'I've got a pub in my back garden - every visitor must follow two vital rules'

Three back-yard boozers are going head-to-head to be named Britain's Pub Shed of the Year. The DIY man-caves have all been built by proud 'sheddies' across the UK so they can enjoy a tipple at home.

They include a traditional local-style pub with its own brew room and an Irish-themed bar. The third pint-sized watering hole comes complete with a hot tub inside. This year's finalists were whittled down from more than one thousand entries. Glen Gandy, from Willenhall, in the West Midlands, is in the running with his bar ‘Cognitos’, which he built with the help of friends.

It boasts a DJ booth with decks, a Space Invaders arcade machine, juke box, its own beer garden and a hot tub. ‘The Cattle Shed’, in Brownhills, also in the West Midlands, was built by Kev Cattell who wanted a “proper homely pub feel”.

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It features a pool table, big-screen TV, sofa seating and bar stools, a log burner and a separate room for brewing beer. The third finalist, Chris Brennan, built the ‘BrennInn’ in Burnley, Lancs, in June 2023 with the help of his wife.

They wanted somewhere to relax after their social life "took a hit" following the birth of their daughter. The wood-panelled interior is decorated with neon bar signs and has a dartboard, pool table and outdoor seating area. The winner will be announced next month.

Wolves fan Glen started planning his bar during the Covid lockdown but construction only began in June 2023. He said: “I wanted to create a warm and welcoming space for family and friends to come and enjoy and make great memories.

We finished in April and we've had some amazing nights so far and got a few more lined up over the next couple of months.

“The bar has two rules: 1. You don’t need an invite and 2. Nobody gets out sober." Kev decided to covert his garage/workshop after buying his teenage kids a pool table and found there was nowhere to put it.

He said: “I knew I wanted a ‘proper pub’ feel, homely and cosy like they were when I was a kid. My wife and I relax in here way more than we do in the house.”

Chris got the idea of having his own bar after seeing a surge in homemade pub sheds during the Covid pandemic. He added: “Me and my wife Abby don’t really go out much.

"Having a five-year-old child, your social life in the local boozer and town takes a massive hit.

"So we bit the bullet and bought the shed and within a month it turned up and four days after that it was built.”