A Christmas party is a great way to celebrate a productive year with your colleagues but finding the perfect venue in London during this festive time can be overwhelming.

How to Find the Perfect Corporate Christmas Party Venue in London

A Christmas party is a great way to celebrate a productive year with your colleagues but finding the perfect venue in London during this festive time can be overwhelming. It’s important to carefully consider several factors before selecting the venue.

Thankfully, there’s a huge selection of great spaces in London you can choose from for your next corporate Christmas party, whether you're looking for a big bash or a low-key affair.

We’ve pulled together some of our favourite corporate Christmas party locations so, let's get going, shall we?

What to consider when looking for the perfect corporate Christmas party venue?

The venue plays an important role in turning your corporate Christmas bash into a night to remember where everyone from the CEO to the interns can have fun. Take a look at some of the factors you should consider while looking for a venue.

It’s crucial to pick a venue that’s just right for the size of your party. If it’s too big, the party will feel soulless and empty, but if it’s too small, people will feel cramped for space and claustrophobic. It’s always a good idea to visit the venue before you book. Also, ensure that when you visit the venue, all the chairs and tables are laid out so you can visualize your group in the space.

The location of the venue is equally important. The venue you select must be easy to access for your colleagues. It's also important to remember the party's timing when booking a venue. People might prefer it to be near the office if the party starts soon after work hours. Access to public transport is also important as people will likely want to have a few drinks.

Many venues offer various services as a package, while some might just include the venue as dry hire. If you want a unique experience and to save money, dry hire venues are perfect. Besides, most packages limit you to the venue's food and drink options.

Creating a good atmosphere is half the battle won when planning a corporate Christmas Party. Choosing a venue that gives you the liberty to create your theme can be a great option.

Ask important questions like do you need a dance floor? Or custom tables and chairs? A photo booth or a mixologist at the bar can also add a touch of flair to your event.

You don’t have to do it alone. Searching for venues and ensuring that the catering is right can be an ordeal, especially during Christmas. We’re here to provide you with an exciting range of venues for your next corporate Christmas Party. Here is a list of some of our favourite venues:

RSA House RSA House, is a Grade II listed Georgian Townhouse in London’s W2. With 11 unique and versatile spaces to choose from, capacity options for 30-220 people, and the same facade as 10 Downing Street! Theme: Georgian Town House. Price range: £500 - £3500. Location: 8 John Adam Street, London, WC2N 6EZ. Food: RSA House have their own caterers on site. Other things to consider: The venue is home to The Royal Society of Arts, by hosting an event there, you directly contribute to charity and the three current programmes of work: Sustainability, Education and Learning and The Future of Work.

The Venue on Middle St. The Venue is a happening location for a corporate Christmas Party in the middle of London. The venue has three floors which can be hired separately or together.
Theme: Industrial-luxe. Price range: £50 to £105 hire fee per hour. Location: 3 to 7 Middle Street, Croydon, CR0 1RE. Food: The Venue does not have a catering service, but they will work with some excellent local caterers.
Other Options: The middle Floor of the Venue has a banging sound system and a spacious dance floor. The floor is ideal if you want a club ambience for your party.
Other things to consider: As the Venue has three floors, you have the option to hire any one of the floors.

Village Underground Village Underground is a beautiful 5000 square feet former Victorian warehouse turned into a party space. From the fabulous bare brickwork to the elegant main antrum, this venue is an ideal space to plan your next corporate Christmas event.
Theme: Victorian warehouse. Price range: Available upon request. Location: 54 Holywell Lane, London, EC2A 3PQ Food: Village Underground does not operate a catering service, but you can hire your own.
Other Options: The venue has one main space, two arches, and a fully equipped green room. An Encore PA sound system and full lighting rig can transform it into a full-on party mode.

Shoreditch Studios Shoreditch Studios is a railway arch event space perfect for corporate parties. The event has two interlinked studios with a total capacity of 350 people. Theme: Railway arch. Price range: Available upon request. Location: 347 Bateman's Row, London, EC2A 3PY. Food: Being a dry hire venue, you will be required to arrange for catering services.
Other Options: One of the most happening spaces in London, the Shoreditch Studios is booked for over 350 days a year.

Hire a professional to find the perfect Christmas Party venue in London

Finding the perfect venue in London can be difficult, especially during Christmas. Professionals like Togather can make your job a lot easier. Our list of vetted venues eliminates the risk of booking a sub-par venue. Togather will assign an event expert from when you enquire until after your event is done. We will guide you at every step of the booking process and point you in the direction of a supplier that suits your needs and budgets the best, so you get exactly what you're looking for.

