5 Benefits of Having Your Own Garden Bar or Pub: Bring Your Local to the Bottom of the Garden
Love the pub but not the price of a night out? A garden bar brings the atmosphere home. Here are five great reasons to create your own - plus ideas for designing, stocking and enjoying it all year round.
With the cost of a night out climbing and many local pubs closing their doors for good, it can feel like there's less and less on the doorstep for socialising. If you are a regular down the local pub, or just enjoy the odd night out, you might be missing the easy weekends in town with friends - or simply wincing at the price of a round.
One idea to solve your boredom is to invest in your very own garden pub. You might already have a shed you can renovate into a bar, or you might want to build an outdoor building from scratch. However you choose to do it, having your very own pub in the garden has so many benefits - read on to find out our top 5 reasons why you should go for it.
✔ IN SHORT
In short: a garden bar gives you a fun project, a hassle-free night out, a venue for every celebration, a party space in all weathers, and real savings over pub prices and venue hire. Built as an insulated garden room, it can be used all year round and will often fall under permitted development - just remember that selling alcohol to guests would need a licence.
Gives you something to work on
Investing in your very own garden bar gives you a project to focus on in your spare time. If you're working from home, the days can feel monotonous. If you like DIY, then building your own shed to turn into a pub is a great way to focus your spare time, with a fun result at the end.
Alternatively, why not invest in a Tiger Modular garden room, which will last you a lifetime. You can spend your time choosing the furniture, the décor and the drinks to go inside. Have fun finding old pub memorabilia - beer mats, glasses, signage, bottle openers and even old cask pumps. Research the best beer dispensers, choose your glassware, decide whether to go pool table, dartboard or both. You can even spend time choosing a name for your new garden pub.
We're sure you'll enjoy the process of watching your idea come to life and decorating your pub exactly how you want it. And once it's stocked with your favourite drinks, you can enjoy the benefits of all your hard work.
It's worth thinking carefully about the difference between a converted shed and a purpose-built garden room. A shed is a quick, low-cost route, but it's rarely insulated, so it can be cold in winter, hot in summer and prone to damp - not ideal for electrics, fridges or soft furnishings. A properly insulated garden room is built to be used, and enjoyed, all year round. Our guide to insulated vs non-insulated garden rooms explains the real difference.
Less hassle than a night out
Having your own pub in the garden means you can enjoy music, drinks and dancing in the privacy of your own home. You won't have to deal with drunk strangers causing trouble, dress codes, overpriced drinks, gross club toilets, or taxi fares home. You can stock your bar with the drinks you like, play your favourite music and dance the night away with your partner, friends or family.
Host your own celebrations
With birthdays, Christmas parties, Valentine's Day, New Year's Eve, and many other holidays, there are lots of occasions to celebrate throughout the year. Hosting parties in your very own garden bar could make them extra special. You can decorate it exactly how you like (themed parties anyone), wear fancy dress, supply nibbles, and choose your own playlists. This is a fun way to celebrate with those close to you, and we're sure you'll make many great memories.
A garden bar is also perfect for the big sporting moments. Add a wall-mounted TV or projector and you've got the best seat in the house for the football, rugby or the Six Nations - without fighting for a view at a packed pub.
Party in all weathers
Whether sun, rain or snow, no weather forecast is going to ruin your night out if the furthest you have to travel is to your back garden. There's nothing worse than getting dressed up and having to walk from pub to pub in the pouring rain or carrying an umbrella around the club. With a weather-proof garden pub, you can enjoy a drink with friends no matter what, and if the sun is shining you can even bring the party outside into the garden!
To make a garden bar genuinely usable through the winter, it needs to be properly insulated with good glazing and a simple heating solution. That's what keeps it cosy for a Christmas get-together and comfortable on a hot summer's evening too. See can you use a garden room all year round for how insulation, glazing and heating work together.
