Horsebox Bar Hire in Sheffield, South Yorkshire

The Gin Wagon provides a 1974 Bedford horse wagon which has been lovingly converted into a mobile gin bar. They serve numerous local and premium gins and gin-based cocktails and can cater at weddings, private parties and small events. Here they share their story plus tips on what to check in a similar provider.

What do you need to know from an organiser in order to provide a comprehensive quote?

It’s really helpful to have an idea of the location and amount of space at the venue, likely number of guests and the length of time we’d be serving for. Other things that impact our quotes are whether the client would like to pay for all drinks themselves, provide some drinks vouchers for their guests, or have guests pay for all drinks themselves. Knowing the type of event is a big help, too, as we can then draw on our prior experience of similar events to ask further questions to make sure we provide the most suitable service for that event.

What advice would you give to a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?

Consider the amount of experience the provider has in delivering the service so that you can be sure of getting high-quality service. It's also really helpful to find out how much knowledge they can share about the drinks they stock. In our experience, customers want to know the back story to the many gins we serve, and they often want advice on new or different drinks or garnishes to try.

Please tell us a little bit about how and why you started the business.

It was a complete change of career when we bought the Gin Wagon 3 years ago, and we have absolutely loved it! We have always loved gin, and have learned so much about it by taking on the business and wanting to be able to answer people’s questions about the drinks we offer. The bar is such a beautiful place to be – seeing people’s reactions the first time they come inside the Gin Wagon is priceless!

Please tell us about a booking you've had through Add to Event, how did it go? Would you recommend us to others?

We were asked to bring the Gin Wagon to a 30th birthday party, for a couple who were heavily involved in show jumping. The whole event had an equestrian feel, and was held in a huge field, with plenty of outdoor games and even a bucking bronco! The Gin Wagon fitted in perfectly, and there were lots of interesting stories from guests who had owned or used Bedford horse wagons. It was great to be able to introduce the guests to locally made gins from some brilliant, independent distillers that they hadn’t previously heard of – we love to promote other local independent businesses whenever we can, and regularly stock a number of gins from Sheffield and Derbyshire, where we’re based.