How many people can come to a Christmas party at Cooking It?

We take up to 34 people in house. Each package minimum covers up to 10 or 12 guests, and everyone beyond that is charged at the extra guest rate in the table. Larger groups can ask about an off-site event.

How long does the evening last?

It depends on the package: 2 hours for Kitchen Porter up to 4 hours for Head Chef. Standard starts are 11:00 and 17:00, and other times are subject to availability.

Do we get the place to ourselves?

Yes. We take one group at a time, so the kitchen, the tables and the evening are yours for your booking.

What does the package price include?

It is a minimum spend for the stated number of guests, covering the chef-led session and the meal you cook and sit down to. Prices exclude VAT, added at 20 percent on the invoice. Drinks, aprons and washing up are extra and are set out in your quote.

What does it work out at per head?

The packages are minimum spends rather than per-head prices, so it depends on your numbers. Twenty guests on Commi Chef is £1,275 excluding VAT, which is £63.75 a head, or £1,530 including VAT, which is £76.50 a head.

What happens if our numbers change?

Final numbers are confirmed 15 days before the event. Until then the headcount can move, and extra guests above the package minimum are charged at the rate shown.

Do we need to be any good at cooking?

No. Sessions are built for mixed levels of kitchen confidence. The chef explains every job and sets the pace, so nobody is left stuck.

A festive table laid for a Christmas party at Cooking It in Bristol

Christmas in Bristol

Christmas parties in Bristol where your team cooks the feast

Somebody has to sort the Christmas party, and this year it is you. Here is one that is not another table booked in a bar: your guests cook the meal themselves at 37 Gloucester Road, then sit down and eat what they made. A chef runs the session, the bar is open, and nobody goes home with a cake in a box.

Work Christmas parties See festive dates Buy a gift voucher

Work Christmas parties

Cooking gives everyone a job. One person is chopping, another is seasoning, another is plating. People move around and end up working with colleagues they do not usually sit beside, and then the whole group sits down to eat what it made. It suits teams who found last year's dinner a bit flat.

You get exclusive use of the place for your booking, with room for up to 34 people. We have run corporate and social cooking events for 12 years, for teams from Airbus, the BBC, Barclays, Bevan Brittan, Bouygues and Bristol City FC (chaotic but brilliant – watch what the Robins got up to). Nobody needs to be a confident cook: the chef explains each job and keeps it moving.

These are the 2026 prices. Each package is a minimum spend covering the headcount shown, not a per-head price, and extra guests are charged at the rate beside it. All prices exclude VAT, which is added at 20 percent on your invoice. Book a Monday or Tuesday in November or December and you take 15 percent off. Group bookings on a Thursday or Friday in November or December carry a £75 charge.

Package	Time	Minimum spend	Extra guest
Kitchen Porter	2 hours	£500 up to 10	£40 a head
Platers	2.5 hours	£650 up to 10	£45 a head
Commi Chef	3 hours	£775 up to 10	£50 a head
Sous Chef	3.5 hours	£950 up to 12	£65 a head
Head Chef	4 hours	£1,300 up to 12	£100 a head

What a real invoice looks like

Take 20 guests on Commi Chef. The minimum spend covers 10 at £775, the 10 extra guests are £50 each, so the event is £1,275 excluding VAT, which is £63.75 a head. VAT adds £255, so the invoice total is £1,530, or £76.50 a head including VAT. Drinks, aprons and washing up are extra and are set out when Monica quotes.

Christmas party ideas for work

Choose the activity first and the evening looks after itself. The mystery bag cook off hands each team a set of ingredients and a brief. The Persian or Tapas challenge lets a group pick a direction and split the jobs. Blind taste tests suit people who like arguing about food, and plating under chef judging adds theatre without anyone taking it too seriously. There are speed rounds, a Great Bake Off style challenge and cake decorating too.