Save money
In the long run, having your own garden bar will save you a lot of money. For starters, if you want to host an event, you won't have to pay for a venue hire because you can do it in your back garden. Plus, you won't be paying for any travelling costs.
Drinks work out a lot cheaper when you buy them from the supermarket or a wholesaler than from bars and clubs. This means you'll get way more for your money, and a night 'out' won't end up costing a week's wage.
Designing your garden bar
The best garden bars are designed around how you like to entertain. A bar counter is the natural focal point, with a back bar for glasses, bottles and optics behind it. From there, think about how many guests you'll typically host, whether you want games, and how the room connects to the garden on summer evenings.
A few features make all the difference:
A bar counter with storage underneath and a back bar for glassware and bottles.
Under-counter fridges, a drinks cooler or a beer dispenser - with dedicated power for each.
Layered lighting: bright for serving, warm and dimmable for atmosphere.
Comfortable seating - bar stools at the counter plus a sofa or booth for lounging.
Games and entertainment: a dartboard, pool table, TV or sound system.
Bi-fold or sliding doors that open onto decking, so the party can spill outside.
Planning, licensing and good neighbours
A garden bar used privately by you, your family and friends is treated like any other garden room, and will often fall under permitted development - so there's frequently no need to apply for planning permission. The usual limits on height, position and garden coverage apply, and our garden room planning permission guide explains the detail.
Licensing is a different question. Enjoying a drink with friends at home doesn't need a licence, but selling alcohol - including charging guests for drinks or tickets that include drinks - generally does. If you have any plans that go beyond private entertaining, speak to your local council first.
Finally, think about your neighbours. Position the bar thoughtfully, keep doors closed when the music's up late, and consider soundproofing if the building sits close to a boundary. A good insulated build helps keep the noise in as well as the warmth.
What does a garden bar cost?
The cost depends mainly on size, specification and fit-out. As an indicative guide, entry-level insulated garden rooms typically start from around £8,500-£12,500, while a premium, fully-specified build such as Tiger Modular's Certus range starts from £19,919 for a 3x3m room, rising to around £27,767+ for a larger 7x3m model. Your bar fittings, fridges, furniture and decking would be budgeted on top.
Weighed against the cost of regular nights out, taxis and venue hire, a garden bar can pay its way surprisingly quickly - and it adds a flexible room to your home that can double as a games room, cinema or office. If you'd like to spread the cost, our garden room finance options guide explains how.
About Tiger Modular garden bars
Tiger Modular garden rooms can be designed the way you want them - any size, any layout. We can even include decking, outside lighting, air conditioning - whatever you need to make your garden pub the best pub in town. Find out more about our garden rooms or book a free design consultation.
Common Questions
Often not. A garden bar used privately is treated like any other garden room, so it will frequently fall under permitted development, subject to limits on height, position and garden coverage. Always check the rules for your property.
Not for private use with family and friends. Selling alcohol - including charging for drinks or for tickets that include drinks - generally requires a licence, so speak to your local council if you have plans beyond private entertaining.
Entry-level insulated garden rooms typically start from around £8,500-£12,500, with a premium build such as Tiger Modular's Certus range from £19,919. Bar fittings, fridges, furniture and decking are budgeted on top.
Yes, if it's properly insulated with quality glazing and a simple heating solution. An insulated garden bar stays cosy in winter and comfortable in summer.
A bar counter and back bar, fridges or a beer dispenser, enough power sockets, layered lighting, comfortable seating, and your choice of games or entertainment. Doors that open onto the garden are a bonus for summer.
Conclusion
A garden bar is one of the most enjoyable ways to use a garden room. It gives you a project to get stuck into, a hassle-free alternative to a night out, a venue for every celebration, and real savings over pub prices - all just steps from your back door. Build it insulated, plan your power and layout from the start, and keep the neighbours in mind, and you'll have the best local in town, whatever the weather.
Tiger Modular are UK leading designers, manufacturers and installers of garden studios. If you'd like to book a no-obligation design consultation, contact our friendly team.
Sources & further reading
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