The customer had already started preparing their garden for their annual party when, just one day before our installation booking, we got the call to say the wooden garden bar they had ordered would not be delivered.
That was a fairly significant problem.
The garden bar they wanted had suddenly gone out of stock.
Waiting for it to become available again wasn’t really an option. The date of the annual party had already been set, the garden preparations were under way and, inconveniently, the guests probably weren’t going to rearrange their plans around a retailer’s stock system.
Fortunately, this wasn’t the first time we had encountered that particular outdoor bar.
We’d built it before
Because Home Flatpack had previously assembled the same wooden garden bar and we have a huge library of instruction manuals, we still had access to its parts list and measurements.
That gave us another option.
Rather than waiting indefinitely for the original product to return, we used the information we had retained to recreate the garden bar almost identically. The customer could still have the style and layout they had chosen, but without gambling their party plans on an unknown restocking date.
What began as a straightforward garden bar assembly booking therefore became something rather more bespoke.
From unavailable product to bespoke garden pub
Using the original measurements and parts information, the wooden structure was recreated and assembled in the customer’s garden in time for the party.
The result was not simply somewhere to place a few bottles. It became a proper outdoor entertaining space; a garden bar, home bar and miniature garden pub ready for the customer’s annual celebration.
It is also a good example of why experience matters.
Having assembled such a broad range of outdoor products over the years means we often recognise how something has been designed, how its components work together and what alternatives may be possible when the original plan suddenly falls apart.
We couldn’t make the retailer put the garden bar back into stock.
We could, however, find another way to get the bar built.
What could you use a garden bar for?
Outdoor bars have become increasingly popular because they can turn part of a garden or patio into a permanent entertaining area.
They’re ideal for:
Summer parties and barbecues
Birthdays and family gatherings
Entertaining friends
Outdoor dining
Watching sporting events
Creating a home pub or cocktail bar
Quietly enjoying a drink without having to invite anybody else
Depending on the design, a garden bar can also include shelving, bottle storage, preparation areas, lighting, seating and space for a small fridge or drinks cooler.
Some people create a traditional garden pub. Others prefer a contemporary outdoor cocktail bar. Personally, I think the most important design consideration is ensuring there is somewhere sensible to store the snacks.
Outdoor assembly across the UK
Home Flatpack assembles and installs outdoor products throughout the UK, including:
Wooden garden bars and outdoor pubs
Sheds and summer houses
Log cabins and garden buildings
Gazebos, pergolas and marquees
Trampolines and outdoor play equipment
Garden furniture
Bespoke and unusual outdoor products
If the product is available to buy, we may be able to assemble it.
If it isn’t available to buy, this particular garden bar proves that it may still be worth asking what else is possible.
Have something unusual in mind?
Not every outdoor project appears in a product catalogue or fits neatly into a standard installation price.
If you have purchased an unusual outdoor product, need help assembling a garden building or have an idea for something more bespoke, you can request a tailored installation quote from the Home Flatpack planning team.
We can review photographs, product links, measurements or plans before advising what may be possible.
The original garden bar might have been out of stock—but the customer’s annual party still had somewhere to serve the drinks.
What would you put behind your dream garden bar?