01 / STRAIGHT
Keep it compact.
One straight section, without back-bar shelving.
What Is Included in Mobile Bar Hire?
Last reviewed 30 April 2026
Use this guide when: you are close to booking, but want the practical answer clear first.
Mobile bar hire supplies the physical bar. Staff, glassware and drinks ingredients depend on your written quote; hiring the bar does not automatically include a full cocktail package.
The wrong option gives itself away when the bar looks temporary, too short, under-staffed or separate from the room around it.
THE MOBILE BAR COLLECTION
Your space. Your style.
01 / 03Single straight unit
THE SAME FINISH, SIDE BY SIDE
Three ways to make it yours.
White Chesterfield
02 / HORSESHOE
A defined place to gather.
The front and side returns frame the working area, with access at the back.
03 / ISLAND
A centrepiece in its own right.
A wraparound counter arranged around the central shelving and working area.
Configurations shown for comparison, not to scale. Equipment and back-bar shelving depend on the arrangement booked.
What matters first
The part that usually makes the decision clearer
You should not have to find out on the day that the bar has arrived but nobody has bought the ice. Separate the physical bar from the people and supplies needed to run it before you confirm the booking.
Cocktailhire mobile bar hire starts with the selected bar units. Your quote then confirms the bar team, service hours, working equipment, glassware and any additional supply. If you want Cocktailhire to bring the cocktail ingredients and ice as well, ask for the all-in-one package rather than assuming those supplies come with the bar.
Separate the bar, team and supplies
The bar line should identify its style, number of units and setup arrangements. The staffing line should identify the team and live service hours. Confirm working equipment and travel, then state who supplies the ingredients, ice and glassware. A bar-only figure is not the price of all those parts combined.
A practical example for 100 guests
Our starting planning ratios give one 1.5 metre bar unit and two bartenders for 100 guests. Those are separate requirements, not a promise that two bartenders are included in the unit price. If your caterer is supplying stock and glassware, record the quantities, delivery position and who will have them ready. If you want us to supply the cocktail ingredients too, use the package route.
Who brings the ingredients and ice?
For a non-package booking, the host or an agreed supplier provides the ingredients and ice unless the quote explicitly says otherwise. The booking shopping list helps you organise those quantities. For an all-in-one package, Cocktailhire brings the package ingredients; its optional ingredient itinerary explains what we are bringing and is not a shopping task for you.
Put glassware and access in writing
Confirm which glass types and quantities are included, whether used-glass collection is covered and who handles the end-of-night return. Bar-service glassware is not automatically every water, dinner and toast glass in the space. Send the date, address, full guest count and service hours, plus access photographs where stairs, lifts or a narrow route could affect installation.
Five-star client feedback
What clients say once the night is over
After the event, clients usually remember the same things: whether the service held, whether the service felt composed and whether they ever had to step into the bar service themselves.
James - London
Private client
★★★★★
The mobile bar hire made the bar service feel properly handled. Guests were looked after and we never had to step in.
Charlotte - Surrey
Private reception
★★★★★
We wanted proper drinks without the evening becoming hard work. The booking was clear and the service felt calm from the start.
Daniel - Manchester
Work event
★★★★★
The team understood what we were trying to do straight away. It made the bar service much easier to trust.
Related guides
Keep checking the right booking page
How Much Space Does a Mobile Bar Need?
Cocktailhire starts at 1.5 metres of bar frontage per 100 guests, rounded up to whole units. That is not the full footprint: allow working room behind the bar, guest space in front and a usable delivery route.
Mobile Bar Hire Service Standard Guide
What strong mobile bar hire looks like once guests are in front of it, and what makes weaker service feel ordinary fast.
Mobile Bar Hire Staffing and Service Planning Guide
How to judge service levels, hours and pressure before the booking is confirmed.
Mobile Bar Hire Guest Count and Queue Control Guide
How guest numbers, arrival compression and ordering patterns change the booking decision before the party is underway.
Mobile Bar Hire Access, Logistics and Prep Guide
The practical prep, access and working-condition questions that protect the booking before the event date arrives.
How Much Does Mobile Bar Hire Cost?
A clear guide to mobile bar hire cost, what the bar unit covers, what staffing adds and why a cheaper-looking bar can become weaker once guests arrive.
Questions people usually ask next
Does mobile bar hire automatically include bartenders?
No. The quote must identify the bar team and service hours separately from the physical bar units. A bar-unit price alone is not a staffed-service price.
Are cocktail ingredients and ice included?
Not automatically with mobile bar hire. The host or an agreed supplier provides them unless the quote includes that supply. An all-in-one package includes the package ingredients and ice supplied by Cocktailhire.
Is every glass at the event included?
No. Confirm the booked bar-service glassware by type and quantity. Separate dinner, water and toast glasses need their own agreement; do not assume they are covered by the bar hire.
What should I send for a mobile bar quote?
Send the event date, address, full guest count and service hours. Say whether you need the bar alone, a bar and team, or a package with ingredients, and tell us what the venue or caterer is already supplying.
Ready to move on mobile bar hire?
Starting figure from £325
If the blocker is clear now, move back into the main hire page and settle the date, hours and written booking detail properly.
Planning Mobile Bar Hire in London?
The London collection brings the service, local event areas, access questions, guest-flow decisions and quote details into one place. Use it when the event address is in Greater London rather than relying on national guidance alone.