A Norfolk businessman has been bringing the spa to people's doorsteps after building a sauna in a converted horse box.

What started as a lockdown project has now turned into a huge success for Tom Sutton from Diss.

The 32-year-old said it was his love for wild swimming which inspired the idea to build a mobile sauna – to combat the cold after a dip.

Eastern Daily Press: The Sauna Box is a new mobile business offering a sauna in a converted vintage horse box and ice baths for hire.The Sauna Box is a new mobile business offering a sauna in a converted vintage horse box and ice baths for hire. (Image: Tom Sutton)

And during the coronavirus pandemic, in January last year, Mr Sutton and a friend decided to "go for it".

“I did some googling and roughly worked out what you needed to do to build a sauna,” he said.

“So, we stripped out the horse box and I approached a couple of sauna suppliers. They sent us everything we needed and rough instructions and we somehow managed to put it together.

“At first, we didn’t know what to do with it. We had loads of saunas with our friends but it wasn’t necessarily meant to be a business.”

Eastern Daily Press: The Sauna Box is a new mobile business offering a sauna in a converted vintage horse box and ice baths for hire.The Sauna Box is a new mobile business offering a sauna in a converted vintage horse box and ice baths for hire. (Image: Tom Sutton)

After bagging their first pitch in Dilham Hall Retreats in North Walsham last summer, Mr Sutton realised just how much demand there was for his unique business.

Since then, the Sauna Box has been hired out at various events including yoga and surfing retreats across Norfolk and Suffolk.

At the start of this year Mr Sutton, who grew up in Southrepps, also introduced ice baths to hire out alongside the sauna.

Eastern Daily Press: The Sauna Box is a new mobile business offering a sauna in a converted vintage horse box and ice baths for hire.The Sauna Box is a new mobile business offering a sauna in a converted vintage horse box and ice baths for hire. (Image: Tom Sutton)

He added: “My interest in all of this started when I was living in London about five years ago. I started doing cold water swimming and someone told me to pair it with sauna.

“Before this, I was a project manager for a property developer. It was very different. But I had the whole early 30s crisis so I quit my job and moved to Norfolk in 2019.

“I actually trained to do massage – that was meant to be my main business - but the sauna box has completely taken off.

Eastern Daily Press: The Sauna Box is a new mobile business offering a sauna in a converted vintage horse box and ice baths for hire.The Sauna Box is a new mobile business offering a sauna in a converted vintage horse box and ice baths for hire. (Image: Tom Sutton)

“It was definitely unexpected. But I am really enjoying it. There are so many benefits to cold and hot therapies. It’s nice to share that and help people feel better. It's pretty special.”

For events or to hire, visit the Sauna Box's Facebook page here.

Eastern Daily Press: The Sauna Box is a new mobile business offering a sauna in a horse box and ice baths for hire.The Sauna Box is a new mobile business offering a sauna in a horse box and ice baths for hire. (Image: Tom Sutton)