Britain's Pub Shed of the Year 2026: The Pampered Chicken in Emsworth makes the final three

A back garden boozer named after a group of chickens that used to rule the roost is one of three battling it out to be named Britain's Pub Shed of the Year 2026.

The Pampered Chicken is the name of a garden pub built by Paul and Melanie Brimecome, their children David and Lucy and an army of friends and neighbours.

Made from pallet wood, a bar that started life in Hong Kong sailing club and other recycled, upcycled and salvaged parts, it now stands as welcoming beacon for people in the area - and has hosted wedding parties, New Year’s Eve events and much more.

The three finalists are now going head-to-head to be crowned the winner of this year's competition after being whittled down from more than 1,000 entries.

The Pampered Chicken is at the Brimecomes’ family home in Emsworth. The pub-sport player's paradise, which measures 9.6m x 4.8m, boasts a pool table, a huge darts wall as well as retro arcade games and a fruit machine. Work started in May 2022.

The name comes from the fact that the site was a chicken coop, and a family friend used to joke that the birds should have been called the L’Oreal chickens as they were so well looked after - with Melanie even cooking them porridge in the mornings. Sadly the friend, Carol Brooke, died from cancer before the pub was finished but her memory lives on for the family every time they walk through the doors.

Melanie said: “Carol was the life and soul of the party - such a positive lady, and we are still close to her family. She adored our kids and she loved our chickens.”

Paul said: "The pub is a lasting tribute that keeps her memory alive.”

As well as the second-hand bar and the pallet wood floor, the windows came from a local renovation, and salvaged soundproof insulation from a music studio was fitted to a cosy atmosphere.”

The Pampered Chicken has a toilet and a shower with disco lights, and a second-hand 10-line beer chiller serves drinks alongside entertainment including a pool table, fruit machine, and a bespoke hand-painted dartboard wall.

Paul, a mechanic and teacher by trade, added: “It’s just a fun place where friends, family and guests hang out. We even have our own darts team, The Pampered Peckers. The Pampered Chicken perfectly represents friendship, sustainability, and community.”

The Pampered Chicken is up against The Mucky Pup in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, which belongs to Adam Cockroft and looks like a traditional pub and has a games room with a pool table, air hockey, table tennis, shuffleboard, table football and arcade machines.

And Tina and Rich Hibbs, of Rugeley, Staffordshire, are in the running with their bar named Hibbys which is decked out with Wolverhampton Wanderers FC memorabilia and has an outdoor play area and beer garden.

The annual competition is run by Twofatblokes.co.uk and winners get £500 worth of prizes. It is believed more than two million back garden pubs are now in operation in Britain after their popularity exploded during the coronavirus pandemic.

Ashley Turner, from Two Fat Blokes Bar Sign Emporium, said: “This is our sixth year running the competition, the quality of the entries makes judging harder every year."

The Pub Shed of The Year 2026 winner will be announced live on Ngageradio.co.uk at 8pm on Saturday, August 22.

To vote for the Brimecome’s Pampered Chicken, go to https://pubshedoftheyear.co.uk/