York packs a big December into a small city. We supply bar, waiting and event staff for historic venues, hotels and country houses on one published festive rate, with names confirmed within two hours.
York in December is two cities at once. By day the centre is full of visitors for the Christmas market and the shops. By night the hotels, historic halls and restaurants run office parties, private dinners and family celebrations, often in rooms that were never designed for a hundred guests and a dance floor.
The busiest dates are the first three Fridays and Saturdays of December, and demand for staff is high because the same venues also serve visitors all day. Mid-week lunches and early evening parties are a good way to secure the people you want.
York is about an hour south of Newcastle on the main line, which makes it one of the easiest places for our travelling core team to reach. We are also recruiting people who live in and around the city. At booking we confirm who is coming and from where. Anyone travelling more than 15 miles has travel shown at cost on its own line.
The centre inside the walls is compact and mostly walkable, but the streets are narrow and traffic is restricted, so loading and taxi pick-ups need planning. People travelling from Leeds, Harrogate or further along the line need to know the last train, and on a late finish the brief says exactly how they get home, whether that is a lift, a taxi at cost or a hotel.
For venues outside the ring road, parking is usually easier, and we note it in the brief.
A plated Christmas dinner for 100 guests in a historic hall, with a drinks reception and a band.
| Who and how long | Line |
|---|---|
| Waiting staff, Core9 × 7 hours × £28.00 | £1,764.00 |
| Bar staff, Core2 × 7 hours × £28.00 | £392.00 |
| Lead, runs the room1 × 7 hours × £37.00 | £259.00 |
| Staff line, ex VAT12 people. VAT added at the standard rate. | £2,415.00 |
| Contingency, 20%Charged only if the night runs long. Unused, never charged. | £483.00 |
Historic rooms with stairs and a distant kitchen need one more waiting staff member than a modern hotel would. If the travelling team is used, travel is shown at cost on its own line. 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 York, 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 is at cost only beyond 15 miles of the worker's base.
We are recruiting in and around York, and York is an hour from our Newcastle base by train. At booking we confirm within two hours who is coming and where from, so you know before you commit.
Yes. Tell us about stairs, split rooms and where the kitchen is. We brief the route in writing 48 hours before, and again on the day.
The market runs from 12 November to 21 December 2026 on Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square. We allow extra time for people to arrive through a busy centre on market evenings.
Free more than 48 hours before the start, 50% between 24 and 48 hours, 100% inside 24 hours. Late cancellation charges are how the people who kept the evening free still get paid.
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.