Pub Sheds: Complete Guide to Creating Your Own Garden Bar Shed

Ever dreamed of owning your own private bar or pub in your garden? Then look no further than this ultimate guide to creating your own garden bar! It's now easier than ever to make your own bar...

Garden bar sheds are becoming increasingly popular as the price of going out continues to skyrocket. Make your own bar in your garden, means you can create the perfect atmosphere that caters to your personal tastes - effortlessly combining the aesthetics of your favourite bar or local pub with the calming influence of your own garden.

In this comprehensive guide, Cabin Master will explain everything you need to create a pub in your garden, including furnishings, equipment, beer storage requirements, and more.

Types of Garden Pub Sheds

The first thing to consider is exactly the type of bar or garden pub you would like to create. You can start by thinking about your favourite drinking spots, and ask yourself the following questions: 

• Which bars or pubs do you gravitate towards in your local area?  

• What types of bars or pubs do you frequent when you are somewhere new?  

• Which types of drinks would you like to serve in your garden pub shed?  

• Will your pub shed be for your own use, or will you have friends and family over?
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Depending on how you answer these questions, there will be a number of options available to create your perfect garden bar or pub. Each type of bar will have its own requirements and varying levels of complexity to set up, and you will need to consider your budget before deciding how to proceed with setting up your garden bar shed. 

Remember that the type of bar you choose to create will likely influence the aesthetic style of your garden bar or pub shed.

Bottle Bar Pub Shed

Creating a bottle bar pub shed is the easiest option available to most people.

 Simply put, a bottle bar is a type of bar that does not serve drinks on draught, instead offering a range of beers, spirits, and soft drinks straight from the bottle. This type of garden bar has a relatively easy set up compared to others, as they only require one or more fridges as the main component of the bar set up.

Bottle bars are generally found in bustling city centres, offering cocktails and bottled drinks with a sleek and modern aesthetic that evokes feelings of exclusivity and class. When designing a garden pub shed in the style of a bottle bar, you may want to consider the following key ideas:

• Pick a simple colour scheme consisting of 1 to 3 colours maximum. 

• Install a steel or marble bar top. 

• Install shelving units for your spirit bottles. 

• Choose interesting lighting dynamics that utilise your colour scheme, this could include stylised light fittings such as chandeliers or shades, or bar top lights that illuminate your back-bar shelving. 

• Purchase glass door fridges and utilise them as part of the design of your garden bottle bar.

There are also a few features to consider depending on whether you wish to serve cocktails in your pub shed bar, such as installing a sink, and whether you require running water to your sink or simply an easy drainage solution. 

Whatever your requirements, Cabin Master’s expert design and installation team can help design, create, and install your perfect garden bar shed.

Cask Ale Pub Shed

Cask Ale pubs are synonymous with local, friendly, and timeless drinking spots that serve real and honest ales. When you think of a traditional cask ale pub there are likely a few aesthetic choices that come to mind, such as wooden back benches and dado rails, patterned carpets, wooden bar tops, and visual additions such as posters for traditional ales and beer badges.

 With a cask ale pub shed, cosiness and comfort should be a key consideration with your design choices, and you can either serve your favourite ales through a traditional beer engine or by adding specific shelving to your garden shed bar that will allow you to horizontally store your cask ale and serve straight from the barrel.

Draught Beer Pub Shed

Draught beer and cask ales are typically served in the same type of pubs, although draught beer refers to the method of serving beer using gas pressure and is more closely associated with lagers and other beers that require added carbonation. Draught beers are also typically stored and served at ‘cellar temperature’, and as such will require a better method of cold storage than cask ales.

In terms of aesthetics for a draught beer pub shed, you may consider incorporating the look of a sports bar by decorating the area with your favourite team’s colours, sports memorabilia, and neon signs. You will also require an at-home style draught beer pump to serve lagers and carbonated beers, which we discuss further below. 

What Do I Need for a Garden Pub Shed?

Once you have decided on a style of garden bar pub and drink delivery method, it’s time to discuss what you will need to create the perfect pub shed.

For most types of outdoor pub sheds you will need to consider which furnishings and decorations would be suitable to create the desired aesthetics. Cabin Master works directly with our customers to create the ultimate garden pubs and bars for garden sheds, contact our team today to discuss making your dreams into a reality.

How to Furnish a Pub in Garden Shed

Your garden pub will require different furnishings depending on which type of pub or bar you wish to create, but as standard, all types of bar will require most the following:

• A bar top. 

• Furniture such as stools or chairs. 

• Lights. 

• Fridges/beer keg/cask storage. 

• Table(s) 

• Shelving.

You should consider whether your bar is for personal use, or whether you will be inviting friends over to enjoy your private garden pub. This will allow you to determine how much seating space you will require, and whether you want to include enough back bar seating, stools, or chairs to accommodate all guests.

Installing a bar top in your pub shed bar means you can maintain an authentic feel when serving drinks to your friends or family, and will also provide a designated surface to place drinks that will make tidying up spillages much easier once you are finished for the evening.

