Christmas: what licensees are planning

Take your night off-piste at The Gun​

ETM Group's Gun in London's Docklands and Jägermeister will be taking customers off-piste into a heated and enclosed ski‐lodge by the riverside.

The lodge will feature cosy armchairs, fur rugs and Alpine mountain scenes, complete with a private bar. Traditional hot winter tipples, ice cold shots of

Jägermeister, Christmas cocktails and winter canapé and bowl food including hearty venison stews and game pies with creamy mashed potatoes.

Month of fundays​

From a ‘sleight of hand’ magic night through a prize-winning advent tickets – offering the chance of a treat every day in December – a Christmas market, Christmas carols and a festive party night, the Windmill in Linton, Wetherby, North Yorkshire, combines a full diary of activities with its wide selection of beer and hot and cold sandwiches, wraps, light bites and hearty food to encourage customers to stay longer in the run-up to the big day, including booking recently added B&B accommodation in a converted rural barn.

Tartan theme​

Charity calendars featuring fun ways to dress in tartan go down well at Cheers café-bar in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire. Owner Dennis Forsyth says: "We usually sell 250 to 300 calendars at £10 each to our locals in the festive season and are always happy to receive cash donations from those who don't want one. We've raised several thousand pounds from our first three annual calendars and expect this one to be successful too. "The funds are donated to a local charity, The Archie Foundation, which supports more than 130,000 sick children from the north of Scotland every year."

Sky’s the limit​

A heated rooftop wigwam, known as WigWamBam at the Queen of Hoxton in east London, attracts a winter crowd whatever the weather with home-cooked food fresh from the schwenkgrill and hot toddies and mulled cider to wash it down. Guests are encouraged to toast marshallows over the bar’s open fire-pits and admire the view, before continuing to party downstairs until the early hours. Use of the bar’s three-storey space is optimised with private hire available for larger groups from Sunday to Thursday. For gatherings of 10-60, the ground floor is a multi-faceted Christmas party area, with dedicated space for eating, drinking, dancing and playing on the Queen’s arcade machines or ping-pong table. This festive season sees a tailor-made photo-booth, added to the repertoire, with opportunities for customers to take festive snaps for social-media uploading in real time.

Let it snow​

From Friday 5 to Sunday 7 December, embracing the St James’s Street outdoor Christmas market in Brighton on Saturday 6 December, the Laine Pub Co’s Sidewinder celebrates Winter Wonderland – the pub’s first ale festival, and a chance to showcase its wide range of drinks and food, with music on offer from acclaimed performers on both evenings. Blues musician John Crampton performs on Friday, followed by ‘skifflebilly’ trio Bad Bad Whiskey on Saturday. While a far-from-frosty atmosphere is promised, a snow machine will encourage seasonal merriment, with roasted chestnuts and marshmallows adding to the fun. Mulled drinks are on offer all weekend, including outdoor sales from the Sidewinder’s outdoor Saturday stall, when the team also make the most of the traffic-free Christmas market opportunity by selling hot bratwurst rolls.

Glitzy glamour​

Local ladies will suggest menu ideas in advance for their festive sharing platters at their Glitz & Glam night on Thursday 18 December at the Fleece Inn, in Barkisland, West Yorkshire. With Prosecco on arrival and a bottle of Champagne for the best-dressed guests, the gathering will be entertained by acoustic music from James Smith.

Yule meet again​

Individual Inns, winner of Best Accommodation Operator category at this year’s Publican Awards, operates six inns – of which five offer accommodation – across Cumbria, Lancashire, and North and West Yorkshire.

Festive events, including switching-on of Christmas lights in several pubs, are promoted via the company’s Christmas brochures, e-newsletter, Facebook and website pages, including: Sunday 14 December:The Masons Arms, Cartmel Fell, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria - a family-friendly Christmas market featuring gifts and produce from local craftspeople will also welcome a guest appearance from Queen Elsa, a popular character from the computer-animated fantasy film Frozen​. Mulled cider, wine and mince pies on the new covered terrace will complement the pub’s seasonal menu, prompting guests to drop in or stay for a full meal. On Sunday 21 December  at the Tempest Arms, Elslack, Skipton, North Yorkshire a Christmas Tree Ball with live music by Earby Brass Band is on offer, each table of guests will be encouraged to sing for their supper. At The Spread Eagle Inn, Sawley, near Clitheroe, Lancashire, Clitheroe Town Band will provide musical entertainment to accompany the annual Christmas jumper competition, likely to attract around 100 customers.

Fizz, feast and fireworks​

On Hogmanay at the Rat Inn, in Anick, Northumberland, owners Karen Errington and Phil Mason will welcome locals and new faces alike to join them in saying farewell to 2014 in style with a glass of fizz and five-course feast, followed by fireworks at midnight.