A minimum spend at a venue is how much you and your guests must spend on food and drink. Usually, this means there is no upfront fee to book the venue. However, if the minimum spend is not met, you will have to pay the difference.
For example, if the minimum spend is £1000 and you have 50 guests, they will each need to spend £20 to hit the target. Simple, right? Well, it can get a bit more complicated, but we’ll cover all the bases.
Many venues offer a minimum spend for a whole host of events, including private dining, parties, weddings, Christmas parties and even conferences.
Some venues require customers to preorder food and drink to ensure the minimum spend is met. This usually comes in the form of packages or bundles, such as “one pizza, one dessert and two drinks per person”. In this case, you can rest easy, knowing that you have met the minimum spend before the event even happens.
When pre-ordering is not an option, however, things get a little trickier. In this case, you have to estimate how much people will eat and drink, then predict whether you will meet the minimum spend. This is very important as if you don’t meet the spend, you will have to pay the difference. Some venues even add an extra charge, so make sure you read all the terms.
Planning an event can be stressful, and a minimum spend is yet another thing that needs to be taken into consideration. Every venue has its own rules, packages and prices, so comparing them can be tricky.
But don’t worry! This guide has everything you could possibly want to know - and then some.
How does a minimum spend work?
Exactly how venues decide their minimum spend is up to them. It typically depends on the price point of the venue and the size. The bigger or fancier the venue, the higher the minimum spend.
Pre-order
Some venues require you to pre-order all food and drink before the event. This means you have to pay upfront, so is best suited to office parties where the company foots the bill or dining events with set menus. For standing events, pre-ordering canapes is standard practice.
No Pre-order
If the venue doesn’t offer pre-ordering, or you aren’t paying for the event yourself, then everything happens on the night. In this case, the venue tracks how much your guests spend at the bar. This is better suited to large corporate events, where guests pay for their own drinks.
A bit of both
The third option is to have a combination, where some of the minimum spend is made up of pre-order, and the rest by the guests. This works well for events such as weddings, where you might pre-order enough bubbly for two glasses each, then the guests buy their own after that. Alternatively, you may be asked to pre-order canapes, but buy drinks on the night.
Things to consider with a minimum spend
Essentially, your estimated spend is the number of guests, multiplied by how much you think each guest will spend. However, there are a few more factors worth considering to make your estimate as accurate as possible.
Number of guests
It’s likely you’ll have to book the venue before knowing exactly how many guests you will have. Smaller events might see 100% attendance but as the guest list gets longer, this becomes less and less likely.
One rule of thumb for weddings is that about 85% of the invite list will come (as long as it is fairly local to them). For corporate events, this drops to about 65%. These numbers are only averages and should only be used as a rough guide - you'll know your audience best and be able to make the most accurate prediction.
How much will they eat/drink?
Estimating how much each guest will eat and drink is the most important step. If the estimate is too high, you might not meet the minimum spend. Take into account people who don’t drink too, as this may have an effect as well.
How long will the event last?
The longer an event, the more guests will drink. So don’t forget to consider length when estimating your spend. However, some guests may leave early or arrive late, so bear that in mind too.
Prices
Finally, consider how much the food and drink costs. Packages are a great way to save money, but spending is the aim so you don’t want to save too much!
How to estimate a minimum spend using a formula
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The way to work out your estimated spend is as follows. Take your estimated (or confirmed if possible) number of guests, and multiply it by how much each guest will eat and drink per hour, the length of the event in hours and how much each drink or dish costs.
So if you have 100 guests, who will likely have two drinks an hour, and the event is three hours and each drink is £7, the estimated spend will be 100 (guests) x 6 (drinks) x 7 (£) =£4,200.
But what if that doesn't match the venue's minimum spend?
In this case, you'll have to work backwards. For example, let's say the minimum spend is £5000, you have still have 100 guests and the prices are the same. Currently, you're £800 short of your minimum spend. The best approach is to preorder some bottles or canapes to bump up the number.
All you would need to do in this situation is ask the venue the best way to spend £800 more, which could be £8 of canapes per person or an extra 40 bottles of wine at £20 each.
Discover London venues with a minimum spend
Boring but important maths aside, let’s get to the fun part - choosing a venue. Courtesy of our in-house experts, here is the cream of the crop: our very best minimum spend venues. Each one has its own unique style, so there's bound to be one that suits your event.
Aqua Shard
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The private dining room at Aqua Shard boasts arguably one of the best views in the UK. Seating up to thirty, the room is perfectly suited for intimate breakfasts, lunches or dinners, with plenty of space to take in the skyline.
Book now: Aqua Shard
Minimum spend: £2,000 + 12.5% service for dinner in The Glass Dining Room
Rail House Café
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If you’re looking for a quirky spot for your event, Rail House Café could be perfect for you. The Cabin, Puffing Devil and Snug have capacities of 16, 40 and 24 respectively, each with pared-back wood interiors. Tucked away in Victoria, this cosy venue is extremely well connected.
Book now: Rail House Café
Minimum spend: £5,000 + 12.5% for exclusive hire from 6 to 11 pm
10-11 Carlton House Terrace
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10-11 Carlton House Terrace is equipped to host a huge range of events, from conferences and meetings to parties and dinners. This St James venue lies in the heart of London, a short distance from both Westminster and the West End, making it easily accessible from almost anywhere in London.
Book now: 10-11 Carlton House Terrace
Minimum spend: £2,000 for dinner
Park Chinois
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For a lavish event in Mayfair, Park Chinois boasts truly jaw-dropping interiors, private dining, a basement level club and a heavenly menu. You and your guests will be transported to Gatsby-era Shanghai for an unforgettable night of revelry.
Book now: Park Chinois
Minimum spend: £1,250 for off-peak seating at either 6 to 9:30 pm or 9:30 pm to 2 am, or £2,500 for on-peak seating across both sessions
What next?
Ok, that was a lot of info.
But now, you are a minimum spend expert. If you haven’t chosen a venue yet, check out our guide to the coolest venues in London. And, if this all seems like a hassle, our free concierge service will help you find the perfect venue for your unique event.