Greater London · England
Tapas Catering for West Ham events
From the first sizzle in the pan to the last crispy spoonful, Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella turns food into part of your event in West Ham.
- Tapas before paella
- Birthday drinks
- Sharing boards for evening guests
Book tapas catering in West Ham
Why live cooking beats a buffet
Nibbles fill a gap. Tapas are a real course. If you have a budget in mind, tell us, and we will suggest a menu to match. A simple menu can still feel generous.
Why us?
- A clear, itemised quote
- Fast service from the pan
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
Read How we price Or Our guide to catering costs.
Tapas catering in West Ham, cooked live
Receptions, parties, office events and weddings all suit tapas. On the menu are patatas bravas, padrón peppers and Manchego with membrillo, and we are frequently booked for tapas with a paella main course and office parties and launches.
For a London drinks party in West Ham, canapé tapas are easy to serve in a small space. Every pan is cooked in front of your guests, so it arrives hot and becomes part of the event.
- Area
- West Ham (E15, E13, E7)
- Area hub
- Greater London
- Dietary options
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Extras
- Canapés, desserts, sangria and staff
- Quote
- Ask us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
More for events in West Ham
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.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and don’t stir once the rice goes in. Keep a clear zone around the burner.
What tapas catering costs
Your quote will be clear and itemised. What affects it most:
- Travel, parking and access
- Guest numbers
- How many courses
- Chicken, vegetable or premium seafood
Compared with a plated meal, live paella is frequently good value, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. Ask us for a quote.
Details that help
These details help us quote quickly:
- Diets and allergies you know about
- A photo of the cooking space, if it’s a garden or field
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
- The address or venue name
Send us the date, your venue or E15 postcode and guest numbers, plus any dietary needs, and we’ll reply with a menu suggestion and a quote. To get started, send us your details through our quote form.
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
- Permission from the venue
- Unloading access
As a London location, West Ham is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: let us know about permits, bays or off-street parking.
Not sure about your space? Send us a picture and we will tell you honestly before booking.
On the menu in West Ham
- Albóndigas
- Manchego & membrillo
- Padrón peppers
- Gambas al ajillo
- Croquetas
- Tortilla española
- Serrano ham
- Patatas bravas
- Olives & bread
- Chorizo in red wine
For planners, venues and organisers
Events in public spaces, like parks, generally need permission. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so everyone eats promptly. Let us know how long the food break is.
Events we cater in West Ham
They’re the classic starter before paella.
Live paella works for big and small events alike. Common bookings include:
- Receptions and drinks parties
- Welcome-drink canapés
- Birthday drinks
- Engagement parties
Parks such as West Ham Park have their own rules for catering, so check before planning a party there.
Before booking anyone
- If the price includes VAT
- Staff numbers and hours
- Allergen information for each dish
- Any travel, parking or access charges
Planning a tapas spread in West Ham
West Ham is about 2 miles west of East Ham, in Greater London. For an event in West Ham, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices. We cook in 764 places in Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages.
Historic houses near West Ham include Sutton House (2.9 miles west) and Valentines Mansion (3.5 miles north-east). Where a historic venue does not allow live cooking, canapé tapas may still be possible; ask the venue. If you’re looking at a historic venue around West Ham, check its catering rules early, as many limit cooking.
We cater events across E15, E13 and E7 and the streets around it. Local streets include Plaistow Grove, Willis Road and Moorey Close; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. If your venue is just outside West Ham, we also cover Upton (1 mile north-east), Greengate (1 mile south-east), Maryland (1 mile north-west), Stratford (1 mile north-west) and Plaistow (1 mile south-east). Within a short drive, we also cover London (5 miles south-west), City of Westminster (7 miles west), Marylebone (7 miles west), Kensington (9 miles west), St Pancras (6 miles west) and Shoreditch (4 miles west).
Nearby you will also find Passmore Edwards Museum (0.6 miles north) and Queen Mary's Hospital for the East End (0.6 miles north-west). Not far away are Old Ford Island and Tower Hill.
- Local schools include West Ham Church School (less than half a mile south) and St Bonaventure's RC School (0.6 miles north-east)
- Local pubs include The Earl Of Derby Public House (0.6 miles south-east)
- Local facilities include County Borough of West Ham (0.6 miles north-west)
Planning for every diet
Dietary needs are easy to plan for with a little notice. We suggest:
- Label vegetarian and allergen-free dishes
- Canapés need staff to serve
- Check diets in advance
- Label seafood clearly
Tapas go out to the tables.
Follow tapas with a live paella.
How the day works
Watching it cook is half the fun. We start with the sofrito, add the stock and saffron, then spread the rice across the pan and leave it alone to cook. Evening receptions in West Ham stay light until about 8:50pm in late May and 9:20pm in late June, so canapés can go round outdoors on a summer evening.
- It starts with your date, venue, numbers and how you want the tapas served.
- We put together a tapas selection and a quote.
- We arrive, set up and finish hot dishes on site.
- We serve canapés with drinks or set table tapas down to share.
- Afterwards, our equipment is cleared away.
Preparing for the day
- Arrange parking near the cooking spot
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Give us your final numbers and diets
Getting a price
Each quote is tailored to your event. Give us your date and numbers, and we’ll check availability at the same time.
Related guides
Questions from West Ham
Is parking a problem for events in West Ham?
It can be, so tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway. We’ll work around it.
Can you cater a reception after a service at Church of All Saints?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking normally happens at the reception venue, not the church. Send us the reception address.
What areas do you cover?
London and the South East: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight, including West Ham.
Are the tapas served hot?
Hot tapas are finished on site and served straight away; cold ones go out as guests arrive.
Are your tapas vegetarian-friendly?
Lots. Tortilla, patatas bravas, padrón peppers and Manchego are vegetarian classics.
Will there be enough food?
Quantities depend on numbers, timing and courses, with a little extra built in. Accurate numbers help.
How long do you need on site?
We arrive well before serving to set up and start the stock. Once the rice goes in, it takes about 20 minutes, timed around your event.
Is halal food available?
Yes. Halal paella is cooked with halal chicken and no pork or alcohol, in a separate pan.
- 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