Richard the hut maker and his shepherd's huts
Richard’s huts can be used for all kinds of things (Picture: Plankbridge / SWNS)

A luxury hut maker is busier than ever before because of the pandemic.

Richard Lee who is co-founder of Plankbridge – a company that makes bespoke shepherd’s huts – says demand has soared due to our new working from home lifestyles.

Enquiries for the huts increased by 70% last year and company turnover rose by a huge 30%.

The business offers two different types- the Snug and the wider Cabin – and both are customisable, so can be used for garden offices, saunas, meditation spaces and more.

Prices for these top-of-the-range huts typically start from £22,500 and many can be equipped with kitchens or showers depending on the client’s needs.

a green hut in the garden
It makes a lovely addition to a garden (Picture: Plankbridge / SWNS)
an office setup
What a WFH set-up (Picture: Plankbridge / SWNS)
a hut at a luxury resort
The huts have been used by luxury hotel chains and glamping sites (Picture: Plankbridge / SWNS)

You might already recognise these containers from luxury hotels and glamping sites.

This is because Plankbridge has previously worked with National Trust properties, The Pig hotels and Historic Royal Palaces – some of the aesthetically-pleasing products have even been sent over to the USA.

But they’re very much available as garden features, too.

a green hut in a garden
Business for these adorable huts is booming (Picture: Plankbridge / SWNS)
the inside of one of the huts
They can be used for business or leisure (Picture: Plankbridge / SWNS)

The business currently employs 24 members of staff who work on around 10 handmade huts at a time – with each one taking from six weeks to complete.

In a bid to keep things local, the team also gets all the timber and fixings from suppliers within a 10-mile radius from its Dorset HQ.

a desk setup
A little place to retreat to (Picture: Plankbridge / SWNS)
a blue hut in a garden
So many styles to choose from (Picture: Plankbridge / SWNS)
Luxury hut maker Richard Lee who has reported a 30 per cent rise in turnover as Brits create posh offices in their gardens. See SWNS story SWBRhut. Plankbridge manufactures bespoke shepherd???s huts (pictured) which have kitchens and showers along with a starting price of ??22,500 - exporting them as far as the USA and Switzerland. In recent years, they have experienced an uptick in orders from people looking to cash in on their land by launching boutique staycation companies. But over the past 12 months, as people have been forced to work from home, there has been a surge in interest from customers looking to create an office in their garden.
Richard has been super busy (Picture: Plankbridge / SWNS)

Richard launched the business with his partner Jane Dennison in 2000.

He said: ‘The demand for our huts was certainly bolstered by lockdowns, working from home and the need for extra space to hunker down in.

‘While we are busy, and remain positive, I feel a lot of sympathy for all those businesses so badly affected.

‘At least we are helping many hospitality venues to hit the ground running as soon as restrictions are lifted.’

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