Blog Preston received an invitation to join the opening night of ARTCH Studios‘ aprés ski Christmas party event, and I was very pleased to say yes and join the festivities.
Having never visited ARTCH before, I was entirely reliant upon the GPS on my phone, but there were no issues finding the location in Gradwell Street and spotting the large marquee-style tent, with music and lights further confirming that this was indeed the right location.
Now, I do need to confess that I arrived a little bit sooner than fashionably late, which meant that I was the first person to arrive who wasn’t setting up the event. Pro tip: while the doors open at 5pm, the Welcome Drinks portion of the evening didn’t begin until 6pm, a detail which I had failed to spot on the event listing earlier.
Fortunately, this did give me a chance to have a bit of a nose around the space, and to have a lovely chat with the owner Mark Walsh, who is also a member of the night’s entertainment, The Pub Party Piste Up.
Mark was very accommodating, sharing details about the space, what he envisioned it being for Preston, and his passion for events in general. While Mark has had years’ worth of experience in hosting events for various clients, this is a new venture.
As such, he has pulled out all the stops to transform a small set of rooms beneath the old railway tracks into something truly breathtaking. And it wasn’t just because of the winter chill in the air. This space has been modified and adapted to have a large party tent, a Bavarian street food kitchen, a fully stocked bar, and a secret DJ/dance party space that is utilised later in the night.
Mark was gracious enough to show me around the various areas, and I was very pleased to sit in while his band ran soundchecks. All together, this was shaping up to be a very exciting evening.
As 6pm rolled around, guests began trickling into the venue, ordering drinks from the very reasonably priced pop-up bar.
However, not being a big drinker and knowing I had to get home to the kids at a sensible hour, I ordered myself a Coke and made a beeline for the food.
The Bavarian street food was certainly a highlight of the event for me, and while you can opt to pay for each food item individually, there is a ticket option that includes unlimited food from the vendor. The stall is operated by Bratmeister, a local trader who has been running for roughly the last seven months and is beginning to fill out their bookings into 2026, a testament to the quality of their products.
In the interest of thoroughly testing the menu, and ensuring that the unlimited offering lived up to the claim, I made my way through the menu, one item at a time, as is suggested on their menu for the unlimited guests.
I was thoroughly impressed at the quality of each product, especially the bratwurst and the curry ketchup that transported me back a decade to a trip to Berlin with my brother and sister, and the team were absolutely brilliant. Very warm, welcoming, and cheerful, which was again a perfect counterbalance for the cold, windy evening.
It’s also worth noting that the team at Bratmeister has gone to great lengths to ensure that they have quality options for all diets, with most items on the menu being gluten-free (aside from the ordinary buns, but they have gluten-free options).
After satisfying my appetite and with the tent now filling up, I made my way back inside and was delighted to see some pub games set up. Beer pong and Cornhole were both in the main tent, and I had a go competing against a few of the lads from The Pub Party Piste Up. After some incredible beginner’s luck, the lads got into the groove, and I was accordingly humbled.
All things considered, the event had a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere with laughter, music, and entertainment all covered. In addition, the props around the room certainly made for interesting talking points, and Mark confirmed that there will be new additions popping up in the weeks ahead.
From about 8pm, the The Pub Party Piste Up stepped on to the stage and began delivering spectacular vocal performances along with guitar and a backing track to fill out the band. The energy was high, and I was keen to see Mark and the band get into their groove.
Unfortunately, this was the point when I had to make my exit as I hadn’t anticipated being out so late, but again, that was an error on my end as the tickets did clearly state the event runs until midnight.
I believe Mark and the boys began performing between 8.45pm and 9pm, and having witnessed the group harmonising during their warm-up earlier in the evening, I am confident they put on a spectacular show. The photos from local photographer Garry Cook certainly support this theory!
As I stepped away, I was genuinely blown away by the atmosphere, fun, and coordination of the event, all packed into a tent and a few rooms beneath the tracks. It was well put together, and the team did a spectacular job of bringing a new concept to Preston that deserves some recognition.
Mark did let me know that some evenings are already starting to get booked out, but with the event running every Friday and Saturday from now until Christmas, there is still plenty of availability to secure your spot. Just remember to wrap up warm, or better yet, join in with the theme and grab your ski gear.
I can highly recommend the evening overall, and the price of admission is well worth it at £32 for entry, and a small price bump up to £49 for the unlimited food option. A massive thank you to Mark and all involved for the invite, and I’m looking forward to seeing the event grow in years to come.
For more information, visit the ARTCH website.
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