These three incredible back yard boozers are going head-to-head to be named Britain’s Pub Shed of the Year.
The trio of DIY man caves have all been built in back garden sheds by proud beer-loving ‘sheddies’ across the UK.
They include a traditional local-style pub with its own brew room, an Irish-themed bar and a boozer which comes complete with a hot tub inside.
Organisers revealed this year’s finalists after whittling them down from more than one thousand entries.
Glen Gandy, from Willenhall, Wolverhampton, is in the running with his stunning back garden creation called 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, a hot tub and even a toilet/shower room.
The Cattle Shed, in Brownhills, West Midlands, was built by Kev Cattell who wanted a ‘proper homely pub feel’ like the locals he went to as a youngster.
It features a pool table, big screen TV, comfortable sofa seating and bar stools, a cosy log burner and a separate room for brewing beer and cider.
Glen Gandy, from Willenhall, Wolverhampton, is in the running with his stunning back garden creation called Cognitos
The Cattle Shed, in Brownhills, West Mids., was built by Kev Cattell who wanted a ‘proper homely pub feel’
The third finalist Chris Brennan built the BrennInn in Burnley, Lancahsire, in June 2023 with the help of his wife after their social life ‘took a hit’ following the birth of their daughter
The third finalist Chris Brennan built the BrennInn in Burnley, Lancahsire, in June 2023 with the help of his wife after their social life ‘took a hit’ following the birth of their daughter.
The spacious wood-panelled interior is decorated with fairy lights and neon bar signs, has a dartboard and pool table as well as a beautiful outdoor seating area.
All three men will now compete to be crowned Ngage Radio’s Pub Shed of the Year and the winner will be announced on August 23.
Wolves-mad Glen said he had been planning his bar since Covid lockdown but only started building it in June 2023.
He added: ‘With the help of friends, we started and finally got it built. The bar is block and render and fully insulated.
‘I wanted to create a warm and welcoming space for family and friends to come and enjoy and make great memories.
‘The bar, console, and back bar we built ourselves again with the help of friends.
‘We finished in April 2025 and we’ve had some amazing nights so far and got a few more lined up over the next couple of months.
Cognitos boasts a DJ booth with decks, a Space Invaders arcade machine, juke box, its own beer garden
Cognitos even has its own a hot tub and toilet/shower room for punters to enjoy
Meanwhile, the Cattle Shed features a pool table, big screen TV, comfortable sofa seating and bar stools
It also has a cosy log burner and a separate room for brewing beer and cider
The BrennInn has a spacious wood-panelled interior and a beautiful outdoor seating area
Inside there is a dartboard and pool table to keep you entertained
The bar is decorated with fairy lights and neon bar signs reading ‘good vibes’
‘I have three passions – music, Wolves FC and entertaining.
‘The bar is always fully stocked and has a great sound system with ceiling speakers, power amp, DJ console, juke box, 85 inch TV and arcade machine.
‘There is also a hot tub and toilet/shower room. Also there is split aircon unit so it can be used all year round.
‘We built an outside BBQ area for the odd occasion we have some sun. The bar has two rules – 1. You don’t need an invite and 2. Nobody gets out sober.’
Kev said he decided to covert the garage/workshop where he stored his classic VW after buying his kids a pool table and found there was nowhere to put it.
He said: ‘As Christmas approached, we decided to buy a pool table for our kids – with no consideration of where it was going to go.
‘So the VW was sold and the home pub idea began. I knew I wanted a “proper pub” feel, homely and cosy like they were when I was a kid.
‘It became not only somewhere where we wanted to sit and enjoy the odd beer or two, but somewhere where our kids could invite their friends round and enjoy the evening in a safe environment.
Kev said he decided to covert the garage/workshop where he stored his classic VW after buying his kids a pool table and found there was nowhere to put it. Pictured: The Cattle Shed
He said he wanted a ‘real pub feel’ and for it to be ‘homely and cosy’. Pictured: The Cattle Shed
Wolves-mad Glen said he had been planning his bar since Covid lockdown but only started building it in June 2023. Pictured: Cognitos
He said: ‘The bar has two rules – 1. You don’t need an invite and 2. Nobody gets out sober.’ Pictured: Cognitos
There is also an outdoor BBQ area alongside the hot tub and toilet/shower room. Pictured: Cognitos
Chris said he got the idea of having his own bar after seeing a surge in homemade pub sheds during the Covid pandemic. Pictured: BrennInn
He said he decided to build the pub as ‘having a five-year-old child, your social life in the local boozer and town takes a massive hit’
‘With three children now aged 19, 17 and 15, and the two eldest being girls, that became quite important to us.
‘As we wanted a real pub feel, we needed a separate entrance from the main pub, and after a few studded walls and a lot of rewiring, we had a feel of how it was going to be.
‘After many hours on Pinterest looking for ideas, we had a vision of how we wanted it to look.
‘We knew it needed a fully functioning toilet and running hot and cold water for it to be practical, and a fully working bar was a must.
‘With adding radiators and the log burner it’s always toastie. My wife and I relax in here way more than we do in the house.
‘The recent addition of the brew room off the side of the pub means we can make our own beer and cider for optimum hangovers.
‘|’m so happy to be chosen as a finalist and wish all the luck to both other finalists.’
Chris said he got the idea of having his own bar after seeing a surge in homemade pub sheds during the Covid pandemic.
Twofatblokes.co.uk and Ngage Radio run the annual competition, now in its fifth year, for back garden publicans to enter the converted Pub Shed of The Year. Pictured: The Cattle Shed
The winner will be announced live on Ngage Radio at 8pm on August 23. Pictured: BrennInn
The public are now being asked to vote for their favourite. Pictured: Cognitos
He added: ‘But I was late to the party when wood prices rocketed so put it on the back burner until later last year and thought 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.
‘Then from there Abby has to take all the credit for the design, interior of an Irish theme and then the name of the pub trying to incorporate it into our last name with it’s Irish roots.’
Twofatblokes.co.uk and Ngage Radio run the annual competition, now in its fifth year, for back garden publicans to enter the converted Pub Shed of The Year.
Organiser Ashley Turner said: ‘The humble back garden boozer is being built in record numbers.
‘Exact numbers are hard to come by, but experts believe there are over two million pub sheds in the UK, a number only set to grow as the local pubs close at an alarming rate.
‘To recognise excellence in the back garden pub shed builds Ngage Radio run an annual competition to find the Pub shed of the year.
‘The public are now being asked to vote for their favourite.’
The winner will be announced live on Ngage Radio at 8pm on August 23.
DJ Danny Drayton said: ‘We’re so proud to be involved with Pub Shed of the Year again, we have so many loyal listeners form the pub shed community.
‘They are really engaged with our station so being able to knock on the door of the winners live on the radio is a wonderful experience.’
