A Christmas staff party meal timetable

Separate guest times from supplier times

A guest invitation may give one start time, but suppliers need the earlier access and setup arrangements. Ask the venue when the space is available and identify the entrance and contact for deliveries. Put the intended food time on the same sheet so the difference between access, preparation and service is visible.

Confirm the practical arrangement with Fables rather than assigning an assumed setup duration. Furniture, room preparation and entertainment equipment may also use the same space. Include relevant supplier movements in the programme so one team is not expected to begin work in an area still occupied by another.

Describe how guests arrive and settle

Explain whether colleagues arrive together from the workplace or make their own way to the venue. Note any planned reception, drinks or organised activity before food. The catering brief should identify when the group is expected to become ready to eat, not just when the doors open.

Give a count for the meal and identify any separate group or later arrival that needs discussion. If you are considering a staged arrangement, ask Fables to review it before announcing it. Do not assume the programme creates a confirmed serving capacity or that an additional group can be absorbed without agreement.

Place speeches and awards around the food plan

List proposed speeches, presentations or awards alongside the preferred meal period. Identify moments when guests need to remain seated or focus on another activity. Tell Fables which times are fixed and which can be discussed so the agreed food service relates to the actual party programme.

Give one organiser responsibility for coordinating changes. An entertainment or awards adjustment can affect more than the running order: it may also change the useful service period or staffing hours. Ask for connected catering and service arrangements to be reviewed instead of treating a revised agenda as automatic permission to extend them.

Connect entertainment with the room handover

Explain whether the same room is used for food and later entertainment, and whether any furniture needs to move. Ask who is responsible for the agreed changeover and when it can happen. Serving, clearing and equipment movements should not be left as unnamed jobs between two headline programme items.

If you are also considering furniture, photobooths or other hire, record the items and their supplier arrangements separately. Booking catering does not establish every entertainment inclusion. Give the providers the same current layout and timetable so their setup and operating discussions relate to one plan.

Finish with clearing, collection and the venue deadline

State the venue’s party finish, access restrictions and any collection requirements. Identify which clearing tasks the booked team is expected to complete, what remains with the venue and who receives the final handover. Keep the staff working period distinct from the time the last guest leaves.

Before circulating the final run sheet, check it against the written quotation and current venue instructions. Mark unresolved items clearly, date the version and name the available event contact. If guests, food choices or programme times change, update the connected details together so each supplier is working from the same agreed arrangement.

Details to gather before enquiring

• Supplier access and room-ready times separate from guest arrival
• Food guests, arrival pattern and preferred serving period
• Speeches, awards and entertainment with fixed commitments identified
• Room changes and clearing tasks assigned to the relevant providers
• Venue finish, collection arrangements and named handover contact

Questions to settle with your event team

Can we put the meal between awards and dancing?

Share that proposal with Fables, including the people count, menu ideas and available period. The catering and room-change arrangements need agreement rather than an assumed slot in the programme.

Does the staff finish time equal the party finish?

Confirm the booked working hours and tasks. Preparation, guest service, clearing and final handover can have different timing requirements and need explicit treatment in the quotation.