A bespoke mobile bar supplied by Europe’s leading trailer maker is set to become the toast of major outdoor events across the UK.
Ifor Williams Trailers has supplied one of its ingenious Business Inabox units to a Midlands-based firm which has spent £10,000 transforming it into a glitzy mobile bar.
One of its regular assignments will be providing foaming pints to thirsty followers of Premiership rugby side Wasps during their home games at the famous Ricoh Stadium in Coventry.
And it will also be on duty at a range of other outdoor events such as horse racing meetings, festivals, weddings and corporate hospitality days up and down the country.
Business Inabox trailers, which are famed for their large capacity, adaptability and high mobility, have already been put to a host of novel uses including barbers shops, clothing stores, catering units and racing motorbike workshops.
Latest adaption is for a luxurious mobile bar operated by Walsall-based My Mobile Bar Hire and its boss says that on its first-ever outing it proved a big hit with fans of Wasps which it helped celebrate their recent 32-25 victory over Leicester Tigers at the Ricoh Stadium.
Lee Vipond, who is originally from Old Swan in Liverpool, started the company with his wife Amy just less than two years ago, said: “We already hire out all kinds of bars, both mobile and static, for all kinds of events across a wide area of the UK, including the Midlands, London, Oxfordshire, Cheshire and North Wales.
“However, I’d been looking for some time for a mobile bar unit with a large capacity to serve a greater number of customers at big events.
“I first saw the Ifor Williams Trailers Business Inabox a few years ago and thought it was just what I was looking for.
“Earlier this year we had a stand at the Showman’s Show at Newbury in Berkshire, which is an exhibition of products, services and entertainment for the outdoor and special event world, and met up with the Ifor Williams distributor Universal Trailers from West Sussex.
“I discussed what I had in mind with their managing director Mark Betts and he said he had a Business Inabox back at his showroom I might be interested in. I had a look at it and decided it was right for me.”
Lee then had a specialist company tailor-make the unit to his specific requirements, which included the fitting of a large serving hatch, 16 beer taps, a beer chiller, tall bottle fridges and a 55-inch monitor for displaying bar tariffs and company advertising. It also has optics, tills and a package of mood lighting to suit all occasions.
He added: “The conversion job, which cost about £10,000, was handled very quickly and we had the bar in action for the first time at the Wasps v Leicester Tigers match at the Ricoh Stadium where we are one of the nominated concessionaires in the Wasp Nest Fans Village.
“It went like a dream and the five staff on board – four serving and one changing barrels and so on – were easily able to handle the large number of fans we served.
“It’s actually a cracking unit and when it’s open everyone seems to be drawn towards it as it looks so inviting.
“Apart from siting it regularly at the Ricoh, I’m currently negotiating with some of the country’s top racecourse companies about talking it to their meetings up and down the country and it will also be going to many other outdoor events.
“I’m very happy with it and in future when we’re thinking of expanding our fleet we’ll definitely be going for the Ifor Williams Business Inabox trailer again.”
Lee’s new bar on wheels was supplied by Universal Trailers, a family business based in Billingshurst, West Sussex.
Established in 1982, it is the largest distributor for Ifor Williams in the south of England.
Managing director Mark Betts said: “I met Lee at the show in Newbury, where we also had a stand, and he told me he was on the lookout for something much larger than the usual horse trailer for conversion into a bar.
“I said I currently had a Business Inabox back at our yard which could be exactly what he needed. We arranged for him to see it and later agreed a deal.
“It’s the L or Large model of Inabox which measures just over 5 metres in length by more than 2 metres wide.
“He arranged for all the fitting out to be done by a specialist company and he tells me it was a real success when he used it for the first time at the rugby match in Coventry.”
Mark added: “We’ve supplied quite a few Business Inabox units in the past few years, for uses including carpenter’s and marine company workshops and mobile bases for Enduro motorbikes and a film company.
“We’ve dealt solely with Ifor Williams trailers since we started over 30 years ago. We’ve stuck with them because of the quality of their product which has made them the market leader.”
Andrew Reece-Jones, the design engineering manager at Ifor Williams Trailers, was pleased the new venture was proving such a success.
He said: “The Business Inabox concept is supremely flexible and can be adapted to suit all manner of mobile business.
“As a result, there is a huge amount of interest from a wide variety of established businesses and start-ups alike.
“The fantastically positive response shows the business inabox concept has a great deal of potential.”
