Oil drum salesman cooks up a bright idea for his Saltney business over a lockdown BBQ

An oil drum salesman is growing his business by turning brand new 45-gallon steel drums into barbecues and outdoor furniture pieces.

Nathan Pearson came up with the idea during a meeting round a barbecue last year and has since outgrown his back garden and rented storage unit to take over a new premises in Saltney.

He has upgraded from renting a Lock Stock Self Storage unit on River Lane to buying a 40-foot unit from the same company to store a number of the steel drums.

“Originally it was an online business selling the drums and using a storage unit at Lock Stock’s site and my back garden but we outgrew that and over a business meeting round the barbie we came up with this idea,” said Nathan.

“We can also make the drums into tables and chairs because they’re ideal for outdoor garden furniture – they’re tough and durable, and they can easily be printed with company logos or designs.

“Early this year we had an order for 100 tables from a rum company which was unfortunately cancelled when lockdown came in but I’m hopeful they’ll be back.

“I think the idea is right for the difficult times we’re living through because people want to be outdoors because it’s easier to meet up that way and what could be better than to socialise around a barbecue where it’s nice and warm.”

Mike Trow, Lock Stock Site Manager for North East Wales and Chester, said: “Nathan has been really inventive and seen a great opportunity here.

“He used to rent with us but once he saw the opportunity for his business to grow he moved into these premises just down the road and bought one of our storage units which he had painted up.

“It’s perfect for him and makes a great backdrop to his outdoor seating and barbecue area.”

The drums are reconditioned, meaning they were previously lined with plastic bags inside to store edible liquids before being steam cleaned, de-dented and repainted to look new again.

Nathan and his team now have enough space to carry out their work and plans are in place for the outdoor area such as a barbecue school and open-air weekend catering stalls.

Nathan said: “We have a network of people with the skills to make this all happen and our plan now is to get a bit more wacky and come up with some more ideas for the space we have here.

“We’ve already developed a plancha hotplate to cook on top of the coals and we supply barbecue consumables like charcoal, smoking woods and seasonings.

“It would be great to bring in some local independent businesses to make this a hub for outdoor cooking and eating.”

Lisa James, of Lock Stock, said: “Containers are really versatile and ideal for so many different uses and we’re finding there has been a real surge in demand for them.

“An advantage of buying outright is that you can also paint the exterior to your own taste including having your company branding if you are launching your own business.

“Our containers have so many uses, one is even an indoor coffee bar, and with our specialist lorry we can deliver units up to 40 feet long and can also arrange to move them to different site locations.”

Nathan’s oil drum barbecues start at around £200 – for more information on them, and his other services, go to https://www.45gallondrums.com/.