Here at Neptune Mobile Bar Co., we get asked lots of questions about the mobile bar hire service that we provide. From time to time, the same questions come up from different people, so we thought it would be a good idea to collate all of those questions in one place.
If you are looking to hire a mobile bar for a party or wedding in Kent, Surrey, London or Sussex and you have questions about what we can provide and how we do business, read on! All will be revealed.
How much of a deposit do you charge?
We do not charge a deposit, only a non-refundable booking fee which starts from £50 for the average wedding.
Are children allowed to buy drinks from you?
In the same way that under 18s cannot buy alcohol in a pub, they are not allowed to purchase alcohol from us either. We are subject to the same licensing conditions as any static establishment. Children can buy soft drinks, however, our staff will challenge anyone for ID if we think they are underage and trying to buy alcohol.
I heard you also do a children’s’ bar?
Indeed, we do; the kids’ bar is lower, for easy access for younger customers and children up to the age of 15 will be given selected complimentary low-sugar soft drinks.
Is there a minimum bar spend?
Absolutely not. Neptune Bar Hire Co. is a responsible alcohol seller; we believe that having a minimum bar spend gives the wrong message and encourages people to drink to excess.
I live outside of the areas that you mention above; can I still book a bar?
Most of our business comes from the Kent, London, Surrey and Sussex areas. We will consider providing bars further afield - it very much depends on the location, the type of bar you require and the number of guests.
Can I provide any of my own alcohol for my event?
Generally speaking, we politely request that you do not provide your own alcohol, however there are exceptions to this - please speak to Mat if you have a query. We have some very good contacts and we can source all types of drinks to the quantities that you require (within reason - there may be some restrictions on minimum orders of obscure or ‘favourite’ drinks, depending on supply availability). We also provide competitively priced tea and coffee.
Do you have a minimum guest limit?
We do not stipulate a minimum number of guests, as it is your party. However, each booking request is assessed on its own merits; at the end of the day, much as we are focused on you, the customer, we are still a business!
The venue for our party does not have a licence to sell alcohol, what do we do?
Our Director, Mat, has a personal licence to sell alcohol. When you book with us, he will take care of the application for a Temporary Events Notice (TENS) licence, so that you don’t have to worry about it.
Do you do specialist bars?
Yes, we do. We can provide a champagne bar, a gin bar, corporate bar, craft ales … whatever you need, we have it covered, just ask Mat!
Do people have to use cash at the bars?
You decide how you want people to pay for their drinks. There are many options open to you, including a free bar (where you pay for all the drinks), a token bar (you pay for tokens in advance and give them to customers to redeem for drinks), a cash bar (yes, we do take card payments) … the possibilities are endless!
Can you advise us about quantities for drinks for a wedding breakfast?
Yes, we can. Mat has a wealth of experience in providing bars for weddings, as well as past public house experience. He can guide you in planning for quantity of drinks vs guest numbers.
How many bars do you have and are they all the same?
We have a number of different bars, including a neon backlit bar, a rustic bar, a children’s bar … we can run through the options with you at the time of booking. We also have a very responsible, capable team of people in the Neptune Bar Hire Co., family; if we already have a booking in the diary for a certain date, that doesn’t necessarily mean that we won’t be able to work with you, as we have multiple bars for hire and people to staff them.
Why do you need to meet us beforehand? Can we just pay the booking fee?
Mat likes to get to know his customers, in order to provide a truly personalised and bespoke mobile bar service. That’s why he will always ask to meet in person before you book a bar, so that he can make sure that he knows what you really want for your special occasion.
Are there any occasions on which you WON’T provide a bar?
Every event is assessed individually. There may be the odd occasion where we feel that perhaps a mobile bar is not the right option for your event, or even more rarely, the local constabulary will object to an event when the TENS application is made (all TENS applications are passed through the relevant local authority and the local police force will always receive a copy of the application). It’s very rare for us to decide not to proceed with a bar and even if we did, we would inform you straight away, so that you can make alternative arrangements.
What are your prices?
All of our prices are listed on our website, however Mat is always happy to discuss bespoke package requirements.
How much experience do you have with providing mobile bars?
Mat has been in hospitality for over 25 years; he started out in the pub and restaurant business and has been running the Neptune Bar Hire Co. since 2017. He has held a licence for many years and is very familiar with licensing laws and legislation. A man of high integrity and principles, he has a good relationship with the Kent local authority licensing teams and does everything by the book. What he doesn’t know about the bar trade probably isn’t worth knowing!
We do hope that this will answer your questions, however, if there is anything else that you would like to know, or are not sure of, then please do drop Mat an email – info@neptunebars.co.uk