Christmas Day is fast approaching with many people keen to indulge in the traditional lunch at the pub – but there’s a deadline you need to be mindful of if you want to secure a booking
A pub manager has weighed in on the latest date you can book your Christmas dinner ahead of the big day.
The festive period is fast approaching, and the traditional dinner of turkey – or nut roast – with stuffing, potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce and vegetables, is a staple for many come December 25. For some, though, the thought of perfecting the ideal meal with all the trimmings is simply too much to bear, so they opt to eat at an establishment instead.
Many restaurants and pubs are firm favourites for families at Christmas, and securing a seat at the table can be an arduous task. Payment experts and POS Lite provider SumUp have spoken exclusively to pub manager Luke Slater to expertly predict the last day you can book your Christmas dinner this year to avoid disappointment.
According to the pub manager, the final date to take Christmas Day bookings is Wednesday, December 11. Luke Slater explained: “The reason behind this decision is so that all deposits and pre-orders ready for Christmas Day lunch are acquired to the kitchen in time. This will vary for different businesses, but the general idea is the earlier we can get things booked the better.”
He said there can be a little wiggle room with this deadline if there were an exceptionally high number of inquiries and space permitted. In that instance, December 18 wouldn’t be entirely out of the question as a last minute booking date but spaces do fill up fast. In his own pub, there’s currently only space left for 12 people on Christmas Day.
Most restaurants do set deadlines for Christmas bookings, so it’s worth checking with your desired venue to be on the safe side. Slater continued: “A factor behind this date for bookings is to ensure there is no service pressure between both kitchen and front-of-house teams.
“There is nothing worse if you get a complaint on Christmas Day regarding service being slow due to overbooking the space, something which we’re very conscious of as we want to ensure that everyone has the best experience on the day. So to help with this, knowing the numbers, knowing the food orders, and having a good structure in place is key for a smooth operation on Christmas Day.”
On when you should book your own Christmas Day lunch, he said: “We started advertising for Christmas Day lunch at the end of August. This is to benefit the customer and give them ample amount of time to be able to book Christmas Lunch.
“Really, the best tip that I can give to you all is timing. As soon as restaurants start to launch their Christmas Day Lunch I would advise making that call straight away to avoid disappointment.”
The pub manager also advised shopping around to find the best deal so “you and your family can enjoy your Christmas Day lunch together in an amazing atmosphere”. Luke Slater added: “Most people will know the restaurant before they book I assume, but if it’s a new location, just make sure they cater to your needs e.g. are they more family orientated or fine dining.”
On X, formerly known as Twitter, many people shared their pub bookings are already locked in. One person simply said: “That’s Christmas dinner booked at the pub.”
Someone else observed: “The theme of having Christmas dinner at a pub or restaurant is becoming a lot more popular.”
A third lamented: “Went to local pub for Christmas Dinner no joy fully booked,” while another added: “Booked in at the local pub for Christmas dinner. Already have the menu.”
