It may seem early, but the sooner you get the perfect venue in place for your corporate or family festive celebrations, the better. Here’s our pick of the best Christmas party venues to hire in Cambridge – plus some event planning tips from the experts.
Whether for work or leisure, planning a big bash can be a daunting task. There seems to be such a lot to consider and organise – and so many expectations, particularly at Christmastime!
One of the first and most important aspects to research is the venue. The right size to accommodate your guest numbers, the right ambience to suit the theme or vibe of the event, the right hospitality package to cater to all your party needs and, of course, availability that fits your schedule.
One thing’s for sure: getting that perfect venue booked in good time not only avoids any disappointment but also affords you plenty of time to finalise all the details.
“We find that the best functions are always the ones booked well in advance – sometimes even as early as January or February for the following Christmas!” admits Ben Keen, sales and events manager at The Cambridge Union. “As unfestive as it sounds, your first priority should therefore always be to get organised. Your guests will thank you later.”
Zoe Fardell, head of conference and accommodation at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, agrees: “Christmas parties can involve a lot of moving parts, from setting spending limits, choosing the venue and agreeing the menu to entertainment, room layouts, decorations, timings and dietary requirements. The earlier you establish your budget and what you want the evening to look and feel like, the easier it is to bring everything together.”
Planning your party: tips from the top
So, what other advice can our local event organisers and venue hosts offer? Another early consideration is the kind of event you will be putting on.
“Get an understanding of what the majority of the group want from the party and build your plan from there,” suggests Matthew Knight, company director and owner of Novi. “Do most people want a formal, traditional sit-down meal, something more relaxed and quirky or drinks-led with dancing?”
“If your guests have family commitments, it’s worth considering a lunchtime event to promote inclusion,” adds Charlie McLaughlin, owner of Little Piggy in Fenstanton.
In a wider sense, this means considering guest experience as a whole – throughout the planning stages – rather than focusing purely on individual elements, says Zoe. “And this doesn’t have to be extravagant,” she adds. “Thoughtful details can make all the difference.”
Our experts also have much to say on the subject of those all-important festive tipples. “Always go for an arrival drink!” asserts Emily Harvey, head of sales, events and design for Broadway Cellars in St Ives. “When you have a group of guests all arriving at once, you don’t want everyone queuing at the bar or awkwardly standing around wondering what to do. Having a drink ready when guests arrive immediately gets the party started and gives everyone something to enjoy while the rest of the group arrives. And there’s something about having a glass of fizz in your hand that makes it officially feel like Christmas.”
Ben adds another good point: “Always allow for extra drinks in your budget or on your bar tab. Being festive tends to encourage extra alcohol consumption and you don’t want any of your guests to be lacking a mulled wine (or three).”
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, be sure to communicate with the team at your chosen venue – and never be afraid to ask for assistance or advice.
Add a special touch: fancy dress, photo booths and games
Cambridge’s venues have no doubt seen all manner of events take place under their roofs, from formal dinners to wild parties and everything in between.
So, what’s the best idea our experts have ever seen a festive party organiser come up with? Starting strong, Charlie recalls a particularly memorable corporate Christmas fancy-dress party. “The theme was the circus, so the guests arrived as clowns and jugglers, circus masters and acrobats – some were even dressed as tigers and elephants. During the evening, they had arranged real circus performers to move among the guests and perform their acts, so there was juggling, acrobatics and magic throughout the night. It was so magical.”
Costumes have been a feature of some of the best parties at Novi, too. “Over the years we’ve seen so many different ideas: celebrity doubles, an Elvis impersonator, drag queens, magicians, karaoke, photo booths. But one of my personal favourites was a Del Boy (from Only Fools and Horses) lookalike; he really engaged with the group, was very funny and everyone loved it,” smiles Matthew.
Emily also mentions photo booths as a favourite element, “especially when you have a guest book alongside them, so people can leave a little message, and you end up with a brilliant collection of memories from the night.
