hogroastPlanning the work Christmas party often falls to one person and it always comes round sooner than expected. If that person is you this year, the pressure to get it right can feel very real. You want something everyone will enjoy, something that fits the budget and something that does not take weeks of your life to organise.
The first big decision is a simple one. Do you stay at the office or do you go out? Both options have plenty going for them, and the right answer depends on your team, your budget and what kind of evening you want to create. Catering for introverts and extroverts can leave you feeling like someone is going to end up unhappy. Here are some ideas for both to help you make that call.
Staying At The Office
Keeping the party at your own premises has some clear advantages. You already have the space, you control the setup and you avoid the logistical headache of getting everyone to an external venue. It also tends to be kinder on the budget which matters when you are funding drinks and food for a full team.
A DIY Drinks Station
Rather than stacking cans on a table and hoping for the best, set up a small drinks station where people can help themselves. Mulled wine is simple to make and fills the room with that unmistakable Christmas smell. Add a few mixers, some soft drinks and a basic cocktail recipe card and you have something that feels considered without costing a fortune. If your workplace has a kitchen area, this is even easier to pull off. A couple of large dispensers, some festive cups and a few garnishes go a long way toward making it feel like an event rather than an afterthought.
Secret Santa & Christmas Games
A Secret Santa paired with a few Christmas themed games gives the evening some structure without it feeling forced. Set a reasonable spending limit for gifts, anywhere from five to fifteen pounds works well, and give people a couple of weeks to source something. The reveal always generates a good atmosphere, especially when someone inevitably buys something ridiculous.
Once the gifts are opened, move into a team quiz or a few rounds of something like Christmas charades, a festive music round or name the film from the quote game. Keep teams small enough that everyone has to contribute and throw in a decent prize for the winners and a light-hearted prize for whoever finishes last. It gives people something to do together beyond standing around making small talk and the competitive element tends to bring out a side of colleagues you do not normally see.
An Office Bake Off
If your team has a few keen bakers, an office bake off is a brilliant way to get people involved in the party before it even starts. Keep it to desserts only to make things manageable and set a theme like Christmas classics or festive showstoppers to give people some direction.
On the day, lay everything out and judge each entry on taste and presentation, letting the whole team vote. Either way, the results tend to spark plenty of debate. The best part is that once the judging is done, everyone gets to eat the entries, so dessert is sorted without any extra cost. It is the kind of activity that gets people talking in the days leading up to the party and creates a bit of friendly rivalry that carries into the evening.
Going Out For Your Christmas Party
Sometimes the best thing you can do is get people out of the building entirely. A change of scenery can shift the energy and make it feel like a proper occasion. Going out also means someone else handles the setup and the cleanup which is no small thing when you are the one doing the organising.
An Escape Room
For smaller teams, an escape room is hard to beat. It gives people a shared challenge to focus on which is far more effective at getting a group to bond than sitting across a table trying to think of things to say. Most rooms are designed for groups of around four to eight so it works best when you have a team that fits comfortably into one or two rooms.
The competitive element tends to bring out a side of people you do not see in the office which is half the fun. Many escape room venues are located near restaurants and bars too so you can easily turn it into a full evening without having to plan two separate events.
An Activity Bar
If your team would rather be doing something than sitting still, an activity bar keeps the energy up without requiring much organisation on your part. Places like Flight Club offer social darts with group scoring, Crazy Golf venues have sprung up in most major towns and cities and bowling remains a reliable option that works for all ages and ability levels.
The variety of activities at these venues means nobody is stuck doing one thing all night. People naturally move around, mix with colleagues they might not usually spend time with and enjoy themselves without anyone having to force conversation. Most activity bars handle larger group bookings well and offer food and drinks packages which takes another job off your list.
A Christmas Market
For a larger group or a team that prefers something less structured, a Christmas market is a great option. Most towns and cities run markets from late November through to Christmas and the relaxed format means people can wander at their own pace, pick up a few gifts, grab some street food and soak up the atmosphere.
The beauty of a Christmas market is that it does not need much planning. Pick a time, agree a meeting point and let people explore. It works as a standalone activity or as a warm up before heading to a pub or bar. It suits larger groups where coordinating a single booking would be difficult. There is no pressure to stick together the entire time which often means people relax more quickly than they would at a formal event.
The Best Of Both Worlds: A Hog Roast At Your Premises
There is a third option that sits neatly between staying in and going out. Bring the event to your premises with a hog roast and give your team a proper sit down meal without the venue hire costs and rigid booking times that come with a restaurant.
A hog roast works brilliantly for a work Christmas party because it solves the food question in one move. Slow roasted pork, apple sauce, stuffing and fresh rolls. Everyone gets fed, the food is served hot and there is no need to collect menu choices three weeks in advance or chase people for dietary requirements across a set menu.
At The Roasting Pig, we bring everything to you. The setup, the cooking, the serving and the clean up are all handled so you are not spending your evening running back and forth to the kitchen. Your team gets a genuinely impressive spread and you get to actually enjoy the party you spent weeks organising.
The real advantage of this approach is what it frees you up to do with the rest of the evening. Once everyone has eaten, you can head out as a group for drinks at a nearby pub or bar or take a wander around a local Christmas market while everyone is well fed and in good spirits. You get the relaxed, communal feel of an office party combined with the excitement of a night out, without having to choose one or the other.
It also works well for larger teams. A restaurant booking for forty or fifty people can be a nightmare to coordinate but a hog roast scales easily. Whether you have a car park, a courtyard or a large open office space, the setup adapts to fit.
A Few Things Worth Thinking About Early
Whichever route you go down, a few practical things are worth getting right early on. Set the date as soon as you can. December fills up fast and the later you leave it, the fewer options you have. Midweek events tend to get better attendance than Friday nights when people often have competing plans.
Get a rough headcount before you commit to anything. It does not need to be exact but knowing whether you are planning for twenty people or sixty makes a big difference to what is realistic.
Think about inclusivity. Not everyone drinks alcohol, not everyone celebrates Christmas and not everyone enjoys the same kind of social event. The best work parties give people options and make it easy for everyone to feel welcome regardless of their preferences.
And finally, communicate clearly. Send the details out early, remind people closer to the time and make sure everyone knows what to expect. The simpler you make it for people to say yes, the better the turnout will be.
Make It One To Remember
The best work Christmas parties are the ones where people feel relaxed, well looked after and glad they came. Whether you keep it in the office, head out for the evening or combine the two with a hog roast followed by drinks or a Christmas market, the key is to keep it simple, plan ahead and focus on creating an evening people will genuinely enjoy.
If a hog roast sounds like the right fit for your team this year, get in touch with The Roasting Pig on 0116 212 5259 or contact us to find out more.