Tina and Rich Hibbs have been crowned winners of Britain's best pub shed after spending years - and thousands of pounds - creating their dream garden boozer in Rugeley, Staffordshire. Their homemade sports bar, named Hibby's, beat 1,088 entries from across the country to take the Pub Shed of the Year 2026 crown.
The couple initially wanted somewhere football-mad Rich could watch his beloved Wolverhampton Wanderers in peace. But their modest hideaway soon took on a life of its own - and now boasts beer on tap, a huge TV, Pac-Man arcade machine, traditional pub furniture and walls packed with Wolves memorabilia.
From football bolthole to family favourite
Over the years, the couple added a beer garden, barbecue area and children's play space, turning what began as Rich's football bolthole into a favourite gathering place for their whole family. The 20ft by 10ft bar now has lager and cider on tap, traditional pub furniture, signed football shirts, an arcade machine and a fully stocked fridge.
Outside, there's space for barbecues and a play area for the couple's grandchildren. But creating their own local at the bottom of the garden hasn't come cheap. Tina estimates the initial build cost around £20,000, with thousands more spent transforming it into the bar they have today.
Winning moment and celebration
Mum-of-two Tina, 48, who works as a baker, said: "We were really shocked to win, just gobsmacked, we didn't expect it. When I entered my husband just said 'what have you gone and done that for?' Obviously he believed we'd have no chance of winning.
"I thought we had just as good a chance as everyone else but with 1,088 entries I knew it was a long shot. We were all gathered around in the pub when we heard we'd won on Saturday night - Rich had just got back in from the Wolves game.
"We had some party on Saturday night to celebrate - which is what this place was designed for in the first place. Our friends love it, I'm not sure about our neighbours but we've not had any complaints. The shed does get more attention than the house."
A labour of love since 2018
The couple began building it with the help of a friend in 2018, originally intending to create somewhere retired skip company owner Rich, 57, could watch football and show off his growing collection of Wolves memorabilia. Tina added: "It was initially a bolthole for hubby to escape and watch the football in peace and to display his vast collection of Wolves memorabilia. We also wanted a place where the family could all get together and a safe place for the kids to play outside.
"After the shell was built we've slowly added to it over the years. We have a friend who runs a business making these, so he helped out with the shell while the interior was all done by us.
"I dread to think what we've spent over the years. It cost £20,000 to build and we've probably spent another £5,000-£10,000 on it. We've got a barbecue area, an outdoor play area, a Pac-Man machine inside, a fully-stocked bar with two Blade taps as well as all the Wolves memorabilia including signed shirts.
"One of the tables were donated by our local pub but everything else has been made to order or bought. The bar has since evolved into the perfect place to cater for large occasions for both family and friends. It has become a great space for entertaining. Every Easter we do an egg hunt and we decorate it all up for Halloween.
"We also have our Christmas dinner in there, I usually cater for about 15 people each year. With two daughters and five grandchildren it is the perfect place to host birthday parties and special occasions, with the play area a particular favourite with the young ones.
"The fridge is always full, and with a vast selection of spirits and two Blade beer machines ensuring cold refreshments are always on tap. Purposely there is no clock or traditional bell available as the bar is always open to family and friends."
Competition organisers praise winner
The annual Pub Shed of the Year competition is run by Two Fat Blokes Bar Signs and Ngage Radio and celebrates some of the country's most impressive homemade boozers.
Ashley Turner, CEO of Two Fat Blokes Bar Signs, said: "We started Pub Shed of the Year because we genuinely love what we do. Seeing photos of our signs hanging in gardens, sheds, and man caves from Manchester to Melbourne gave us the idea to run the competition to recognise the best of the best in the pub shed and man cave world.
"Hibby's Bar is a worthy winner of this year's competition."
Danny Drayton, CEO of Ngage Radio, added: "We've been part of the pub shed community for many years, every year we work with the guys at Two Fat Blokes to run the competition."
