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Bar Hire for Funerals and Wakes Reading & Berkshire.

A bar at a wake should be there when people need it and invisible the rest of the time. We bring the bar, the glassware, and staff to your venue, set up before guests arrive, and serve quietly for as long as you need. No flair, no branding on show, no music from us. Call 0118 449 3066 and we will keep it simple.

Get a Free Quote ↗ Call 0118 449 3066
Table of champagne and soft drinks set out on white linen outside a stone church for a reception

Availability

Tell Us the Date.

Send the date and rough numbers and we will confirm whether we are free within 24 hours. Short notice is normal for us.

No obligation · Or call 0118 449 3066

01 - How We Work

What Changes on the Day.

The bar, the staff, and the drinks are the same ones we take to any event. What changes is how they arrive and how they behave. Bartenders wear plain black rather than branded uniform. There is no cocktail theatre, no shaking for show, no printed menu cards left on the tables, and no music from our side. We are there to pour drinks and clear glasses, not to be noticed.

Where the venue allows it, we set up in full before anyone arrives, so the first guests walk into a room that is already ready. We take direction from you or from the funeral director on when the bar opens, how long it runs, and when to close. Pack down is done quietly at the end, and we do not start clearing while people are still talking.

Plain Dress

Black shirts, no branding, no uniform on show

No Showmanship

Drinks made straight, served without theatre

Quiet Setup

In before guests arrive, out without fuss

Some families ask for a favourite drink of the person who has died to be served on the day, and we are glad to do that if you want it. Others want nothing said at all. Both are fine. Tell us which when you book and we will follow it exactly.

02 - What's Included

What Comes With the Bar.

Every booking includes the mobile bar unit, professional bartenders, quality glassware, ice, and full setup and strike. We agree setup time and access with you in advance and leave the room as we found it. Public liability insurance of £5 million is included at no extra cost, which is what most venues will ask you for in writing.

Soft drinks and non-alcoholic options are stocked as standard. We do not provide tea and coffee. That is usually handled by the venue or the caterer, and we will work around whatever they are doing.

  • Mobile bar unit
  • Professional bartenders
  • Quality glassware
  • Ice and garnishes
  • Soft and non-alcoholic drinks
  • Full setup and strike
  • £5m public liability insurance

If you would prefer staff without the bar unit, for example where the venue already has a counter, our bar staff hire service covers that instead.

03 - Venues & Licensing

Where We Can Set Up.

Village halls, golf and country clubs, hotel function rooms, pubs with a private room, community centres, crematorium reception rooms, and private homes. Village halls are the most common by some distance, and we know the practical problems well: no bar counter, one plug socket, and a kitchen hatch that everyone queues at. We bring everything, so the hall only has to provide the room.

Licensing is the part families rarely expect. Hotels, golf clubs, and pubs hold their own premises licence and nothing extra is needed. Village halls and private estates often do not, and a Temporary Event Notice is required wherever alcohol is sold. We confirm the position when we quote and handle the application with the relevant council. Our guide to mobile bar licensing explains it in full if you want the detail.

We are based in Reading and travel across the county, which covers Windsor, Maidenhead, Henley-on-Thames, Newbury, Wokingham, and Bracknell. Any travel charge is confirmed in your quote. Full details are on our Berkshire mobile bar hire page.

Licensed Venues

Hotels, golf clubs, pubs. Nothing extra needed

Unlicensed Venues

Village halls and homes. We handle the TEN

Thames Valley

Reading based, travel confirmed in your quote

04 - Cost

Who Pays, and What It Costs.

There is no separate funeral price list. Priced individually for your guest count. Our standard open-bar rates (£6.50 per adult per hour without alcoholic cocktails, £7.50 with, first four hours) apply from 100 adults. Which option suits depends mostly on who is paying for the drinks and whether cocktails are wanted. Every quote is fixed before the day, so there is no bill to settle afterwards while everything else is being sorted out.

