasion.
Why live cooking beats a buffet
A plated starter needs a kitchen and staff. Table tapas are shared and relaxed. Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
Why choose Love Paella in Thames Ditton
- Options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests, each in its own pan
- Starters and desserts to complete the menu
- No hidden extras in your quote
- Catering across Surrey, including Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton: venues and local tips
Thames Ditton is about 1 mile west of Surbiton, in Surrey. We bring tapas catering to homes, gardens and venues in Thames Ditton and the surrounding area. We cater in 395 places across Surrey, from the larger towns to small villages. Our events stretch from Thames Ditton to London (about 13 miles away).
Guests travelling by rail: Thames Ditton has its own station, Thames Ditton station. Nearby historic houses include Hampton Court Palace (1 mile north) and Strawberry Hill House (3.4 miles north). Where a historic venue doesn’t allow live cooking, canapé tapas may still be possible; ask the venue.
Here we cover the KT7 postcode area. That could mean an event in a garden on High Street, Watts Road and Ditton Close or the roads around them. Thames Ditton is on the A307, so it is easy for us to reach with the van and pans. We also cook at events in Weston Green (1 mile south-west), Long Ditton (1 mile east), Hinchley Wood (1 mile south), Seething Wells (1 mile east) and Molesey (1 mile north-west). We also cook in nearby towns such as Guildford (14 miles south-west), Woking (12 miles south-west), Epsom (5 miles south-east), Redhill (13 miles south-east), Ewell (4 miles south-east) and Egham (10 miles west).
Nearby you’ll also find Tolworth Hospital (2 miles east) and Bentall Centre (2 miles north-east). Open spaces near Thames Ditton include The Wood and The Lake.
- Local schools include Esher College (0.5 miles west) and Shrewsbury House School (1.3 miles south-east)
- Pubs nearby include George and Dragon pub (less than half a mile north)
- Parks and local facilities nearby include Municipal Borough of Surbiton (1.8 miles south-east)
Why choose tapas catering in Thames Ditton?
Easy to eat with a glass in hand.
Live paella suits almost any gathering. In Thames Ditton, people book us for events such as:
- Cocktail parties
- Evening grazing
- Welcome-drink canapés
- Table tapas as a starter
Parks such as Giggs Hill Green have their own rules for catering, so check before planning a party there.
Questions to ask before booking
- Payment terms and deposit
- The wet-weather plan
- How long the team stays
- Space, access and power needs
Step by step
The cooking is part of the entertainment. Onion, garlic, peppers and tomato go in first, then the stock and saffron, then the rice, which cooks without stirring. Evening receptions in Thames Ditton 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.
- You tell us the date, venue, numbers and how you’d like the tapas served.
- We put together a tapas selection and a quote.
- On the day, we set up and prepare the hot tapas there.
- We serve canapés with drinks or set table tapas down to share.
- We pack down when service ends.
Before we arrive
- Pick a flat, firm spot for us to cook
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
- Leave space around the cooking area
Getting a price
It is easy to get a price: share your date, venue, numbers and diets. We’ll come back with a clear quote and a suggested menu.
Read more
Thames Ditton questions
Is Thames Ditton close to London?
About 13 miles from central London, and well within our area.
Can you cook in Giggs Hill Green?
Only with permission from the park’s owner, typically the council. Ask them first, and we’ll send any information they need.
Do you do vegan paella?
Of course. Vegetarian and vegan paellas are cooked in separate pans.
What about pudding?
We can add a dessert. Let us know if you’d like one when you ask for a quote.
Can we have tapas without paella?
Of course. Tapas and canapés can be booked on their own.
Is the paella cooked on site?
It is. We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook on the day, then serve straight from the pan.
Is the paella gluten-free?
Yes, on request. Rice is naturally gluten-free, but stock and some ingredients may not be, so we cook a gluten-free paella separately.
Where do you cater?
London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
Before you choose a spot
If a space is not suitable, we’ll tell you, and suggest an alternative. The main points are:
- The venue’s agreement to outside caterers
- Table space for sharing dishes at seated meals
- Parking near the venue
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we’ll say what we think.
Popular choices
- Tortilla española
- Olives & bread
- Patatas bravas
- Chorizo in red wine
- Albóndigas
- Serrano ham
- Padrón peppers
- Croquetas
- Manchego & membrillo
- Gambas al ajillo
Organising for someone else?
Venues often have their own rules about outside caterers: cooking areas, access times and documents. Tell us what your venue needs and we will work to it.
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we will talk you through the process. We can work with your facilities team on access and timings.
Planning for every diet
Every guest is catered for, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal included. To get it right:
- Label seafood clearly
- Include staff for canapés
- Match tapas with Spanish drinks
- Ask guests about diets and allergies
We clear our equipment when service ends.
Add a live paella main.
Nearby places to Thames Ditton
What else we do in Thames Ditton
Prices and what affects them
Your quote will be clear and itemised. What affects it most:
- Plates, cutlery and glassware
- Waiting and bar staff
- Timings and hours
- Distance and access to the venue
Live paella often compares well with a sit-down meal, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. We’ll send you a quote.
What we need to know
We can quote more accurately with a few details. Here’s what to include:
- Diets and allergies you know about
- Anything your venue supplies
- The date and rough timings
- Which courses you have in mind
We need only a few details to quote: the date, where the event is, how many guests and any dietary needs. To send them, fill in our quote form.
- 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