Edinburghers are named the UK's best Christmas hosts

People from Edinburgh are officially the best at hosting Christmas at home, according to a new study.
Edinburgh is the best place in the UK to enjoy a Christmas dinner, according to a new study. Picture: ContributedEdinburgh is the best place in the UK to enjoy a Christmas dinner, according to a new study. Picture: Contributed
Edinburgh is the best place in the UK to enjoy a Christmas dinner, according to a new study. Picture: Contributed

Researchers surveyed the nation and revealed people from the Capital pull out all the stops for Christmas more than any other UK City, with Norwich coming second place - followed by Oxford. Glasgow also rides high in fourth place.

One in three Liverpudlians admit they don’t really like hosting Christmas parties at home and are the least likely to go all out on food and booze, in the hope that guests don’t stay for very long.

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Londoners add the most sparkle to a party and spend the most on fizz for their guests, splashing out an average of £96.40 per party on prosecco, whilst hosts in Brighton fall a little flat, spending just £69 at each of theirs.

But it is festive guests in Edinburgh who can expect to be given a proper treat at the Christmas dinner table, as we top the list as the UK’s ideal hosts.

According to the research by Amba Hotels, not running out of food or booze were the top tips for hosting a Christmas bash - with 58 percent of Brits boasting that they can throw a great ‘do’.

A quarter of Brits said the key to a successful party was introducing everyone at the start but a practical 45 percent said it was having enough chairs.

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A friendly one in ten said greeting everyone with a kiss was a sure-fire way to make everyone feel at ease and have a great time, the poll found.

But topping up everyone’s glasses and not letting them help themselves was the biggest tip for making a party go with a bang.

The poll of 1,500 adults revealed 17 percent admit they like out-doing others on their Christmas hosting efforts, with 16 percent saying it only happens once a year, so you may as well go “all out”.

Over a quarter said they always splash out on new glasses, tableware and decorations in a bid to wow their guests.

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Paul Walsh, from the Amba Hotel Group said: “Hosting is a true art form that requires serious planning, skills in diplomacy, multi-multi-tasking and even occasional conflict resolution, so taking on a big Christmas party really can be daunting for even the most seasoned pros.”

The study revealed that 21 percent of Brits are dreading much of the upcoming Christmas celebrations and the average amount of time people feel obliged to stay at a party is no longer than one hour and sixteen minutes.

The UK’s best Christmas hosts

1. Edinburgh

2. Norwich

3. Oxford

4. Glasgow

5. London

6. Bristol

7. Cardiff

8. Brighton

9. Leicester

Top hosting tips

Keep topping up drinks, never get people to help themselves

Plenty of booze

Never running out of food

Introducing everyone at the start

Constant mingling

Finding common ground between guests and making sure they chat

Plenty of seats

Kissing everyone on arrival

Keeping all the kids rounded up in one separate room

Never asking people to take their shoes off

Crank the heating up

Work as a tag team with your partner

Get out all the best crockery and glassware

A good variety of drinks

Music

Hired in help

Emergency gift stash for unexpected guests

Have a selection of board games to hand

Ban competitive games like monopoly or charades

Turn the TV off and encourage conversation

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To make this a Christmas to remember, Amba Hotels is running a competition to discover the nation’s top hosting tips with a fabulously free Christmas party for six being offered up as the grand prize, visit www.amba-hotel.com/christmas-competition to enter.

Support our Christmas campaign to make Edinburgh the Capital of Kindness - Sign up HERE

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