17 October 2025 | Cantilever Bar Systems Ltd

In The Mix October

All the latest news from our design studio.


What’s New - Oktoberfest!

This week our director Lottie (who is based in Germany) has been visiting Oktoberfest - both for business and pleasure!

Around 6 million people visit each year, with over 7 million litres of beer consumed! It runs for around 2 weeks and has temporary structures built, with each tent specialising in different beers. Some of the larger tents can seat up to 11,000 people.

The main focus at Oktoberfest is of course Beer, and for the Cantilever team it is always fascinating to see how it operates. Within the tents there are no 'walk up bars', only table service is on offer and the beer is poured in the back of house areas.

Dirty glasses are returned and fed through a pass-thru glasswasher, and they quickly come out the other side clean. The steins are ready for a litre of beer to be poured in and are whisked away by the staff to take over to the tables

It is an incredibly streamlined operation, catering to huge amounts of people over the course of 12 hours!

 

Topic Of The Month - Event Bar by Cantilever

At Cantilever, we are known for designing and installing one-of-a-kind cocktail bars that set the stage for unforgettable experiences! However, we also understand that sometimes you need a statement piece that’s ready to perform, without the lead times of a fully bespoke build.

In the summer of 2019 we began developing the Bar Collection by Cantilever – a series of off-the-shelf bar solutions that are ready to bring the Cantilever experience to your home or venue, at a fraction of the lead time. The Bar Collection started with Garden Bar, which was designed for a domestic setting to make the most of your outdoor space. Since then, the collection has expanded to include Event Bar and Mobile Bar intended for commercial venues. We have continued to develop the Bar Collection through product testing and Client feedback – leading to the fantastic offering we have today!   

This summer we made the most of the beautiful weather, and took the opportunity to photograph our latest version of the Bar Collection – focusing on Event Bar.

Now captured in our latest photography, one of Event Bar’s best loved features is the customisable cladding - which allows you to adapt the exterior to perfectly reflect your brand, event theme, or personal aesthetic. Whether you’re looking for a clean minimalist finish, bold graphics, or a seasonal design, the bar becomes a canvas for your creativity!

Why choose Event Bar?

Fast turnaround – Have your bar delivered and set up in record time.

Endlessly adaptable – Swap out the cladding to refresh your look for different events.

High-quality craftsmanship – Manufactured in the UK and built to the same exacting standards as our bespoke bars, ensuring durability and elegance.

Cost-effective – Create a premium focal point without the investment of a custom build.

Brand-ready – Ideal for launches, festivals, and private functions where your identity needs to shine.

Whether you’re an Event Planner, Venue, or Brand looking to make a lasting impression, Event Bar delivers both beauty and practicality. Event Bar shares design features with our well-loved underbars, including; sink with swivel tap and chopping board, insulated ice well with removable dividers and gratings for easy cleaning, hook on garnish rail, bin chute and large low level shelf for plenty of storage. The bar can be situated outdoors, which helps venues make the most of their space!   

With its flexibility and craftsmanship, this bar ticks all the boxes!It’s your stage, your story, your style, brought to life.



 

Project Focus - The Thirsty Elephant, Pontyclun

This summer we have had the pleasure of designing, manufacturing and installing a beautiful full build cocktail bar as part of a wider renovation at The Thirsty Elephant, South Wales. This venue is the beating heart of the town, offering carefully crafted food and drinks, live music, and social activities such as the running club. The Thirsty Elephant operates as a cafe and restaurant during the day, with a cocktail service in the evening. They have also developed their own specialty blend of coffee, and take great pride in their coffee service!

Cantilever had the opportunity to work directly with the client and his experienced bar team on this project to develop a bespoke underbar solution which could be flexible in adapting to different bar ops during the day and night.

Once the underbar and bar ops were confirmed, we were able to turn our attention to the look and feel of the bar. The client had a keen eye for design, and we were inspired by his venue and material palette. We went for a warm, earthy feel to the bar, creating a welcoming space to unwind and socialise.

The bar features reeded oak front panels, patinated brass bar plinths and side panels, a statement oak backfitting making the most of the ceiling height, and a patinated brass gantry above the bar for extra storage. As our bars and joinery pieces are bespoke, we were able to use every inch of space available, and work with existing building features (such as alcoves etc), allowing us to maximise storage while respecting the character features of the building.

Every element of the bar was carefully considered and custom-built to suit the client’s vision. The result is a highly capable bar that balances functionality for the team with a captivating aesthetic for guests, a space designed to impress.

Our Designer, Alice was the Lead Designer on this project;“Being based in South Wales myself, I was so excited when this project came in! I have loved being able to visit the venue often and compare samples on site with the client. I have also thoroughly enjoyed working on the interior design aspect of this bar, and creating rendered visuals to bring the design to life. It’s been a pleasure working on a local project with such an enthusiastic and knowledgeable Client and Bar Team. I am really looking forward to visiting the venue with friends from a customer perspective and seeing how the team add The Thirsty Elephant flair to the bar!”

We hope to share photography of this beautiful project very soon, so stay tuned!