Cash Bar

From £500

Guests buy their own. £1,500 min bar sales

Dry Hire

Quoted individually

You supply the drinks, we run the bar

Open Bar

Per adult per hour

£6.50 without alcoholic cocktails, £7.50 with

Many families take a middle route: a tab that covers the first drink and all soft drinks, with guests paying for anything beyond it. We set the tab at a fixed figure and close it cleanly when it is reached, without announcing it to the room. Full costs are on our packages and pricing page. Send us the date and the venue and we will come back with a figure.

Open-bar rates have no VAT added on top. Other formats are confirmed in your quote. Final quote depends on guest numbers, duration, and venue access. Short notice dates are worth asking about, weekday availability is usually good.

08 - FAQ

Funeral & Wake Bar Hire FAQ.

Do you provide bar hire for funerals and wakes? +
Yes. We run bars at funeral receptions and wakes across Reading and Berkshire. It is the same bar, the same staff, and the same drinks we provide at any other event, delivered quietly. Our bartenders dress down, there is no flair or showmanship, and setup and strike are kept as unobtrusive as possible. Call 0118 449 3066 and we will talk it through.
How is a wake bar different from your usual bar service? +
The service itself is unchanged. The delivery is not. Staff wear plain black rather than branded uniform, there is no cocktail theatre, no music from our side, and no printed menu cards on the tables. We set up before guests arrive where the venue allows, serve at a slower and quieter pace, and pack down without drawing attention. We take direction from the family or the funeral director on timings.
How much does bar hire for a wake cost? +
Priced individually for your guest count. Our standard open-bar rates (£6.50 per adult per hour without alcoholic cocktails, £7.50 with, first four hours) apply from 100 adults. Dry hire, where the family supplies the drinks, is quoted individually. A cash bar, where guests buy their own drinks, is £500 plus a £1,500 minimum bar sales, and the £500 fee includes VAT where applicable. See our packages and pricing page for the full breakdown.
Can you cover a wake at short notice? +
Often, yes. Funerals are arranged in days rather than months, and we hold weekday availability that party bookings rarely take. We cannot promise every date, particularly summer Saturdays, but short notice enquiries are normal for us and we will give you a straight answer on availability the same day. Call 0118 449 3066 or send a WhatsApp message with the date and venue.
What kind of venues can you set up in for a funeral reception? +
Village halls, golf and country clubs, hotel function rooms, pubs with a private room, community centres, crematorium reception rooms, and private homes. Village halls are among our most common venue type across Berkshire, including bookings at Aldermaston and Sulhamstead. We need a level space of roughly two metres, access to the room before guests arrive, and parking within reasonable carrying distance.
Do we need a licence to serve alcohol at a wake? +
It depends on the venue. Hotels, golf clubs, and pubs almost always hold their own premises licence, so nothing extra is needed. Village halls and private estates often do not, and a Temporary Event Notice is required where alcohol is sold. We confirm the licensing position when we quote and handle the Temporary Event Notice with the relevant council, including Reading, West Berkshire, Wokingham, Windsor and Maidenhead, and Bracknell Forest. Licensing requirements are checked for each event.
Can guests pay for their own drinks rather than the family covering the bill? +
Yes. A cash bar means guests buy their own drinks at the bar and the family pays the hire fee only, £500 plus a £1,500 minimum bar sales. Families often prefer a middle option: a tab covering the first drink and soft drinks for everyone, with guests paying for anything beyond that. We can set the tab to a fixed amount and close it cleanly when it is reached.
Do you serve tea, soft drinks, and non-alcoholic options? +
We serve soft drinks and non-alcoholic options as standard, and many guests at a wake will not be drinking alcohol, so we stock accordingly. We do not provide hot drinks. Tea and coffee are usually handled by the venue or the caterer, and we are happy to work alongside them so the two services do not clash.

Other Services

Areas We Cover

Get a Free Quote.

Share your event details and receive a mobile bar hire quote within 24 hours. No obligation.

Or reach us directly

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Enquiries Mon-Fri · 09:00-18:00 Enquiries Sat · 10:00-16:00