Picking a venue for a corporate Christmas Party in London can be difficult. Having professionals like Togather can make the process easy and streamlined. Let us help you plan an evening to remember. Visit us today to get a free quote.

From traditional festive feasts to more out-of-the-box Christmas options, we're full of Christmas party food ideas that'll keep your guests talking.

From traditional festive feasts to more out-of-the-box Christmas party food ideas, these festive specials will keep your guests talking.

Christmas party food Ideas: festive specials from our suppliers

Looking for some fresh inspiration for your Christmas party catering? Our team have planned a fair few Christmas parties in their time and we’ve got food options up our sleeve whether you’re looking for a sit-down dinner, festive canapés, or festive twists on street food classics. Read on for our top Christmas party food ideas for 2023. 

Of course, it wouldn’t be Christmas without a turkey. If you’re looking to create a classic Christmas experience for your team, many of the caterers on our books will come to your office. Looking to go all out and put the cherry on top of a fantastic year for your team? Citreus Catering offer a Beef Wellington over the festive season that is sure to impress. 

If you’re looking for a more casual take on a Christmas dinner, BBQ maestros Meat Street BBQ are turning their attention to turkey this festive season. They’ll be offering a 24-hour brined, smoked and butter basted turkey - paired with classic American style side dishes, it makes a perfect compromise between classic and untraditional. 

Street food based options are becoming ever more popular with businesses when it comes to planning their Christmas party food. It’s quicker to get out, more customisable for your team’s dietary needs, looks great on Instagram, and of course hits the spot. 

Many of our suppliers are offering festive takes on a classic loaded fries. Fancy Fries’ festive offering is topped with turkey, pigs in blankets, and stuffing, while  Summit Tasty even have a vegan option with their fries topped with jackfruit “turkey,” toasted seed stuffing, cranberry sauce and crispy “facon” bits. 

The good thing about small and street food businesses is that they are able to be creative and really have some fun when it comes to Christmas food ideas. Vietnamese street food truck Lo Viet will be knocking out pork belly and cranberry spring rolls that you won’t want to miss, and roast chicken banh mi in their hand-rolled homemade baguettes. 

Okay, so it’s not strictly Christmas party food ideas, but what’s a party without a cocktail or two? While you can’t go too far wrong with the classics, a Christmas party is a great excuse to indulge in some festive specials. Albert & Charlie’s mobile bar have some delicious additions to their Christmas menu: think white chocolate martinis, Brandy Sour, and a Christmas mojito. 

Got your tastebuds tingling (and jingling)? Get in touch to chat all things Christmas party food and let’s lock in a top-of-their-game Christmas party caterer for your event. 

Hosting a Christmas party in your office this year? Here's some ideas to really make the most of your space and throw an unforgettable festive party.

How to host a Christmas party in your office

At first glance, your office might not seem like the ideal party destination. Boardrooms, meeting rooms and coffee machines aren’t usually top of the priority list for a hot party venue. But when it comes to planning your office Christmas party, we know budgets can be tight and hiring out a venue isn’t always possible. 

Don’t worry: with the right lineup of food and drink, your guests will get that festive feeling - and with a little imagination, any space can become a winter wonderland.

Here are some ideas to plan an unforgettable Christmas party, inside your office. 

Set the tone from the moment your guests arrive with a welcome drink from a mobile bar. Many of our bar suppliers are very used to setting up indoors and some can offer customised branding for bespoke menus or even their bar setup itself. We love Bar None, a sustainable mobile bar company who offer delicious cocktails and mocktails from their eco-friendly setup.  And of course, a classic mulled wine never goes amiss. 

One of the best things about working with small businesses for your Christmas party is the ability to tailor their offering to perfectly fit your team. Chat to your suppliers about bespoke cocktails, branded menus, or even branded setups: it’s a great way to make sure that your event looks slick and streamlined even if you’re using multiple different suppliers. 

Offices aren’t always equipped for a full sit-down Christmas dinner for your whole team, so fun festive canapés are a great option to allow your guests to mingle while enjoying top notch food. Just remember to speak to your supplier about what kitchen facilities are available in your office. Alternatively, go for sweet treats that don't need to be prepared on site but can make great visual displays - we LOVE Longboys for this.

