A CARPENTER has spent the last month turning a horsebox into a 1920s themed portable gin bar.

Working around the clock, Daniel James has been putting his wood and metalwork skills to the test by creating the unique gin bar for a client.

Mr James, 28, owner of The Wood Shed, from Hove, said: “A Brighton-based company called Betty Lou approached me and said they were looking for a portable gin bar to use at festivals, weddings and other events.

“The idea of using a horsebox developed naturally and fits their company’s image well, using the actual cart as the bar and the 1920s theme fitting in with the company’s focus on vintage styling and events.

“They will primarily serve a wide variety of gins from the bar but will also consider adding certain wines to the menu when the bar is used to serve drinks at weddings.”

The Wood Shed creates comfortable and liveable spaces using locally sourced reclaimed materials.

Mr James started the business in the summer of 2015, initially building bespoke furniture for his clients.

He said: “Along the way there were some changes that needed to be made and I worked very close with employees at Betty Lou to ensure that their vision of the bar was met.

“I did all of the metalwork to revamp the outside of the horsebox as well as the woodwork and final touches to the interior.

“We had the horsebox brought into a courtyard so that we could start to build it after the design process was complete and it is fair to say that a lot of work was needed to finish the bar and make it look professional, which was helped with ongoing input from employees at Betty Lou.

“I think it will be used at niche events and festivals such as the Secret Garden Party as opposed to more mainstream music festivals.”

The low budget build was completed with materials sometimes found in skips or destined to be scrapped, including timber and plywood used for the bar’s interior.

It took about 30 days to transform the horsebox into a functional gin bar, with the final touches being made last week.

The Wood Shed and Betty Lou held a photoshoot of the finished bar on a farm near Devil’s Dyke and will use the photos to promote the bar to upcoming festivals and events.

For more information about services provided by The Wood Shed, please visit thewoodshedsussex.com.