HOW TO HIRE · EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

How to hire a cocktail bartender in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Cocktail bartenders need no register, but alcohol licensing applies. Here is what to check, ask and agree.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a cocktail bartender in five steps

  1. Ask who holds the licenceIf drinks are sold, someone needs the right licence or notice.
  2. Agree the cocktail menuA short list the cocktail bartender can make quickly.
  3. Decide who buys the stockSpirits, mixers, ice and garnishes — bartender or you.
  4. Match staff to guestsA second bartender for a big crowd.
  5. Fix hours and breaksAnd the cost of staying later.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Working as a cocktail bartender needs no licence, registration or qualification in any part of the UK. The law governs selling the alcohol, not the person shaking it.

Check two recent reviews or references for the cocktail bartender, then ask for the contract.

Alcohol licence for the cocktail bartender

In England and Wales, selling alcohol at a place with no premises licence is a licensable activity under the Licensing Act 2003 and needs a Temporary Event Notice: fewer than 500 people at all times, staff included, for up to 168 hours, served on the council at least 10 clear working days ahead (5 for a late notice), with a £21 fee, by an individual aged 18 or over. In Scotland, alcohol at an event outside licensed premises needs an occasional licence from the local Licensing Board, for no more than 14 days. In Northern Ireland, liquor licences come through the County Court.

Ask who holds the licence for the cocktail bartender's bar — the venue, the bar firm or you — and see the notice or licence before the day. gov.uk →

Public liability insurance for the cocktail bartender

Insurance is not a legal requirement here; it is the venue that usually decides how much public liability cover a supplier must carry. Venues often ask a cocktail bartender for cover before working behind their bar.

Check the cocktail bartender's certificate covers the event date and at least the venue's figure.

Trader status and cancellation terms

Booking a cocktail bartender who does this for a living means dealing with a trader, so the Consumer Rights Act 2015 makes reasonable care and skill part of the deal. Do not count on a 14-day cooling-off period: regulation 28 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 excludes catering and leisure services booked for a set date from the cancellation right, so the cocktail bartender's own written terms usually decide what happens to your deposit.

Ask the cocktail bartender for the booking terms in writing and check the refund rules for cancelling and postponing. legislation.gov.uk →

VAT

Mixing and serving drinks at your event is standard-rated at 20%, on the bartenders' time and on any stock they supply. Cocktail bartenders whose taxable turnover passes £90,000 must register, charge VAT and show it as its own line on the quote and invoice.

Ask the bartending service for its VAT number and for VAT shown under the hours and the stock separately. gov.uk →

“Will drinks be sold, and who holds the licence?”

A good answer: A cocktail bartender who asks the question first and knows the rules for your nation.

“Can we see the cocktail menu and quantities?”

A good answer: A short menu with quantities per guest.

“Who buys the spirits, mixers, ice and garnishes?”

A good answer: A clear split, priced on the cocktail bartender's quote.

“How many cocktails can you make an hour?”

A good answer: A realistic figure, and a second bartender if needed.

“Will you refuse drunk or underage guests?”

A good answer: Yes, without fuss.

“Are you insured?”

A good answer: Public liability cover named by the cocktail bartender.

“What does staying later cost?”

A good answer: An hourly rate in writing.

Getting the quote right

  • Hours, number of cocktail bartenders and breaks
  • Menu and who supplies the stock
  • Bar kit, glassware and ice
  • The alcohol licence or notice and who arranges it
  • Travel, deposit and cancellation terms
  • The bartending service's VAT number, and VAT under staff hours and stock
  • Who actually attends behind the bar, and whether the bartenders are employed or subcontracted

Walk away if

  • No idea who holds the licence when drinks are sold
  • No stock plan
  • No insurance certificate
  • No overtime rate
LOW
£200
TYPICAL
£300
HIGH
£500

What a cocktail bartender costs: £200–£500 per event

Cocktail bartenders quote per event by hours worked, with stock, a bar unit, glassware and flair or masterclass extras priced separately. Cocktail Bartender price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Cocktail bartenders near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. PrepThe cocktail bartender sets up the bar, ice and garnishes before guests arrive.
  2. Licence checkThe notice or licence confirmed if drinks are sold.
  3. ServiceCocktails from the agreed menu, ages checked.
  4. Last ordersAt the agreed time.
  5. Clear downBar tidied, glassware gathered.

Temporary Event Notice (TEN)
The notice for licensable activity at an unlicensed place in England and Wales.
Occasional licence
Scotland's licence for alcohol at an event outside licensed premises.
Personal licence
A licence held by an individual to authorise alcohol sales.
Flair
Bottle-juggling showmanship, priced extra.
Garnish
Fruit, herbs or peel that finishes a cocktail.
Masterclass
A session teaching guests to make cocktails.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the bookingHours and menu agreed with the cocktail bartender.
Check stockLeftover stock handled as agreed.
Note the hoursAgainst what you paid for.
Leave the reviewA few lines on the cocktail bartender help others choose, and only booked customers can leave them. If something went wrong, the make-it-right step comes first: the cocktail bartender is asked to put it right before the review goes live.

STEP 1Put it to the cocktail bartender in writingSend the cocktail bartender a short written account — a short shift, slow service, missing stock — with the remedy you want. Reasonable care and skill is an implied term of the booking under section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015; a service that cannot be done again can be compensated by a price reduction.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyRate the cocktail bartender below four stars and you are asked whether to send the problem to them first; we follow it through, then your review is published.
STEP 3Getting Trading Standards involvedCocktail bartenders answer to no trade regulator. If the trader will not engage, Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133) covers England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) covers Scotland, and Consumerline (0300 123 6262) covers Northern Ireland; each can pass a complaint about cocktail bartenders to Trading Standards.
STEP 4Money the cocktail bartender will not returnIf the cocktail bartender still will not pay, you can claim yourself: up to £10,000 on the small claims track in England and Wales, up to £5,000 under simple procedure in the sheriff court in Scotland, and up to £5,000 in the small claims court in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a cocktail bartender: questions people ask

The bartender does not need one personally, but selling alcohol does: a Temporary Event Notice in England and Wales, an occasional licence in Scotland, a County Court licence in Northern Ireland, unless the venue's own licence covers it.

An individual aged 18 or over — the bartender, the organiser or you — served on the council at least 10 clear working days before.

£200 to £500 per event, typically around £300. The cocktail bartender price guide breaks the range down, and the search above lists cocktail bartenders in your area.

Many will; agree it and the quantities in advance.

Ask for a per-hour figure and add a second for a large crowd.

It entertains but slows service; book it as a short show.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in events & entertainment

How to hire: Mobile Bar HireHow to hire: Canapé CateringHow to hire: CatererHow to hire: Event Staff & HostessesHow to hire: Event PlannerHow to hire: Corporate Event PlannerHow to hire: Party PlannerHow to hire: Wedding CatererAll 701 hiring guides →

Cocktail bartenders near you

Cocktail bartenders in LondonCocktail bartenders in ManchesterCocktail bartenders in BirminghamCocktail bartenders in GlasgowCocktail bartenders in BelfastAll cocktail bartenders on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — Temporary Events Notice
  2. gov.scot — Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 guidance: occasional licences
  3. nidirect — selling alcohol in licensed premises
  4. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  6. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  7. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
  8. nidirect — small claims process
  9. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  10. VAT rates on different goods and services — Food and drink: catering, alcoholic drinks, confectionery, hot food and ice cream are always standard-rated
  11. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  12. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register