Where space is limited, grazing boards and tables make a memorable visual impact and allow for a variety of different dietary requirements to be catered for. We’re finding that our customers are loving cheese and charcuterie grazing tables and platters to set the tone for a sophisticated but casual affair. 

Trust us, this is going to be a Christmas party to remember, so you’ll want a way to capture the memories. While a photographer is a great option, hiring a photobooth is a very popular way to give guests a little extra entertainment - as well as a memento of your festive party. 

Planning a Christmas party and not sure where to start? Here's our five-step guide to planning the ultimate Christmas party!

Planning a Christmas party and not sure where to start? We've condensed the process into five easy to follow steps, read our guide and learn how to throw...

How to plan your corporate Christmas party: 5 easy steps from the experts

How to plan a Christmas party: the ultimate 5 step guide

Planning a Christmas party can be a lot of fun, but also a lot of pressure. The whole office wants to have a good time and everyone’s had one too many evenings of limp tinsel, itchy jumpers and conference room karaoke. This year, we’re saying no to bad Christmas parties, and a big yes to festive events that people actually want to go to, with exciting food, stunning venues, and so much more. If you’re planning this year’s event, you’re in the right place: here’s how to plan a party they’ll never forget, in just five steps.

Step 1: Consider your Christmas party venue 

The very first question you should ask is: where are you hosting your party? At the office, or at an external venue? 

If you’re going for an in-office affair - and many people do - think about what kind of space you have available to you. Many of our clients with larger offices go for different areas - for example, a food area and a bar area - while outdoor space allows you to get creative with the types of caterers or even entertainment you bring in. 

If you’re going out of office, think about how many guests you’re going to have, and whether you’d prefer a venue that also does food & drink packages and maybe even entertainment - we love Junkyard Golf. Other venues are total blank canvas Christmas spaces, so you can go wild and create a real winter wonderland. 

On the topic of winter wonderlands…we love when our clients get creative with their festive party theming, and we know that guests love it too. An office car park can easily become a Christmas market, a rooftop can become an Apres-ski paradise, and even a boardroom can become a cosy lodge perfect for a mulled wine. 

Theming your event can really help to tie all the different aspects of a party together and give you a great starting point for your plan. And remember you can always lean on our team for ideas!

Food really is the way to people’s hearts - especially in the winter. Whether or not you’ve gone with a particular theme, it’s worth thinking about what kind of food you’d like to offer. Many of our clients like to start with canapés, but grazing boards and platters are increasingly popular in 2023 as they make a real visual impact as soon as your guests arrive. We know a thing or two about Christmas party catering!

For the main affair, we’re seeing more and more people opt for street food style offerings over a “traditional” sit-down setup. It allows for your guests to grab food at their own pace and also allows you to cater easily for different dietary requirements by going with a couple of different caterers. 

Many of our suppliers create festive specials for the season, even if they’re not traditional Christmas fare, so chat to them about seasonal menus and even bespoke options.

From classic cocktails to festive twists to gourmet hot chocolates, the sky’s the limit when it comes to drink options. Our mobile bar suppliers have some pretty impressive setups, from bars to carts and even vehicles if you’re lucky enough to have an outside space. Like our food suppliers, many of them will create special winter drinks, so chat to them if you’ve got something specific in mind. 

More and more, guests are looking for non-alcoholic beverages as well as the alcoholic variety, so we recommend considering marshmallow-topped hot chocolates, hot apple cider (both non-alcoholic and otherwise) and barista-made coffees perfect for perking guests up after a long lunch.

‘Tis the season for sweet treats - an oft-overlooked part of a Christmas party but one that really makes a difference to your guests. We’ve got some real showstoppers on our books, from waffles in the shape of sticks for easy eating to stacks upon stacks of Profiteroles that taste even better than they look on Instagram. 

Once you’ve got those five steps locked in, you’re well on your way to a truly unforgettable festive party - all you need to do is invite your guests and tell them to arrive hungry…

We have compiled 7 top tips from our expert team, to help you knock your Christmas party catering out of the proverbial park!

We've tapped our pro-team for their 7 best pieces of advice when it comes to Christmas party catering, the food's the star of the show, read our guide to learn...

Our Christmas Party Catering Guide - 7 Top Tips From Our Experts

Our Christmas Party Catering Guide - 7 Top Tips!

Christmas party catering: Togather's top 7 tips to getting it right!

