But this is no ordinary shed. Guests won't be tripping over the mower or sitting on a sack of spuds, but relaxing on elegant sofas and sipping ice cool beers in the 2008 Shed of the Year.

Retired solicitor Tim designed and built the octagonal wood-clad shed around three years ago and kitted it out as a pub.

It has a fully-fitted bar, cane furniture, fridges, a ceiling fan, windows in the roof, a hammock, seagrass matting on the floor and double doors which open out onto the garden.

The former Sudbury rugby player entered the competition on the readerssheds.co.uk website after he was told about it by a friend.

"I think everyone should have a shed," said Tim, who lives near Sudbury and whose previous biggest single-handed construction job was a dog kennel.

"I've got three others too – a mower shed, one for bikes and another for gardening bits and pieces.

"But we have quite a bit of garden and it seemed that this would fit in and be a useful addition.

"We go there when friends come round for drinks and my wife and I use it if it's a nice day."

Apart from its role as a pub and summerhouse the prizewinning shed has a practical side, with lots of cupboard space for storage.

It was an ambitious project for Sudbury Rotary Club member Tim, who is a former partner in town law firm Bates Wells and Braithwaite and ex-president of Sudbury Rugby Club.

"I built it from scratch to my own design. Before, I'd only built a dog kennel and put together a mower shed with my neighbour, but nothing on this scale.

"A friend told me about the competition. I had a look and all you had to do was put the details and picture on the website, so I entered. I was surprised and delighted to win," said Tim, who has a son and daughter and one grandchild.

His win was announced to coincide with National Shed Week, which ended on Friday.

Meanwhile, taxi driver Richard Appleton and his wife Helen have come up with the perfect solution to shed strife – they have one each.

His and hers sheds in their back garden in Bulmer Road, Sudbury, have put an end to complaints that she's moved something and he can't find it.

And when it comes to sheds, Helen is a firm believer in equality.

"It always annoys me when people say a man should have a shed. What about women? We all need our space," said the primary teacher, who has worked at Sudbury's Tudor School for 12 years.

The semi-detached sheds, with their "his" and "hers" slate plaques, are joined by a neutral area with a barbecue.

"When we moved to this house five years ago our old shed was collapsing – I think it was only the cobwebs holding it together.

"So we designed two new ones with a covered area between and I said right away they should be his and hers.

"It works brilliantly. They are both proper garden sheds. Mine is full of really beautiful stuff, wooden tools I never use, nice baskets and a pretty green watering can.

"I won't let Richard put any of his stuff in my shed.