Everyone has a tendency to let loose at Christmas... some more than others. The Caterer asked operators for their most outrageous tales, from sleeping babies in cloakrooms to broken bones at the disco
Eva Garrett, sales and marketing manager, Company of Cooks
"Putting on Christmas parties at historic venues always comes with a touch of jeopardy as revellers and antique furniture combine. Over the years, I've witnessed a 300-year-old chair being snapped in two (which came with a hefty £7,500 repair bill), Champagne spilt inside a grand piano and an ancient wall reversed into. And, most bizarrely, one party goer at a well-known venue decided to ‘take a nap' under someone's desk and, due to overindulgence, left them a nasty surprise to discover on Monday morning."
Carly Mitchell, managing director, Ultimate Experience and Create (part of CH&Co)
"As you can imagine, as a business that specialises in seasonal parties, we've gathered so many stories over the years. Three that come immediately to mind (and that are suitable for sharing) are a guest who tried to check their sleeping baby into the cloakroom for a large corporate Christmas party; the party guest who had a crisis of conscience the morning after and couriered back the knife and fork they had stolen; and finally, the over-enthusiastic guest who broke both arms ‘doing the worm' on the dance floor – and then (unsuccessfully) tried to sue us."
Ed Templeton, co-founder Carousel, London
"In our early years we threw a 1980s-themed Christmas office party in a warehouse in King's Cross. It was actually pretty great, if I do say so myself. The place was lovingly decked out as an 1980s office with all sorts of little details like employee appraisals in filing cabinets for some of the guests.
"One of the props was a suggestion box. After the first big corporate party, where people got horribly drunk and were appallingly behaved (as you would expect for the time of year), we found a crumpled-up note in the suggestion box. The message was a short and to the point, three-word piece of feedback on our carefully constructed immersive experience: "bunch of c***s". I've never laughed so hard – still the most memorable piece of feedback we've ever received for an event."
Graham Turner, managing partner, Seasoned Venues
"Only last Saturday a customer was so drunk that security had to stop him drinking more. He was eating so slowly and almost falling asleep at the table. Every time one of the waiters tried to take his plate he would spring back to life and take a mouthful. He only got his plate cleared after the team finished clearing desserts.
"Then there are always the guests who order the vegetarian meal (in July) and suddenly decide they eat turkey on party night.
"I once did a function in a girls' school where a gentleman wet himself, as he didn't think he could use the girls' toilets and couldn't find any boys' toilets, even after a briefing where he was told there was no boys' toilets."
Owen Morgan, co-founder, Bar44 Group
"A group came in dressed as elves in the afternoon. One woman stood up on a step and announced loudly to the whole bar: "I'm the naughty elf!" And then proceeded to throw her beer all over the bar."
Jan Ostle, head chef and co-owner, Wilson's, Bristol
"It's always a bit of a nightmare before Christmas, and one time I was working at a well-known place (that's all I'm going to say), when the owner and his partner came in for dinner. They were joined by another couple who brought a life-size child doll that they wanted to join them for dinner. I had to cook a three-course, à la carte dinner for a doll, which felt very Tim Burton – surreal and a bit scary."
Chantelle Nicholson, chef-owner, Apricity, London
"One particular evening I recall ended up in us having to call the police as the person who was supposed to pay actually couldn't."
Sam Harrison, owner, Sam's Riverside and Sam's Larder, London
"One year a table of 12 arrived for a Christmas party menu at midday. They then moved to the bar at 6pm and we then sat them again at 9.30pm for dinner. So they ended up having lunch and dinner and left at midnight. On another occasion a guest left a large Fortnum & Mason hamper. When we called the next day to tell them, they said: ‘Oh don't worry, I get sent so many, you can keep it'."
