After the past year, who isn’t looking forward to their work Christmas party? More than ever, this year’s staff party is a chance to bond, let your hair down and for managers and business owners to show they care.
Jump to Staff Party Food Costs and Menu
But what are the options? Here are three choices for catering for your work Christmas party.
- Dining out
- Dining at work
The luxury option. Ideal particularly if your staff are office-based and in a bustling city such as Manchester, Liverpool or Birmingham. Who wouldn’t want a night out amongst the crowds in the heart of a city?
Depending on your number of employees, you’ll need a relatively large venue. With many mouths to feed, you’ll need to check that there are enough tables for hire in your favourite restaurant. This is where booking early really counts. “The early bird catches the worm”, or so they say.
Secondly, you’ll need to think through the types of cuisine that will impress your staff. Of course, there will be plenty of preference across your team. Should you go for the traditional Christmas dinner with all the trimmings? Or do your staff what something a bit different and special?
For current food trends in your work city, TripAdvisor should offer some ideas on the latest food places you can hire. For instance, here are the most popular places to eat in Manchester plus restaurants to hire in Birmingham and Liverpool.
It would be poor planning not to ask how much is a Christmas party going to cost? Most workplaces have a budget and your staff will be no different. Many restaurants will offer a set menu for staff Christmas parties and a set price. This at least gives you some predictability with the cost of your staff party food.
Research on the spend for staff parties revealed that you’ll be looking at an average of £42 per employee. That’s probably beyond the reach of many small and medium-sized businesses this year. Even so, the cost of Christmas parties for employees across the UK is expected to pass £1 billion.
Where to host your staff party
Hosting an event can be expensive. You will need to pay for the venue, the entertainment, the marketing and food and drink. But you might not have to spend as much as you think! Some people spend a lot of money when they host events but others don’t spend a lot. You can look at reports that show how much people spent in case your budget is tight.
The average spend on venue hire is said to be £500. That is on the room alone. If you’re looking for hiring a venue for your staff party, there are third-party sites that will help you. Examples are hirespace for venue hire in Manchester. They’ll show you quirky venues available for hire, answer questions you’ll have and help you book your party space.
Of course, if you need a place to hold events for your business, you may already have one. You could use your offices, or maybe even your reception area. That way, you keep costs down and use your existing space to good effect. This isn’t for everyone but if you add that Christmas sparkle to your office space, it can be a viable alternative to expensive venue hire.
Bringing the staff party to you
But is there a new, alternative approach to the staff party? Today, you can hire a food caterer to come to you.
Many businesses don’t have the budget to hire a venue or aren’t city-based to book a popular restaurant. So creative businesses are looking to get the most from their budget and the space available to them at the office.
Pop-Pizza for Staff Christmas Parties
Bring the party food to you by hiring a mobile catering company. In a twist to the employee appreciation day, smart party food firms are adapting their menu for the Christmas staff party.
Of course, Mobile Bistros are part of this food trend as members of the #oonistreetfoodcrew. Taking our pop-up pizza concept a bit leftfield, we’re adding two Christmas menu varieties for the staff party this December. Say hello to Pigs in Blankets and Christmas Turkey. Further details of our Christmas menu follow.
Pigs in Blankets
- Drizzle of Cranberry sauce
- Sausages in bacon
- Slices of red onion
- Mozarella melted cheese
- Homemade tomato sauce
- Fresh sourdough pizza base
Christmas Turkey
- Fresh Sage leaves
- Turkey slices
- Splashes of stuffing
- Mozarella melted cheese
- Homemade tomato sauce
- Fresh sourdough pizza base
Parsnips, Sprouts and Carrots
- Parsnips
- Fresh Rosemary
- Carrot
- Slices of red onion
- Mozarella melted cheese
- Homemade tomato sauce
- Fresh sourdough pizza base
Cost of Hiring a Pop-up Pizza Party
Very reasonable. Including the cost of hiring a food stand plus a pizza maker to prepare your Christmas pizzas to order, your cost per head comes in from as little as £12 per employee. We even provide the plates and napkins. Take a look at the hire costs in the table below.
| Employees | Party Price |
| 30 or less | £360 |
| 35 | £420 |
| 40 | £480 |
| Biodegradable plates and napkins | FREE |
| Last week before Christmas panic buy surcharge | £50 |
We’ve covered a lot of different aspects of catering for your Christmas staff party. From the type of food to the types of service you receive, we think that it is safe to say that your employees will love the concept and be well fed too. If any details or questions still remain unanswered, please feel free to contact us below.
Quick Quote for your Staff Christmas Party
Who and What Will You Arrive at Your Christmas Party?
Good question. Here’s what you will receive when you hire Mobile Bistros for your works staff party. You will receive:
- A pizza maker to prepare your party food from fresh
- A 2.5m street food stand from Ooni street food crew
- 2 Ooni ovens to cook your Christmas pizzas
- All toppings, sauces, and fresh sourdough pizza bases
- A great treat for your staff at Christmas
- Instagramable party set-up for your team
- Eternal adulation and applause from your colleagues
Enquire now for your staff Christmas party
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