An entrepreneur who launched a bra-fitting service from her shed, and an archaeologist who built a medieval bat shelter in her garden are among the 22 finalists competing for glory in the 15th annual Cuprinol Shed of the Year competition.
The competition attracted a record-breaking 331 shed lovers, all hoping to claim the accolade – which is more than double the entries seen in 2020. The finalists have been shortlisted across categories including Cabin and Summerhouse, Pub and Entertainment, Unexpected and Unique and Nature’s Haven. There is also a Lockdown category to reflect the number of people who built sheds as a project during the pandemic.
One of the quirkiest sheds to make the final is a Chitty Chitty Bang Bang-inspired shed, created by Isle Of Wight resident Nicholas Pointing, who wanted a space to build a replica of the film’s iconic car for his wife.
In the Lockdown category, Father Len Black, a Catholic priest from Inverness, is hoping to claim victory with The Oratory Of St Joseph summerhouse – where he live-streamed Mass every day during the pandemic to viewers as far away as Australia.
Specialist bra-fitter Joanna van Blommestein is also in the running with ‘Bra Boss’ – a shed-based lingerie boutique created in her Kent garden. In the Nature’s Haven category, Rebecca Roseff built a ‘Batbarn’ – to support rare horseshoe bat colonies looking for summer roosts.
The overall winner for the 2021 competition will receive £1,000, a plaque and £100 of Cuprinol products – as well as the accolade Shed of the Year.
Head judge and founder of the competition Andrew Wilcox said: “The past year has been an incredibly challenging time for all of us and, now more than ever, we’re aware of how important the humble shed can be.
‘Sheds are not just unloved, brown structures at the bottom of the garden that house tools and household junk, they are vital spaces where you can go to relax, work on a project or burn off some steam.
‘The high-calibre entries this year really prove why we set up the competition in the first place – to highlight the valuable role sheds can play in our lives, in our businesses and the positive impact they have on our wellbeing.”
See all the entries and vote for your favourite online. Voting closes on Monday, July 12.
