Do you have to put the service charge in your Christmas menu price? If the charge is mandatory, yes: the CMA's price transparency guidance says the total price should normally include unavoidable charges, and it lists mandatory service charges at a restaurant. A purely discretionary charge can sit outside the price if the menu says so clearly. On screen: CMA209, the Price Marking Order 2003 article 4, and the statutory code of practice on distributing tips.
What the film covers
- A full December diary that still loses money
- Christmas 2026 week by week
- Festive menu prices: what the page has to show
- How to take Christmas party bookings
- Christmas pre-order system: what to collect and by when
- Is it cheaper to pre-order food for an event at a pub?
- Christmas Day deposit or full prepayment
- Cancellation terms that survive the fairness test
Questions the film answers
- When should I open Christmas bookings, and what goes on the page?
Open party and Christmas Day bookings by late October, with the menu page already live. The page needs courses, the VAT-inclusive price per head, any mandatory charge inside that price, the deposit terms, the pre-order date and the final-numbers date. A software vendor says Christmas Day bookings carry an average lead time of 50 days, which points to early November.
- Do I have to put the service charge in the menu price?
If the charge is mandatory, yes. The CMA's price transparency guidance says the total price should normally include unavoidable charges, and lists mandatory service charges at a restaurant. If the charge is purely discretionary, with no obligation to pay, it can sit outside the price if the page says so clearly. The menu price must also include VAT.
- Can I keep a deposit if a party cancels, and how much?
It depends on the terms and on fairness. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 can make a term unfair if it lets the venue keep sums paid when the guest cancels, or sets a disproportionately high sum. The safer shape is a deposit that is credited to the bill and refunded when the guest gives clear notice. This is a summary, not legal advice.
- Does the 14-day cooling-off right apply to a Christmas party booking?
No, not for a booking tied to a named night. The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 exclude catering contracts that fix a date or period, which removes the 14-day right for a dated party. The fairness rules for cancellation and deposit terms still apply.
- How do I collect each guest's food choice and allergens before the day?
Collect them through the booking, by a stated date, with each guest's name against their dishes and an allergy field. The Food Standards Agency says written information supported by a conversation is best practice, and the legal minimum has not changed. A server should confirm each allergy aloud at the table. On TableSpark, guests choose dishes from the live menu or a set-menu section.
- Who gets the tips from a big festive table, and what can I deduct?
The statutory code says employers must pass on all tips and service charges to workers without deductions, except in very limited cases such as income tax, and distribute them fairly and transparently. A mandatory service charge counts. The employer must have regard to the code when setting its tipping policy.