Design Options

At Metal Sheets Ltd, we collaborate closely with architects, designers, builders, and private clients to create stunning copper bar tops tailored for the hospitality industry and private residences. Whether you have detailed technical construction drawings or simple sketches, we’re ready to turn your vision into reality.

Customised feature bar fronts like bull noses, radius corners, built in drip trays, split level bars – not a problem.

Materials

At Metal Sheets Ltd, we prioritize quality by using only the finest materials. Our premium copper sheets are imported directly from renowned German copper mills, ensuring you receive some of the highest quality copper available globally, characterized by an exceptional natural surface finish. With precise dimensional tolerances, our CNC machinery can accurately bend sheets into long lengths, minimizing joints for a seamless look on extended bar tops. We maintain a stock of copper sheets measuring 3 meters in length, further enhancing the continuity of our designs. Additionally, we utilize MRMDF and Birch Ply timber to provide sturdy and attractive support for our bar tops.
An image to the side is a copper bar top we manufactured after years of use at the gastro pub Tal-Y-Cafn in Conway

Finishing

After fabrication, our copper bar tops are sent to our finishing shop, where we seamlessly blend welded areas and condition the copper sheet to a satin finish, eliminating any blemishes from the fabrication process. Customers have the option to either leave the copper top in its natural state, allowing it to gracefully age and develop a patina over time, or to apply an initial patina for a head start on the aging journey, with an aged patina being a common choice. We offer a variety of patinas for copper, but for high-traffic bar environments, we typically recommend either the natural finish or an aged patina. While we do provide durable lacquers to preserve the finish, we generally advise against their long-term use in busy bars, as the beauty of copper truly shines as it evolves with age.

The natural copper bar in this image is in  The Olive Tree, at Lytham

Maintenance

Once a bar top has been finished, whether in its natural state or with a patina, we apply a beeswax polish to provide a final clean and create a seal that slows the natural patina process. Maintaining a copper bar top is quite straightforward. For both natural and aged copper, simply use a soft cloth dampened with water and a mild detergent to wipe away spills and maintain the surface. It is important to avoid aggressive cleaning products. The patina will gradually develop and blend over time. If needed, beeswax can be reapplied after cleaning to help manage the rate of patina growth.

This super long copper bar top we made for J D Wetherspoons, White Lion