How To Convert A Horse Box Into A Bar

Pinterest Weddings

Making money from the current trend for horse box bars at vintage weddings is not quite as easy as hitching a converted Rice trailer to the back of your vehicle and stocking it with Pimms, but you can be successful in the mobile horse box catering industry, as Staffordshire-based traveling bar, Perry & Porter has proved.

You may have already catered, or even attended, a “Pinterest” wedding, a ceremony which seems to celebrate simplicity despite requiring careful planning and an often costly country-chic style. Their popularity has soared in recent years and does not appear to be decreasing.

While many of these weddings take place in more traditional places of worship, the reception is sometimes held, especially in summer, on rented farmland or in the grounds of a hotel. In keeping with the country theme, guests are served drinks from a converted trailer – or a horse box bar.

Getting Started

Mathew and Rachel Dimbleby of Perry & Porter had discussed running their own bar for some time before purchasing a mobile venue in 2017. They spent the following year converting it from a working horse box into a fully-functional bar, able to cater for events around the country and charging a travel fee for anything outside of a 50 mile radius.

If this is a new venture for you or your business, branding is vital. First, decide which end of the market you are aiming at and this will help you build your brand. Mathew and Rachel, wanting a name that could not be mistaken for a pub, looked to their grandparents, both of whom, luckily, shared their surnames with popular drinks.

“We wanted something classy and alliterative so that customers would remember us," said Mathew.

This perfectly demonstrates how your name must also work with the look you are hoping to create, which might sound trivial, but your design has to blend in effortlessly with every event you are hired to cater. At the same time, it should also be unique to your business.

Mathew advises beginning by putting together a mood board to mock up your design ideas. Look at other venues similar to yours and build on your inspiration to create a unique, but still functional space. You will need to ensure there is enough room for you and your staff to serve your customers in both safety and comfort. With this in mind, Perry & Porter’s mobile venue has an extra aperture, giving them three serving hatches to manage service and encourage air flow on hot summer days.

Of course, it helps that Mathew and Rachel are trained designers and Perry & Porter has definitely benefited from this. Its classic vintage colours of black, an almost lavender-grey, and gold are striking without clashing with the colour schemes of any event they cater.

Be prepared to shop around for the right venue. It took the Dimblebys the best part of a year to find a model in workable condition, eventually traveling from Staffordshire to Ruthin in North Wales to purchase a Rice horse box.

TIP: Practical considerations must also be taken into account. A Rice model was chosen for its aluminium panels, avoiding the issues of rust and traveling with heavy steel

Running Your Bar

Following gin’s meteoric rise from “mother’s ruin” to connoisseurs tipple, it might be tempting to open a specialist mobile bar. Given that most events you would be hired to cater are celebratory, cocktails and prosecco would be a sound and profitable choice, but it is worth widening your menu as you won’t only be hired to quench the thirsts of a wedding party. Graduations, birthdays, corporate events, and food festivals may also require your services and draw in large crowds with diverse tastes, so make sure you have the right bar supplies.

Perry & Porter works with local merchants, adding to the vintage aesthetic, who supply red, white, and rosé wines as well as prosecco. Their craft beers are also sourced from a local brewery. Of course, given gin’s popularity, it would be unwise to stock a bar without it. It is Perry & Porter’s bestseller, so they ensure they have a wide range on offer, as well as vodka, rum, and whiskey.

Mathew said, “We decided to offer a full bar service so that customers had everyone’s needs covered at their events.”

Summer, when the weather is usually more predictable, is the peak season for horse box trailers, but it is possible to cater to events year-round. When it turns colder and the nights draw in, you may find hot drinks become more popular and small tweaks to your interior can help your style transition from beer garden to tavern.

“We have since learnt when the back ramp is up and secured and the lights turned on, the horse box becomes quite cosy,” said Mathew.

Mathew and Rachel also invested in a pop-up bar which would be able to serve customers indoors, ensuring that whatever the weather or the nature of the event, they’re ready to cater it.

Article: Our article on The UK's Favourite Cocktail contains information on the drinks favoured by each major city within Britain, and how you can appeal to your guests by serving these drinks.

Equipment Essentials

Once you’ve tracked down a trailer, what do you need to kit out a horse box bar?

Safety is the primary concern and as well as cleaning materials, a first aid kit, fire blanket and extinguisher, a food hygiene rating will need to be obtained. Mathew advises their five star rating was easily achieved thanks to the thorough research they conducted during the design process.

In the back of their horse box, Perry & Porter says it has everything you would find in a pub. They use colour-coordinated gold accessories (where possible) to match their branding, two double back bar fridges, a sink with running water for handwashing, and a heater to serve hot drinks should the event require it.

Glasses are also a crucial piece of equipment, and, as a final word of advice, never be without a bottle opener .

FAQs

What drinks should I offer at a drinks reception?

Prosecco, or if the budget will stretch to it, champagne is great for celebrations - and typically used for toasts. A good red and white wine is also pretty universal and with gin's popularity, it would be wise to stock a good amount of tonic too. Soft drinks should always include lemonade, cola and orange juice.

Which simple cocktail recipes should I master?

A Bloody Mary (vodka and tomato juice with a twist of black pepper and a dash of Tabasco) is always popular and a Screwdriver (orange juice and vodka) couldn't be easier, but if you're confident in your mixology skills, try serving a Margarita or Long Island Ice Tea.

How many bottles of wine should I stock?

The hosts will give you a fair idea of numbers. We recommend half a bottle per guest and remember to bring two bottles of white wine for every bottle of red.