London in December is the busiest staffing market in the country. We publish every uplift, so you know the price before you ask. Bar, waiting and event staff from £31.00 an hour ex VAT inside the M25.
London's Christmas party season has no quiet nights. From the last week of November, City and West End offices book dinners, receptions and parties from Monday to Saturday, and caterers running unique venues, livery halls and galleries need extra hands on every date. Client entertaining adds long lunches and early-evening receptions on top.
That volume is why London prices matter. Agencies that do not publish their rates often add December premiums, short-notice charges and weekend rates on top. We do not. The London uplift and the festive uplift are the only two changes, and both are on this page.
Nobody is put on a train from Newcastle and billed to you as a local. London bookings are filled by people who live within reach of the venue, and there is no travel charge within 15 miles of the person's base, which in London means almost always.
The Night Tube runs on Friday and Saturday nights on a handful of lines. From Sunday to Thursday, and on the lines it does not cover, late finishes rely on night buses. We write the finish time and the route home into the brief for every late shift, and check it with each person before they accept.
On Christmas Day there is no Tube, bus or rail service in London, and Boxing Day services are very limited. If you need people on either day, we plan transport with you at booking and show any taxi cost on its own line.
An early-evening reception in a gallery inside the M25, 100 guests, with canapés and a cocktail bar.
| Who and how long | Line |
|---|---|
| Cocktail bartenders, Skilled2 × 5 hours × £34.00 | £340.00 |
| Bar staff, wine and beer, Core1 × 5 hours × £31.00 | £155.00 |
| Floor staff, canapés and glasses, Core4 × 5 hours × £31.00 | £620.00 |
| Lead, runs the room1 × 5 hours × £40.00 | £200.00 |
| Staff line, ex VAT8 people. VAT added at the standard rate. | £1,315.00 |
| Contingency, 20%Charged only if the night runs long. Unused, never charged. | £263.00 |
Rates include the London uplift of £3.00 an hour and the festive uplift of £3.00 an hour. Four floor staff serve canapés at one to every 25 guests and keep the glasses moving. London festive rates inside the M25: Core £31.00, Skilled £34.00, Lead £40.00. 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.
London festive rates inside the M25, per hour, excluding VAT, 1 December to 2 January. 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 | £18.00 + 12.07% holiday | £31.00 |
| SkilledCocktail bartenders, baristas, fine-dining and box waiters, hosts, brand ambassadors, team leaders | £20.50 + holiday | £34.00 |
| LeadSupervisors, event managers, chefs de partie | £24.00 + holiday | £40.00 |
| Senior chefSous chefs, head chefs | £28.00 + holiday | £46.00 |
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.
Inside the M25 from 1 December to 2 January, Core staff are £31.00 an hour ex VAT, Skilled £34.00, Leads £40.00 and senior chefs £46.00. That is the standard rate plus the London uplift of £3.00 and the festive uplift of £3.00. The person working your party is paid £18.00 an hour plus holiday pay at Core.
London rent and London travel cost more, so our people are paid £2.00 an hour more, and the uplift covers that and our higher costs. It is published, and it is the same every day of the year.
New Year's Eve carries +£6.00 an hour instead of the festive uplift, plus the London uplift: Core £34.00, Skilled £37.00, Lead £43.00, senior chef £49.00 ex VAT.
Yes. London bookings are filled with people who live within reach of the venue. There is no travel charge within 15 miles of their base.
Yes, at the festive rate, but there is no public transport in London that day. We plan transport with you at booking and show any taxi cost on its own line.
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.