Raise the bar! The DIY backyard man cave, which is made entirely from recycled materials and has its own beer garden and dart board, has been voted Britain’s best pub shed of the year

An incredible backyard pub made entirely from recycled materials, with its own beer garden and dart board, has been crowned Britain’s Best Pub of the Year.

John Simmons spent over a year building the amazing DIY grotto in his Portsmouth backyard.

It has its own dart board, wooden decor, country pub style seating, rooftop fairy lights and even its own outdoor beer garden and patio.

He built the miniature bar – called The Dog & Ball – using as much recycled material as he could find from junkyards and a bar enthusiast’s Facebook page.

Mr Simmons has now beaten more than a thousand entries to become the owner of Britain’s Best Pub Shed 2022.

It has its own dart board, wooden decor, country pub style seating, a fairy light covered roof, and even its own outdoor beer garden and patio

He built the miniature pub called The Dog & Ball from as much scrap material as he could find from junkyards and a pub lover’s Facebook page.

Photos of the pub shed show the stripped down bar with stools, jugs hanging from hooks from the ceiling and a large golden pineapple

There is a table and chairs overlooking the beer garden over an open bar and a TV with a roaring fire to give the pub a cozy feel

He started building The Dog & Ball on his own 12 months ago.

Mr Simmons said: “I started this project over a year ago with two aims: to make the bar myself and to make it from as much salvaged material as possible.

“I realized the first part after I had selected, sawed, sanded and fastened all the wood and fittings and all 4,500 screws myself. This is truly a handcrafted bar.

“Obviously the whole salvage was a challenge – thanks to FB Marketplace, the advice of the fantastic members of the GSPN UK Facebook page and a very understanding woman who I dragged around to local scrapyards to sift through old wood.

“Except for the main roof beams, every other part of the structure is made from reclaimed, reused or recycled wood and materials.

“Each piece has a different story, from the hardware store that belonged to my late father-in-law from his days as an RAF engineer, to the upright oak I found in a reclaimed yard, remarkably salvaged from an old demolition building that I used to work in such a 25 years ago.

“And the name Dog & Ball, well, it’s a tribute to our beautiful Labradoodle, who loves his ball and has made a corner of our new garden bar his new home.”

Mr Simmons said the name – The Dog & Ball – was a tribute to our dear Labradoodle, who loves his ball and has made a corner of our new garden bar his new home.

Mr Simmons single-handedly started building The Dog & Ball 12 months ago and has now won over a thousand entries to be named owner of Britain’s Best Pub Shed 2022

Mr Simmons is seen pouring a pint into a pint glass at his pub bar, The Dog & Ball, with gin mugs hanging upside down behind him

The pub even has a beer garden with a separate outside bar where you can get your beer in the hot summer months

Mr Simmons said that with the exception of the roof’s main beams, every other part of the structure was made from reclaimed, reused or recycled timber and materials.

The Dog & Ball beat two other finalists, a small country pub called The Tiger in Somerset and The Stagger Inn in Manchester – a pub with a nightclub theme.

They were removed from more than a thousand lists, many of which were built during the lockdown.

More than two million backyard pubs are now believed to be operating in the UK after their popularity exploded during the coronavirus pandemic.

They have continued to grow amid a cost of living crisis after the average price of a pint rose to £4 in the UK and £5 in London.

As a result, Two Fat Blokes Bar Boards, Pub Shed Radio and the Garden Shed Pubs & Nightclubs Facebook group started organizing the national competition.

The winner was announced live on Pub Shed Radio on Saturday.

Ashley Turner, owner of Two Fat Blokes Bar Signs, said: “The quality of the bars and the variety of entries was phenomenal.

“We ran the competition to showcase the amazing community of pub pilots in the UK.

The Dog & Ball beat two other finalists, a small country pub called The Tiger in Somerset and The Stagger Inn in Manchester – a pub with a nightclub theme

A sign in Mr Simmons’ shed reads: “It is not licensed to sell ridiculous amounts of intoxicating alcohol, but you will go home with no legs.”

The Dog & Ball was whittled down from over a thousand entries along with two other finalists, many of whom were built during lockdown.

One corner of the bar is the ‘new home’ for Bertie, the couple’s Labradoodle – after whom the bar is named

“The community exploded during the pandemic and now, with the cost of a pint north of £6, the trend looks set to continue.

“The Dog & Ball is a perfect example of a great bar pub and deserves to win with their amazing handcrafted bar.

Tommy Funka, who runs Pub Shed Radio, added: “Pub Shed of the Year was a great way for the Pub Shed community to come together and celebrate the growing army of backyard drinkers.”

Pub Shed Radio’s DJ Mupps said: “It was brilliant to knock on the door of the winning pub live on Pub Shed Radio.

John and Anita were amazed when they heard they had won. Then we started with a live broadcast from the bar with a real party atmosphere.”

Nick St John, owner of the Garden Shed Pubs and Nightclubs Facebook group, added: “Participating in Pub Shed of the Year is the pinnacle of our ethos of empowering and helping people build their own backyard pubs.

“With more than 280,000 members, our group is well ahead of the competition.

“Judging the entries was so difficult – The Dog & Ball is a great example of a proper pub shed.”