Dumfries Man’s Garage Wins Scotland’s Best At Home Bar

Craft beer lovers across Scotland have turned their hands to DIY over the last few years, with hundreds of people creating their very own pubs to enjoy their favourite tipples in.

Now, following a month-long hunt for Scotland’s best at-home bar, Garage Bar in Dumfries has taken the top spot in Aldi Scotland’s nationwide search.

The winning landlord is Bob Carter from Dumfries, who was awarded the best at-home bar title for his fantastic garden shed conversion, which he built around ten years ago. The-shed-turned-pub is full of character, boasting its own horse saddle bar stools, and makes for the perfect spot for Bob and his friends to socialise in.

Aside from being the proud owner of his very own pub, Bob has now won a year’s supply of craft beer to keep his shelves stocked.

Bob, who works as an Emmett Therapist in a Dumfries pilates studio, said: “I can’t believe my little pub has been crowned Scotland’s best at-home bar. I first built the pub around ten years ago, so it’s safe to say it’s seen a lot of fun over that time.

“I’ve always been a fan of craft beer – I actually homebrew a lot of beers and use traditional hand pulls to give a real pint feel, which is great to experience in the comfort of your own home.

Explaining the reasons behind Garage Bar, Bob continued: “I worked abroad for many years, and always built my own bar in each property I lived in, so it was only right to build Garage Bar when I relocated back to Scotland. I’m so pleased I’ll now be able to fill it with such a great selection of local brewers thanks to Aldi Scotland!”

Aldi’s at-home bar competition was launched to celebrate its new Scottish Beers of the Month campaign, which will see a number of hero Scottish brewers spotlighted each month. The campaign, which launched in April, showcases everything from refreshing IPAs to crisp lagers, with prices starting from just £1.39.

Dundee’s 71 Brewing is the second hero brewer to feature as part of the campaign. As Dundee’s first active brewery in over 50 years, 71 Brewing is on a mission to revive the lost art of brewing in the city.