Wolves-themed pub-in-a-shed wins top accolade

Glen Gandy's Wolves-themed pub shed, Cognitos, has won Pub Shed of the Year

A Wolverhampton Wanderers fan who transformed his shed into a pub devoted to the football club is celebrating it being named the Pub Shed of the Year.

Glen Gandy, from Willenhall, spent around £20,000 kitting out his shed - called Cognitos - with a DJ booth, hot tub, jukebox and Space Invaders machine, along with a beer garden and shower room.

Mr Gandy was one of three finalists in the competition, which was whittled down from 1,000 entries, and was crowned the winner on Saturday.

The name of the bar was inspired by comedian Ian Cognito, who was a good friend, but sadly died on stage during a show.

Speaking to BBC Radio WM about the win, Mr Gandy said: "We're over the moon. It was a bit close to be honest - the other two in the final were very good bars and of course we didn't know until they turned up here.

"The three of us, we had to throw a party and what they did was announced the winners and turned up live. They came up the path and everyone cheered."

Cheeky secret

Also in the final was The Cattle Shed in Walsall, created by Baggies fan Kev Cattell, who knows Mr Gandy, and the BrennInn in Burnley by Chris Brennan.

"I think the organiser, Ash, was quite surprised that we knew each other," Mr Gandy said about Mr Cattell, adding that he not only assisted in his shed transformation, but also added a cheeky secret within the build.

"Kev's a Baggies fan, definitely," he said.

"I plastered his bar out as well, so I put a couple of Wolves bits behind the wall for him, just so when he rips it down he know who the best team is."

Wolves memorabilia fills the walls of the pub alongside a game machine and DJ booth

Mr Gandy believes Cognitos is the first in the Midlands to win and the first new bar to win, compared to pub sheds that have been up and running for years.

"It's normally down south that win. so [the organiser] was quite pleased we won," he said.

The prize for winning the accolade is a range of personalised items for the pub shed, such as beer signs and mats, as well as a sign to display outside the bar saying Cognitos.

Mr Gandy believes his pub shed is the first one in the Midlands to win the accolade

Cognitos is a place where friends and people on his estate came to for a drink and a laugh, says Mr Gandy.

"It's just a nice place to come and we can all relax and chill and have a laugh together," he said.

"A couple of weeks ago it was my daughter's 18th, so we invited everyone round we had a big BBQ, there were about 104 people here."

While the pub shed has received the much-desired annual accolade, it already has an enticing range of facilities, but Mr Gandy is still looking at how to improve it, drawing a bit of influence from his family.

"We've got everything we need but the lad wants a pool table and he's mad on darts - so I think I might have to do that," he laughed.

"And the wife wants a gym so I might have to build something else as well."

Mr Gandy's son would now like a pool table and a darts board