This year’s most interesting Christmas parties give teams something to do, whether that’s planting a hedgerow in Somerset or curling in a Surrey country house….
The three-course turkey dinner isn’t going anywhere, but more planners are being asked for a party that guests take part in rather than sit through. Venues are responding with festive packages built around an activity: something to make, play, solve or leave behind. Here are some options for teams who’ve done the ballroom and fancy a change this December.
Leave something behind
At 42 Acres, near Frome in Somerset, the Christmas party is part of a bigger project: the ongoing restoration of the 173-acre estate. Teams choose one experience for the whole group. They can plant a native hedgerow as a wildlife corridor, graft cuttings onto rootstock to start a young apple orchard or, for something gentler, make winter wreaths and nature crowns indoors. The hedgerow and orchard stay on the land and keep growing long after the party.
Afterwards there’s a Wild Winter Lunch or Dinner, served family-style at a long shared table, with mulled apple juice and spruce cordial made from the land. The Mistletoe day package runs 10am to 3pm for 18 to 30 people, while the overnight Holly package, for 11 to 42 people, adds dinner and breakfast. Smaller teams can join a shared Wild Winter Gathering with other organisations on Thursday 10 December or Thursday 14 January.
Get hands-on
If the group would rather make something to take home, Lainston House in Winchester is offering its festive classes at colleagues and clients as well as friends. The menu includes wreath-making, cookery classes, cocktail shaking and edible gift-making. The headline option is Christmas at its Season Cookery School. It suits smaller teams that want a country house setting and a hands-on afternoon rather than a big night.
Limited venue budget? The activity can come to the team instead. Mobile wreath-making tutors listed on ClassBento will set up in the office or a venue of your choice. One London workshop runs for 1.5 hours for 10 to 40 guests, and everyone goes home with a wreath for the front door.
Game on
For teams with a competitive streak, Wotton House in the Surrey Hills has turned part of its 16th-century country hotel into a Winter Clubhouse. The dedicated games space offers unlimited curling, darts, air hockey, table football and shuffleboard, and works as a party in itself or a warm-up before dinner. Entry includes a festive drink, and groups can upgrade to the Winter Terrace.
Wotton has also built an escape room, Trapped in Time, around the estate’s original owners, the Evelyn family. In 60 minutes, teams follow clues to uncover the story of two priceless family treasures. “We wanted to make the venue itself part of the experience this year, rather than Christmas simply being about the traditional celebration,” says Sharon Power, Wotton House’s Director of Sales.
In London’s West End, The Crystal Maze has three Christmas packages, all with a private run of the maze and a team photo. The larger two, for 10 to 30 and 32 to 100 people, add medals for the top three teams and a festive food package complete with plenty of mince pies.