Dry hire gives you the full bar setup — unit, bartenders, glassware, and ice — without the drinks markup. You supply the alcohol and we serve it properly. The Sesh Bars dry hire service starts from £350 and suits events where a venue or caterer is supplying stock, or where you want full control over what's being poured.
Dry hire from The Sesh Bars includes the portable bar unit, a licensed bartender, quality glassware, ice, bar tools, and full setup and strike. Our team arrives 45 minutes before your event, builds and dresses the bar, and has everything in place for the first guest. All bar waste and equipment leaves with us.
Public liability insurance and the bartender's personal alcohol licence are included on every dry hire booking. We provide a recommended drinks quantity guide when you book — based on your guest count, duration, and event type — so you can shop accordingly. Our bartenders work with any supplied stock and advise you if quantities are running low during the event.
Dry hire suits events where you have an existing drinks supply — a venue or caterer bringing alcohol, a client supplying stock, or a host who prefers to shop themselves. All-inclusive suits events where simplicity is the priority: one price, one point of contact, no shopping list. Both options use the same bar units and the same licensed bartenders.
| Feature | Dry Hire | All-Inclusive |
|---|---|---|
| Bar unit + staff | ✓ | ✓ |
| Glassware + ice | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drinks supplied | You supply | We supply |
| Starting price | £350 | £750 |
| Drinks control | Full | Menu-based |
| Quantity risk | Yours | Ours |
Dry hire is the right choice when your venue is already supplying alcohol or your catering contract includes a drinks package. It is also well-suited to events where the host has access to trade pricing — a family in the drinks trade, a company with existing supplier relationships, or an event where a specific premium brand is being showcased and the organiser wants to control exactly what goes behind the bar.
Corporate events with sponsorship arrangements — where a drinks brand is providing stock as part of a commercial deal — nearly always use dry hire. Our bartenders are brand-trained for major spirit labels on request. For events where simplicity matters more than drinks control, see our all-inclusive packages for a single-price option.
You have existing stock or a drinks deal
You shop cheaper than our wholesale
A specific spirit is being featured
A drinks brand is supplying the stock
Dry hire starts from £350 for a four-hour event with one bartender. This covers the bar unit, glassware, ice, setup, and strike. A second bartender adds £180 per four-hour shift. Events running beyond four hours carry an hourly extension rate — confirm your expected end time when enquiring.
Travel is included for all London events inside the M25. Sites outside the M25 carry a mileage supplement. For a full breakdown of every package option — dry hire, cash bar, all-inclusive, and bespoke — see our packages and pricing page.
4hrs, 1 bartender, glassware, ice
Per additional bartender, 4hr shift
Beyond 4hrs — confirm on enquiry
All prices exclude VAT. Drinks cost is separate — we provide a quantity guide when you book.
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