A Love Island-inspired fire pit and their very own garden pub have helped a couple win a national competition.

Hoo residents Joanna and Aaron Thomas have beaten hundreds of others to be crowned champions of the ‘Aldi-Fresco’ contest, run by the German supermarket giant.

The great green space has bagged them £1,000 of vouchers to spend in the company's stores.

The garden includes the fire pit, a dedicated barbeque space and the ‘The Mulberry Arms’, which was created during lockdown.

Aldi launched the competition as part of its Raising The Barbeque campaign – calling on the nation’s DIY renovators to showcase their outdoor havens.

To help review entries, the firm enlisted the help of Doncaster-based DIY experts Shelley and Ashley Sargeant.

She said: “Joanna and Aaron blew us away with their incredible space, which you can tell a lot of love and energy went into. We could definitely see ourselves having a glass of wine or two in front of that fire pit.”

NHS worker Joanna, 34, and sales executive Aaron have been married for 10 years.

They recently moved into their four-bedroom detached house with daughters Lexi, nine and Ava, six.

Aaron, 33, said: “We had so many issues moving into this home.

"It was stop-start for a long time due to the pandemic, so when we finally got in we really wanted to make the most of our outdoor area.

"We constructed all of this, in what was essentially dead space, for us as a family.

"It’s really opened it up and makes the garden feel a lot bigger.

“Constructing the pub was probably the biggest challenge, we experienced all four seasons during that time.

"There was some help from my dad and my brother in construction but I was left to my own devices when fixing the roof shingles and interior flooring.

“We are so pleased with the results. Not only do we now have an incredible garden that we can enjoy as a family and with friends, but it’s also been recognised by Aldi too.

"Our girls can’t wait to have friends round to visit."

Can your garden beat this? Send photos and contact details to news@thekmgroup.co.uk

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