Years ago, I served a beautiful £60 Condrieu at a corporate event. I expected the guests to be impressed. But instead they were just a bit put off.
“We would never spend that much on a bottle at home. Why are you serving it to us?”
That experience has stayed with me because it showed how differently guests can interpret a generous event budget.
Price doesn’t always read as value
A more expensive bottle can be extraordinary, but its value isn’t always obvious to the person drinking it. Sometimes the price makes the occasion feel special. Sometimes it makes people uncomfortable.
Where I suggest the money goes
If a client has a large budget now, I usually suggest putting some of it into something tangible the guests can experience in the room:
- A sushi chef cutting fresh tuna.
- Oysters being shucked in front of the guests.
- A seafood station piled with lobster, prawns and caviar.
- Even a proper British carvery with three meats being carved to order.
That kind of theatre attracts people, starts conversations and becomes part of the memory of the evening.
The right question to ask
I’ll always argue for excellent wine, but the most expensive bottle available isn’t automatically the best use of the budget. The right question is how you want the event to feel… and where your particular guests will notice the difference.
