Bristol parties happen on the water and in old warehouses. We supply bar, floor and event staff on one published festive rate, and tell you within two hours who is coming and where from.
Bristol's Christmas trade is spread across a lot of independent venues rather than a few big ones. Harbourside rooms, museums and converted sheds host office parties and client drinks, the warehouse spaces near Temple Meads run large standing parties, and restaurants on King Street, Wapping Wharf and Welsh Back take exclusive hires for smaller teams.
Parties often start earlier than in the North, with afternoon finishes for offices on a Friday and a move to the bars afterwards. That changes the shift: the team may be needed from lunchtime, and the four-hour minimum per person fits an afternoon party well.
Salt Social People is based in Newcastle upon Tyne, around five hours from Bristol by train. Our South West team is small today. At booking we tell you within two hours what we can fill with people who live locally. Where a party is bigger than our Bristol bench on that date, we fill the gap with our travelling core team, with travel and hotel at cost on their own lines, or tell you the number we can deliver.
Bristol has no tram or underground, and late buses are limited. The harbourside is split by water and bridges, so a venue that looks close on the map can be a long walk at midnight. For late finishes the brief sets the finish time and the route home, and where the finish is after the last bus, we plan a taxi at cost. For any travelling team, the hotel is booked within walking distance of the venue.
A harbourside standing party, 100 guests, with canapés and a bar, starting at 4pm on a Friday.
| Who and how long | Line |
|---|---|
| Bar staff, Core3 × 5 hours × £28.00 | £420.00 |
| Floor staff, canapés and glasses, Core3 × 5 hours × £28.00 | £420.00 |
| Lead, on the bar and the room1 × 5 hours × £37.00 | £185.00 |
| Staff line, ex VAT7 people. VAT added at the standard rate. | £1,025.00 |
| Contingency, 20%Charged only if the night runs long. Unused, never charged. | £205.00 |
Canapés need one person to every 30 or so guests, and a bar of three keeps up with a standing crowd of 100. If some of the team travel, rail and hotel are shown as separate lines at cost. Festive rates: Core £28.00, Skilled £31.00, Lead £37.00. If the night comes in under the quoted total, we refund 5%. New clients also get one person for one four-hour shift free on their first booking.
Want your own numbers? Use the instant estimate on our rate card or send the brief for a written quote within 60 minutes.
Festive rates for Bristol, per hour, excluding VAT, 1 December to 2 January. No regional uplift. What we pay is shown next to what you pay.
| Tier | We pay them | You pay us |
|---|---|---|
| CoreBar staff, waiting, runners, kitchen porters, event crew, stewards, cloakroom, admissions | £16.00 + 12.07% holiday | £28.00 |
| SkilledCocktail bartenders, baristas, fine-dining and box waiters, hosts, brand ambassadors, team leaders | £18.50 + holiday | £31.00 |
| LeadSupervisors, event managers, chefs de partie | £22.00 + holiday | £37.00 |
| Senior chefSous chefs, head chefs | £26.00 + holiday | £43.00 |
Every client booking carries the same five guarantees, written into our terms of business.
Written, itemised, ex VAT, 8am to 8pm every day. Three hours outside that.
Your account manager's mobile is on the booking confirmation, answered on any day we have people working.
Anyone not right? Tell us in the first hour. No charge for them and a replacement on the way.
New clients get one person for one four-hour shift free on their first booking. See what you are buying.
Names confirmed within two hours of booking. If we cannot fill a position we say so at booking, never on the day.
From 1 December to 2 January, Core staff are £28.00 an hour ex VAT, Skilled £31.00, Leads £37.00 and senior chefs £43.00. No regional uplift. Travel and hotel for any travelling team are shown at cost.
Our South West team is small today. We confirm within two hours of booking what we can fill locally and what would come from our travelling team, so there are no surprises on the night.
Yes. The minimum is four hours per person, so a 1pm to 5pm party with set-up is one booking. The festive rate applies from 1 December.
Yes, on the same card. Travel is charged at cost only beyond 15 miles of the worker's base.
Every quote carries a 20% contingency so a late finish never becomes an argument. If it is not used, you do not pay it. If the job comes in under the quote, we refund 5%.
See the whole rate card, start a full quote, or download the Christmas party staffing checklist (PDF). Looking for shifts yourself? Work with us.
When to book, how many people you need, and what to brief. One printable PDF.
One email with the PDF. No newsletter unless you ask. Unsubscribe any time.
If it did not open, download it here.
We will reply within 60 minutes between 8am and 8pm, or first thing tomorrow. Want it faster? Message us on WhatsApp.
WhatsApp usYour brief lands with Tasmyn or Liam, not a queue. A written quote within 60 minutes (8am to 8pm) and a call if anything needs clarifying. A named mobile is given to every client at booking.
Every person paid through our PAYE payroll, so you carry no status risk. Right-to-work checks before day one. Employers' Liability £10m, Public Liability £10m. Certificates with your first confirmation.
Keep them. Use us for the shifts they cannot fill, or the ones that matter most. Overflow is where most first clients start.
Short on people for a big weekend? We supply overflow to other agencies on the same published terms.