“I also love interactive entertainment such as blind wine tasting challenges, where teams have to guess the grape, country or even the price of different wines. For something a little different, you could bring in a caricature artist or live illustrator to capture guests throughout the evening. It’s those personal touches that can turn a standard Christmas party into something people actually remember.”
Both Emily and Zoe enjoy watching organisers maximise their use of the venue space. “One of the things I love most about Christmas events at St Catharine’s is seeing organisers really make the most of the character of the college and work with us to add memorable touches. For example, I have seen organisers use the different spaces around the college to create a real journey for their guests,” says Zoe.
“The most effective events are often those where the organiser has thought beyond simply booking a room and arranging a meal and has created an unforgettable experience.”
Choosing a venue for your party size, theme and vibe
For smaller groups of 15 to 20 people (or fewer), Little Piggy offers more intimate, cosy, private spaces, with one room that seats 12 people and one for 20 people. A bespoke menu can be created if you have a specific theme in mind, or there is always the venue’s famous sharing Christmas roast dinner. But if a three-course meal isn’t what you’re after, Charlie offers an alternative: “You’re welcome to carry out any activities or ice breakers, such as wreath-making with festive nibbles, if you prefer.”
A flexible choice for everything from smaller gatherings to larger parties, Broadway Cellars has its own wine shop, which can be transformed into a private function space, as well as the main bar with sociable seating dotted throughout.
“We don’t really believe in a one-size-fits-all approach, so we’re happy to work with each group to create something that suits them. That could be a big Christmas party with live music, dancing and cocktails, or something much more relaxed, such as a wine tasting and charcuterie board get- together,” Emily explains.
At Novi, there are different areas available to hire across the impressive three-storey building, each with its own unique feel. With space for up to 40 guests in one room and up to 70 in the other, plus a terrace and side room, the venue can cater to events of all sizes up to 180 guests.
Suitable for intimate cocktail and canape evenings, formal dining or fun, lively parties with your own music, fully stocked private bars with bartenders are also on offer here. “Why not start the evening with canapes and botanical cocktails or free- flowing prosecco, before feasting on our Christmas buffet menu,” suggests Matthew.
Celebrate in a historic Cambridge building
For a historic backdrop with substantial capacity and grandeur to match, there’s The Cambridge Union. “Our classic Victorian Gothic building looks stunning when it’s decorated and we’re proud to offer our corporate clients and private individuals use of a variety of spaces and settings, including our iconic Debating Chamber, the Keynes Library, the Fairfax Rhodes Reading Room and our Private Dining Room,” says Ben.
A comprehensive event planning experience is on offer too, with audio- visual services, a range of dining packages courtesy of on-site brasserie and bar The Orator and support from a dedicated team.
Also brimming with history is St Catharine’s College, where the Dining Hall provides an impressive backdrop for larger Christmas dinners, a number of other rooms can be used for intimate celebrations and the modern McGrath Centre and adjoining spaces offer yet more flexibility. The venue’s talented chefs can also work with organisers to create menus suited to any occasion, including accommodating dietary requirements with advance notice.
“At St Catharine’s College, we offer something that is quintessentially Cambridge: the opportunity to celebrate Christmas within a historic college in the heart of the city,” Zoe enthuses.
8 party venues available to hire in Cambridge this Christmas
Looking to hire a venue for a Christmas party in Cambridge? Here are our top recommendations to get started.
Broadway Cellars
Find out more at broadwaycellars.co.uk
The Cambridge Union
Find out more at cus.org/corporate
Graduate by Hilton
Find out more at hilton.com
La Raza
Find out more at laraza.co.uk
Little Piggy
Find out more at littlepiggyfenstanton.co.uk
Novi
Find out more at novicambridge.co.uk
Novotel Cambridge North
Visit all.accor.com or contact [email protected]
St Catharine’s College
Find out more at caths.cam.ac.uk/conferences
Discover the best festive events taking place around Cambridge in the lead up to Christmas.