If cooking should be part of the night but not all of it, add Murder Mystery at £500, Sip and Paint at £600, a Christmas Pub Quiz at £15 a head, or Musical Bingo and Karaoke from £150 each. The food format can be a three course chef's choice, battling fine dining, or a tasting menu with wine flights.

Festive classes and party nights

Small groups, all ingredients and equipment provided, and a full meal together at the end. Book online, or ask us about taking the whole kitchen.

See every upcoming class

What people say

252 Tripadvisor reviews, and 4.9 stars from 236 Google reviews. These three describe a hosted group session and the meal at the end.

“Paul, the chef, was really interesting and great at putting everyone at ease. Very relaxed and friendly session ending with eating the delicious Mexican street food we had cooked.”
Nomad51034930609, Tripadvisor
“It was fun cooking in pairs and enjoying the company of the others as we ate our food, which was absolutely delicious.”
Rica N, Tripadvisor
“Chef Paul was a great and informative host, the whole atmosphere was friendly and relaxed. Also thank you to the staff who did the dishes and tidying up too.”
steven r, Tripadvisor

Last year's parties

The venue, and getting your team here

We are at 37 Gloucester Road, Bishopston, Bristol BS7 8AD, five minutes from Redland and Montpelier stations, with free daytime parking nearby. There is a licensed bar you can run as a company tab, or bring your own drinks at £8.50 per person. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and halal are catered with notice, and final dietary requirements are confirmed 15 days before.

Booking and December dates

December is the busiest month, so send Monica your date, group size and start time as early as you can. There is no cut off: ask about the date you want and she will tell you whether it is still free. The balance is due within 7 days to hold it. For November and December events there are no refunds inside 8 weeks of the event. The full terms are on the booking form and are confirmed when Monica sends the invoice.

Call Monica on 07765 844763 or email monica@cookingit.co.uk with your date, numbers and whether you want a relaxed cook along or a competitive challenge.

Frequently asked

How many people can come to a Christmas party at Cooking It?
We take up to 34 people in house. Each package minimum covers up to 10 or 12 guests, and everyone beyond that is charged at the extra guest rate in the table. Larger groups can ask about an off-site event.
How long does the evening last?
It depends on the package: 2 hours for Kitchen Porter up to 4 hours for Head Chef. Standard starts are 11:00 and 17:00, and other times are subject to availability.
Do we get the place to ourselves?
Yes. We take one group at a time, so the kitchen, the tables and the evening are yours for your booking.
What does the package price include?
It is a minimum spend for the stated number of guests, covering the chef-led session and the meal you cook and sit down to. Prices exclude VAT, added at 20 percent on the invoice. Drinks, aprons and washing up are extra and are set out in your quote.
What does it work out at per head?
The packages are minimum spends rather than per-head prices, so it depends on your numbers. Twenty guests on Commi Chef is £1,275 excluding VAT, which is £63.75 a head, or £1,530 including VAT, which is £76.50 a head.
What happens if our numbers change?
Final numbers are confirmed 15 days before the event. Until then the headcount can move, and extra guests above the package minimum are charged at the rate shown.
Do we need to be any good at cooking?
No. Sessions are built for mixed levels of kitchen confidence. The chef explains every job and sets the pace, so nobody is left stuck.
How late can we book a December date?
There is no cut off date. Ask about the date you want and Monica will tell you whether it is still free. The balance is due within 7 days to hold it, and for November and December events there are no refunds inside 8 weeks.

Three ways to do Christmas here

The work Christmas do

Exclusive use of the kitchen for 10 to 30+ people, a cuisine your team picks, competitive or collaborative, then a sit-down meal and a licensed bar. Most run 2.5 to 3 hours and work daytime or evening.

Corporate days

A private festive party

Birthdays, friends' get-togethers and family celebrations with the whole place to yourselves, music throughout and the bar open. Tell us the group size and what you want to cook.

Private parties

A present that is not a candle

Vouchers from £5 to £500, valid on any class we run, adult or children's, for twelve months. Whoever gets one picks their own date, so it never commits them to an evening they cannot make.

Gift vouchers