A Peugeot Boxer ambulance that’s now a licensed bar has taken the crown in eBay’s inaugural Conversion of the Year Awards.
Paul White, a bar owner from Liverpool, battled it out against hundreds of other van converters to take the top prize and win a £10,000 cash prize (see video here).
The judging panel – which included George Clarke, architect and the host of Channel 4’s Amazing Spaces – also awarded Paul’s van the title of ‘Best Business Entry’.
Paul’s wife, Clare, applied to the awards on Paul’s behalf as she felt he deserved recognition for his work during Covid. When their bar, The Dog House, had to close during restrictions, Paul decided to diversify. If regulars couldn’t come to the bar, the bar would come to them.
This is how the AmBEERlance came to life, repurposing the Peugeot Boxer as a fully functioning and licensed bar. It took Paul just four days to complete the conversion during lockdown, after which he took it out to serve the local community.
Paul said: “One thing you couldn’t get in lockdown was freshly pulled pints, so the van allowed us to visit our regulars, while spreading a bit of joy. It also allowed us to pay our staff in full while the bar was closed and they were furloughed. It was so lovely to see neighbours buying each other pints to say ‘thank you’ as they were high risk so unable to go out.”
He added: “It kept us afloat; we wouldn’t have survived without it. We were able to source most of the parts from eBay, such as the solar panels, the lithium batteries, and the electrics. It made a massive difference because we needed everything fast so we could get out and see our regulars and other locals.”
The awards, open to anyone who has converted a van, received hundreds of entries, ranging from tremendous tradesmen transformations to the chicest campervan conversions.
The judges, who also included engineering and design company Envisage Group and eBay’s vehicle parts and accessories category lead Laura Richards, managed to whittle the short list down to seven stand-out van conversions from the following categories: Most Stylish Design, Best Business Entry, Best Luxury Camper, Best Professional Conversion, Engineering Innovation, Thriftiest Conversion and Best Beginner Build. Six runners up received £250 worth of eBay vehicle parts & accessories products each.
George Clarke said: “It was an absolute pleasure judging eBay’s first-ever Van Conversion Awards. The story of Paul’s conversion really stood out for me. It’s quite amazing how a simple, humble van can actually save a business and the staff’s livelihood. He hasn’t gone over the top, he kept it functional, getting what he needed from eBay and having it up and running and serving the community in just four days, which is amazing!”
