Christmas Parties
Where should you host a Christmas party is probably the first question you ask when planning your celebration.
Which Christmas party venue is right for you? Which date in December is the best one to pick? Should it be in the daytime or evening? It can be a daunting list that goes on and on.
We tend to think of Christmas parties as something connected to offices and businesses and the term ‘Office Christmas Party’ is harrowing in itself. Historically the office Christmas bash involved a number of activities that are now (thankfully) frowned upon – such as the infamous photocopying of one’s derriere – which looking back seems a little odd and potentially dangerous. It seems that once we escaped the 90s we left behind the typical office party and opted for alternatives that were a little more festive and probably a lot more fun.
Christmas parties at Milsom Hotels & Restaurants have taken many shapes and forms over the years, but there are always a few constants that we believe make for a great time.
Location and venue are two key elements. Having a warm, inviting, decorated, festive and atmospheric location is very important, with the sound level and temperature being key to making the event just right.
Christmas party nights take place in a number of our properties and cater for any number of guests. It would be entirely feasible to attend one of our party nights on your own or as a couple – we’re sure you’d make friends – although our event venues also have capacity for larger groups and our now regular Christmas Comedy Lunch hosts 200 or so people in December and is a welcomed alternative to a night time event. Many guests often pop back to work afterwards – which is non-compulsory of course (but please check with your boss rather than taking our word for it!).
The Christmas comedy lunch is hosted in The Hangar at Milsoms Kesgrave Hall, which is a dedicated event space, and the great thing about this venue is that it’s entirely enclosed with a sparkling star cloth interior that just shouts Christmas. You could actually host a daytime disco in here at nine o’clock in the morning and think it was midnight. With a number of Christmas venues within our group of hotels and restaurants, we’re able to offer exclusive parties that are entirely taken over by an organisation, or ticketed and table events that can be booked in smaller numbers. Whatever the size of the party, there is something for everyone – and not a single photocopier in sight.
The Christmas Menu
Another key ingredient to a great Christmas event is the food and beverage (or F&B as we say in the trade).
Bubbles of course, because a party is essentially not a party without bubbles of some description. Champagne or Prosecco? Lots of people have an opinion on this, but we cater for all and providing there’s sparkling and bubbles of some kind, the parties can begin. Christmas menus have to include turkey – Edward VII is reported to be the first royal to enjoy turkey at Christmas, although we know that Henry VIII was also a fan.
Turkeys were introduced to the UK over 500 years ago but have only really become popular in the last six or seven decades as the main ingredient for a Christmas dinner – so we continue to offer turkey alongside other Christmas staples. We also serve a wide variety of alternatives to turkey and indeed meat as a whole, ensuring that all dietary requirements are catered for. Thinking about that now ubiquitous statement ahead of any meal ‘any special dietary requirements’, it would be great for people to simply answer ‘make it delicious’ – which is what our teams of chefs are aiming for all year round.
Christmas Party Entertainment
Whether it’s a Christmas lunch at Le Talbooth on the Suffolk and Essex border or Christmas by the sea in Essex at The Pier, we make sure there’s plenty of entertainment and lots to occupy our guests.
There’s crackers and balloons aplenty, but also music, comedians, guest speakers, DJs and dancefloors.
Whether the Christmas celebration is for friends, families or colleagues, having entertainment is always a welcome distraction and gives everybody something to talk about. We love to make sure your Christmas parties go off with a bang and this year we saw the deployment of rocket balloons, a brand new dancefloor at Le Talbooth, awesome new lighting from Dreamwave Events – whose DJs never fail to get the party started – and we even had an appearance from Donald Trump at the Christmas Comedy Lunch!
In the words of the infamous leader of the free world – we can’t wait for Christmas 2019 which is going to be ‘a beautiful thing’.
Let us be the first to wish you Happy Christmas 2019!
