How to price a Christmas party night per head
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A party-night package of three courses, a glass of prosecco on arrival and half a bottle of wine each costs about £14.42 a head (£7.34 food, £7.08 drink) at UK wholesale and retail prices read on 25 October 2026. Priced to the 68% food GP and 66% wet GP in the UKHospitality × Christie & Co Benchmarking Report 2022, the package needs to sell for at least £43.75 a head ex VAT, or £52.50 with VAT.
The per-head build
| Item | Cost a head | Target GP | Price ex VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three-course turkey menu (costed here) | £7.34 | 68% | £22.93 |
| Glass of prosecco, 125 ml (Primi Soli Prosecco DOC, 75 cl, £10.99 collection, JJ Foodservice) | £1.83 | 66% | £5.39 |
| Half a bottle of red (Faustino Rivero Tinto Rioja, 75 cl, £10.49 collection, JJ Foodservice) | £5.25 | 66% | £15.43 |
| Package | £14.42 | £43.75 (£52.50 inc VAT) |
Drink prices read 25 October 2026. Each part is priced at its own GP so a cheap menu cannot hide expensive wine. VAT at 20% applies to food served at the table and to alcohol (GOV.UK VAT rates).
Why price the package in parts
- Food and drink earn different margins. Pricing them separately, then adding them up, shows you what each part contributes.
- Swaps stay honest. If a group wants soft drinks instead of wine, you can take the wine line off and know the new price straight away.
- Labour is not in the GP. GP only covers food and drink cost. Party nights need extra front-of-house hours, so check the night still covers wages once you have priced it: the kitchen staff cost guide gives the 2026/27 hourly figures.
Protecting the price
Take pre-orders so you buy and prep to known numbers, and take a deposit per head when the booking is made so late cancellations do not leave you with bought stock. Set the deposit and the cancellation terms in writing at booking.
More Christmas costing: Christmas set menu cost per head · GP on Christmas drinks · All costed Christmas dishes · UK GP benchmarks
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