Spillage should be a key consideration when furnishing your house garden pub - they happen often, and are much easier to clean if you have designed your interior with an easy clean-up in mind. Ideally your bar top and tables will be made of a singular piece of material that can easily be wiped down, rather than made of multiple components such as individual planks of wood. Additionally, you may want to consider water resistant materials for chairs and benches such as leather, faux-leather, polyester, nylon, or even plastic.

Lighting should also be a key consideration. You may want your pub shed to be brightly lit, which is the simplest lighting option, but remember that cleverly placed mood lighting can increase the overall look and enjoyment of your new garden bar. As a general rule you should always utilise soft lighting in a bar setting. In a commercial pub or bar, warm lighting gives a cosy feeling that invites customers to stay for longer periods, and in your own private bar warm light will help create a relaxing ambience to help you enjoy your pub shed for longer. However, depending on your chosen type of bar, you may decide to use different coloured lighting to enhance the design or chosen colour scheme of the shed bar.

 Storage for glassware and drinks should also be a consideration. You can easily incorporate storage underneath your bartop, but displaying your glassware and drinks in the open will add to the overall look of your bar. You should also consider that storing glassware underneath your bartop may pose a risk to health and safety, as spillages from the top can easily drip onto your glassware if it is stored in this way.

If you wish to display your glassware and spirits on shelving units either as a backbar, or by incorporating an overbar glass rack, you can discuss this with our expert design team  to create the perfect shelving and storage solution for your new bar shed.

Electrical Fittings for Garden Pub Shed

Cabin Master can create your new garden pub shed with all necessary electrical fittings, but you should decide which electrical equipment you want to incorporate into your bar before setup to ensure there are sufficient electrical outlets.

As standard, your garden bar shed should include electrical fittings for the following:

• Lighting.

• Fridges/cool storage.

• Additional outlets for sound system, speakers, phone chargers etc;

When powering your garden pub shed, you will need to account for how you will provide power to your outlets. For the most part, a standard cable extension reel will be sufficient and can be plugged in only when you are planning on using your pub shed, however, if you have kegs or casks that require cool storage in a fridge, then you will need to consider providing a permanent extension from your home to your cabin, or storing your kegs and casks inside your home in a fridge.

Cabin Master garden pub sheds come with all electrical fittings provided as standard. Talk to our expert team today and make your own bar.

Bottle Bar and Cocktail Bar Pub Shed Equipment

In a bottle bar pub shed, you should include at least 1 fridge to store any bottles or spirits you wish to keep cool. You can also install optics onto the wall that will allow you to store and serve spirits with an easy pouring system that automatically measures and serves single and double shots. Installing optics onto your wall is a fun and practical way of achieving a bar aesthetic.

Here’s a list of equipment you should consider for a bottle bar or cocktail bar pub shed: 

• Fridges. 
• Mounted bottle opener. 

• Wall mounted optics. 

• Bar mats. 

• Cocktail kit (Boston tins or cocktail shaker).

If you want to serve cocktails in your bottle bar pub shed, you should also consider installing a sink unit to easily clean your cocktail equipment. 

Cask Ale Pub Shed Equipment

There are 2 main options for serving cask ale from your pub shed. Firstly, you can purchase an at home beer engine such as the Pint365, which can be installed and mounted on your bar top for a traditional ‘pulled’ cask ale.

However, the simplest method of serving cask ale would be to fit a cask mount, essentially a shelf that can hold a cask in place, installed at an elevated position with the cask mounted on its side. Once this is in place you can simply ‘tap’ your cask with a traditional beer pump and allow gravity to do the pouring for you! This is a traditional serving method for cask ales which goes back as far as the invention of barreled beers.

Remember that cask ale must be stored at a cool temperature between 11-13^oC, so you should look to install a fridge large enough to hold a cask of ale before setting up your new home garden pub.

Draught Beer Pub Shed Equipment

Draught beer has the most complex requirements to serve at home. In a traditional pub setting, draught beer requires a complex system of beer lines, combinations of gas, cool storage systems, and a rigorous cleaning routine - maintaining this type of setup is a skill that requires proper training and experience. Thankfully, there are some simple home solutions that will allow you to enjoy serving draught beer at home.

 There are a number of beer pumps for garden bars available, such as the PerfectDraft or Beerwulf Blade, both of which allow you to pour great pints from your home, whilst also storing your beer at the required temperature. They also look great in your very own garden pub shed!

If you plan on purchasing one of these systems, remember that you will need adequate electrical fittings installed in your new bar cabin.

Garden Pub Sheds for Sale

There we have it! With these tips you should have everything you need to make the ultimate garden pub shed. If you are looking to create your very own garden pub, you can contact Cabin Master today to talk to our expert team of designers and builders. 

 We work directly with our customers to create bespoke garden rooms fitted with everything you need to make your dream come true, meaning no two installations are the same. Talk to us today to discuss your perfect garden pub shed, or you can view our Small Garden Building Prices page to find guide prices on some of our previous builds.