A father who built a Shaun of the Dead-inspired pub in his back garden has been crowned winner of Britain’s Pub Shed of the Year.
Kev Marchant, 55, spent six weeks and £10,000 building his very own Winchester, kitted out with its very own beer pumps, a stained glass ceiling, dart board and poker table.
Not only is the backyard boozer a nod to the iconic pub which appeared in the 2004 zombie film featuring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, it’s also an ode to the city where Kev and his wife Gina, 54, grew up.
Tiler Kev began his project over four years ago, and used his contacts in the construction trade to source materials to build the carefully crafted man cave in Eastleigh, Hampshire.
Kev said he was inspired to replicate the atmosphere of the ‘old school’ boozers his parents would take him to as a child, and has since used the shed to host poker nights, birthday parties and get togethers with friends.
Kev Marchant, 55, (Pictured) built a Shaun of the Dead-inspired pub in his back garden as an ode to the city where he and his wife were raised
After spending six weeks and £10,000 building his very own Winchester, kitted out with its very own beer pumps, a stained glass ceiling and more, Kev has officially taken the crown for Britain’s Pub Shed of the Year
Tiler Kev began his project over four years ago, and used his contacts in the construction trade to source materials to build the carefully crafted man cave
The traditional English garden pub is also inspired by the cult-classic Shaun Of The Dead starring Simon Pegg (Pictured)
The dad-of-two said: ‘I remember my dad taking me into the local working men’s club. I have fond memories of that such as the cigar smoke and pints being poured.
‘It’s a kind of old school-style pub. Being 55 things were a bit more old school back then.
‘I think those kind of pubs have a lot more character so I thought why not stick one in the back garden. Its the best thing we ever did – plus it’s a cheap taxi ride home.’
The pub is stocked up on Stella, Fosters, Guinness and Carlsberg as well as a range of spirits and bottled drinks with stools lining the bar and historic brewery badges hanging on the walls.
To fund his dreams of having his own pub which now sits in place of old garage, Kev flogged his campervan.
And with a bit of elbow grease and a £1,500 ornate bar worth £16,000 at retail, his dreams finally come true.
Kev added: ‘One of my good friends who I grew up with had a pub shed in his back garden.
‘I often joked I had to get one and go bigger and better. It was always on my mind.
‘We sold the camper and that freed up the garage. It was a case of sourcing the bar first.
‘We found it on Gumtree. I went down there with a van. We put the bar in and built everything around it at the end of 2020.
Kev said he was inspired to replicate the atmosphere of the ‘old school’ boozers his parents would take him to as a child
He has since used the shed to host poker nights, birthday parties and get togethers with friends (Pictured: Kev with his wife Gina)
The pub is stocked up on Stella, Fosters, Guinness and Carlsberg as well as an array of gins
Pictured: The Winchester sign in the garden in Eastleigh, Hampshire
Nick Frost (left) and Simon Pegg (right) in the 2003 zombie-comedy film Shaun of The Dead
‘It was complete by the end of February. It only took five or six weeks. We were in the weeks of lockdown so I ploughed on and put a lot of hours in.
‘I would guess I’ve spent around £10,000 for it all. I got the doors cheap. The bar would have been £16,000 new but I got it for £1,500.
‘The actual bar is probably my favourite part, the craftsmanship is incredible.
‘A friend came to help me with the installation. Everyone who worked on it I knew.
It saved me a lot of money. Gina’s dad did the decorating. We were quite lucky.
‘My boys are 28 and 26, they love their poker so we have poker nights in there. It’s also used for family events, like birthdays. Any excuse to throw a little party.
‘The name is because me and the wife were both born in Winchester.
‘Also the pub name in Shaun of the Dead – albeit a different pandemic – was also called The Winchester.’
Kev bagged the illustrious title over 1,000 other contestants in this year Pub Shed of the Year contest winner, run by bar sign firm Two Fat Blokes, on Saturday.
He added: ‘I was gobsmacked to even make the top three. We are over the moon. We had about a dozen people come around with a bottle of bubbly to celebrate.
To fund his dreams of having his own pub which now sits in place of old garage, Kev flogged his campervan (Pictured: decorations in The Winchester)
Pictured: A custom dartboard in the pub shed
‘We’re all winners having our own little retreat on our doorstep.’
Ashley Turner, from Two Fat Blokes Bar Signs, said: ‘This is the biggest year yet. We have had over 1000 entries and more than 10,000 votes for the three finalists.
‘The sheer quality of the bars entered has been staggering, judging which three to put to the public vote was very difficult.
‘The Winchester for my money is a worthy winner of Pub Shed Of The Year 2024.
‘The team at Two Fat Blokes Bar Signs love this competition so we can be nosy and look at everyone’s bars.’
His win comes shortly after a separate shed of the year competition descended into chaos when judges gave top marks to a multi-coloured outbuilding nicknamed the ‘Frankenshed’.
Archie Proudfoot, who won the prestigious Shed of the Year competition in 2023, slammed sour grapes from rivals who criticised his ‘basic’ budget DIY shed – and told them to ‘dry your eyes’.
Kev’s dreams of having his own pub came true with a bit of elbow grease and a £1,500 ornate bar worth £16,000 at retail (Pictured: A poker table in the garden shed)
Kev bagged the illustrious title over 1,000 other contestants in this year Pub Shed of the Year contest winner, run by bar sign firm Two Fat Blokes, on Saturday
Pictured: A custom black beer mat with The Winchester engraved into it
The artist beat a 26-strong shortlist to scoop the top £1,000 prize with his ‘Frankenshed’, a small colourful workspace made from recycled timber and old fence posts.
Judges were particularly impressed by Mr Proudfoot’s aesthic details, noting that the structure showcased ‘the highest levels of technicolour transformation’.
But one of his rivals lashed out at the decision, calling Archie’s attempts bog standard when they had spent hours of blood, sweat and tears on far more extravagant garden creations.
Alex Dodman claimed there were more worthy winners of the title after he spent £2,000 turning a disused gym in his garden into an impressive Alps-style ski chalet complete with outside swimming pool – and said Mr Proudfoot’s is ‘just a basic shed’ that ‘looks underwhelming from the outside.’
