Your local, with no last orders
Some evenings are only possible with a garden bar: friends round for the match, a summer party that keeps muddy shoes out of the house, or a quiet drink after a hard week without going out. A converted container gives you a real bar to enjoy it in, warm, lit how you like and finished well enough that guests stop at the door to take it in.
Here’s where Jack’s trade comes into its own. After fifteen-plus years of fitting kitchens, bar joinery is second nature: a sturdy counter set at a comfortable height, a back bar that’s dead straight, and shelving and storage made for the space instead of bought in and made to do. The bar is the star of the room, so we build it that way.
Designed around the way you’ll use it
Tell us how you want the room to work and we plan it from there. Maybe a serving hatch with a bi-fold or roller shutter that opens onto the patio in summer. An under-counter fridge and beer lines, fitted with the plumbing and wiring. A braced wall ready for the largest TV you can talk yourself into, with the speakers wired in advance so no cables trail. Dimmable mood lighting for evenings and stronger light behind the bar for pouring. We agree all of it at the start and build it in properly, rather than bodging it in later.
Under all of that, the shell is fully insulated through the walls, floor and ceiling, which keeps the bar as comfortable in December as it is in July. Fit heating or air con and it becomes a room for every season, not just a summer shed. With a steel structure, a loud night won’t trouble the building, and it locks up securely at the end of it.
Let the finish speak for itself
A great bar gets its character from the details: what the counter front is made of, the colour of the lining, how warm the lighting is, the cladding and signs outside. We build the shell to a flawless standard, then style it to the feel you want, whether that’s a dark speakeasy, bright and modern, or rustic timber. Our containers are already in stock, so work starts once it’s agreed and you’re not left waiting on a supplier to get the party going.
Garden bars and planning: usually simple
If you use it as a games room or garden bar in the day and evening, and nobody sleeps there, a container bar usually counts as permitted development, just like a garden room, provided it’s located behind the house, is one storey, stays low near the boundaries and covers under half the garden. Listed properties, conservation areas and AONBs are stricter, and full planning permission plus Building Regs are needed for anything slept in or let out. Electrics always come under Part P, and we wire to it. We’ll tell you where your build stands, and we always suggest you confirm with your local planning authority. (Check with your local planning authority in every case. The rules are different in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.)
Sited and serving within a day
We build your bar completely in our workshop and bring it finished on a HIAB lorry. The crane lifts it over walls and fences onto levelled pad stones, where it’s left sitting level and ready to go, with no foundations, no concrete and no mess on the lawn. Usually it’s a single day between delivery and the first drink. Where access is tight, we plan it all with you in advance so delivery day goes smoothly.
If you move, the bar comes along. It goes straight back on a lorry, so your favourite room in the garden isn’t left behind.
Opening hours set by you
People tend not to believe a container bar until they’re stood inside one. It’s warm and secure, wired for whatever you want, and finished by someone who finishes for a living. The shell carries our 25-year structural guarantee, so it’s built to be enjoyed for years. Describe your ideal bar and we’ll handle the design, build and delivery, then set it down ready for opening night.