Many Christmas parties end up with ugly and embarrassing catering episodes; we’ve seen parties where guests didn’t enjoy the food, where there wasn’t enough food, where there was food but not enough plates to serve the food, etc. After putting so much into planning a corporate Christmas party, you don’t want your guests feeling deflated because the catering is a letdown. Implementing the following 7 tips will help you get it right when planning your corporate Christmas party catering:

Decide on a cuisine for your Christmas party catering

Work out a budget and spend per head before booking

Consider adding a mobile bar for drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)

Consider adding a venue to wow your guests

Consider staffing and tableware hire to enhance the catering experience 

One of the best party food ideas is moving away from the regular and serving something creative. You won’t be making any statement with your catering if guests receive the food they have every other day. Why not consider a showstopping street food truck? 

Work out dietary requirements of your guests

One way to miss the mark when planning your Christmas party catering is by failing to consider the special dietary requirements of your guests.

Know that people avoid certain foods for different reasons - a medical condition (allergy, intolerance, etc.), religious or cultural beliefs, vegetarianism, etc. For example, if your guest list features many vegans, you wouldn’t want to make succulent marinated lamb ribs the centrepiece of your Christmas party.

You should be sensitive to the special dietary requirements of your guests when confirming your menu with your supplier

A critical task when planning Christmas catering is knowing the right amount of food to serve. While you don’t want to waste resources by serving too much food, you also don’t want to spoil the experience for guests by having too little food. The solution to this problem is working out a per-head budget. This includes working out your catering cost as well as your chosen extras such as the cost of a mobile bar. 

How much you want to spend. This method works best if you have a particular amount in mind to spend on food. Say you budget £500 for catering and will have 50 guests, it means you plan £10 per head. You can then work with a caterer to see how far the £10 per-head catering budget can go.

What you want to serve. This method works best if you do not have a particular amount in mind. You start by picking your menu without regard to the cost. Then you get the per-head cost of the menu, negotiate with the caterer, and arrive at your catering budget.

However, whatever method you choose, some factors that will determine the cost of your per-head budget include:

Your guests. The kind of guests you’ll have at your party should guide you when considering your budget. For example, if your guests are more upscale, they may expect hors d’ oeuvre before a meal. The kind of guests you’ll have will determine the per-head cost, while the number of guests will determine the total catering budget.  

Menu. Some food options are more expensive than others. So, the food you want to serve directly affects how much you’ll spend per head. However, when you have a menu and a per-head budget in mind, your caterer can help you work out possibilities so you serve your planned menu and still stick to your budget. 

Non-food costs. Catering budgets include non-food costs, such as paper products (serviettes, etc.), serving utensils, etc. For example, the per-head price of the same menu may differ when the serving dishes are china plates and plastic plates. Verify that the quotes your caterer gives cover all non-food elements needed to offer a better catering experience.

Serving some drinks at your corporate Christmas party is a must. From steaming hot chocolate and nutritious juices to sparkling wine and babbling champagne, drinks complement your party food.

One of the best ways to make a statement with your party drinks is using a mobile bar. With a mobile bar, it isn’t just about serving drinks, but serving drinks in a stunning set-up that adds glam to a party’s atmosphere. 

The best mobile bars for corporate events offer a wide variety of drinks. Togather has mobile bar suppliers that can give you unforgettable Christmas bar experiences with tailor-made beverages, like a special cocktail named after your company or a particular company project.

Add a venue to accommodate your catering needs

One of the best ways to make your guests remember your Christmas party long into the future is to book an exclusive Christmas party venue. An exclusive party venue will bring lots of excitement to your party, setting the tone for enjoying party food and drinks.

We have some stunning event venues in London on our platform including film studios, galleries, halls, clubs, farms, and more. We always recommend a dry hire venue as this lets you put your stamp on the event! 

Consider staffing and tableware hire to enhance the catering experience

Beautiful tableware can add glam to your party, while having event staff serve and tend to the guests’ needs can make them feel special, adding to their overall experience.

Generally, event staff help your party run like clockwork while you rest. Your corporate Christmas party staffing needs may include servers, bartenders, security, cleaners, etc.

Having event staff takes much of the work off you, allowing you to relax and watch your event run smoothly. The staff will help with setting up, serving, shutting down, cleaning after the event, etc. 

Worried about finding reliable event staff? Togather partners with the most professional agencies in the country to help you find dynamic and hard-working event staff that’ll enhance the experience for your Christmas party guests.

We take Christmas party planning pretty seriously here at Togather (if you couldn't tell!) Take a look at our suite of Christmas services to take your event to the next level.