Outdoor kitchens are they a good idea?
I am being asked to include outdoor kitchens in garden designs more often these days. Summers are getting hotter and winters milder which means cooking outside is possible for most of the year. Outdoor kitchens are often viewed as a luxury, but you don’t have to spend a huge amount to get a nice area to cook and entertain outside.
I love outdoor cooking. It combines two of my favourite passions – cooking and being outdoors. Having a great space to prepare food and serve drinks adds to the enjoyment of entertaining in the garden. Being outside even on a crisp winter day always makes me feel a little bit more alive, and preparing food for friends, or something healthy for myself is always a pleasure.
Designing an Outdoor Kitchen
The rules for designing an outdoor kitchen are the same as for an indoor kitchen. You need to be able to move in a rough triangle between the preparation and serving area, the ‘fridge and the sink. A refrigerator is great if you have the space/budget, but beware outdoor refrigerators are expensive. A sink is also great and not too expensive to buy and install, but again, not essential and needs plumbing.
The most important element in any outdoor kitchen is the cooking equipment, and there’s so much choice these days. One of my clients did not want a traditional BBQ, but opted instead for an Egg BBQ, some people have both. I have installed smokers, pizza ovens, gas BBQs and dual fuel BBQs - the choice depends on your requirements and preferences. Nothing beats cooking on real coals for taste and creating sufficient heat for chargrilling and searing, but gas is more convenient and instant than having to light coal/wood and wait for the BBQ to reach the right temperature.
Storage is important in an outdoor kitchen. Even in a small kitchen with a built-in grill and some worktop space on either side, it’s great to have places to store your cooking implements, outdoor crockery, glasses and cutlery, candles, place mats, etc. I usually specify the stainless steel cupboard units. I also like to include a set of drawers and a waste bin. You can buy these online and there is a wide choice of suppliers like Draco, Maze, and Grillo. You can also buy units and complete kitchens from B&Q and IKEA.
Things to consider when designing an outdoor kitchen
When I design an outdoor kitchen I build the shell of the kitchen from concrete blocks which are then faced with materials that complement the style and materials used in the garden design scheme. I have used render, stacked stone cladding, Millboard cladding for facing blockwork. I really like some of the newer porcelain tile cladding like Styleclad from Kebur and Designclad from London Stone and they would work very well on a kitchen wall. The stainless steel units are then slotted into the blockwork walls. Worktops can be polished concrete, paving slab, granite, or materials specifically designed for use on outdoor worktops like Dekton. If there is no existing wall to build the kitchen against, I build the rear wall of the kitchen up about 400mm above finished countertop height, so that items don’t fall off the worktop and you can have a backsplash and shelf to put items on like spices, marinades, smaller dishes, and utensils whilst you are cooking.
Including a bar area in the outdoor kitchen design turns the kitchen into a fabulous social space where friends and family can gather, sit, have a drink and some snacks whilst the food is being prepared. It also provides useful additional under counter storage – great for storing gas bottles if you’re using them for the BBQ and outdoor fireplace.
People often ask me how much use an outdoor kitchen will get in this country. The answer is that you can use the kitchen most of the year, especially if you cover the area with a louvered pergola or other structure. If you have infra-red heaters, or an outdoor fireplace there is no limit to the time you can spend in your outdoor kitchen, making it a great addition to any garden. A well designed outdoor kitchen extends the footprint of the house and adds value to the property. There’s the additional benefit of getting fresh air and home cooked, healthy food.
Here are some of our projects
Garden Design in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire
This large garden design around an historic house in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire was completed in 2022. It is a family garden with a swimming pool, pool house, outdoor shower, seating area with outdoor fireplace, outdoor kitchen, kids play area, a timber pergola, vegetable garden, large entertaining terrace, large lawn, and lots of soft planting. It's a perfect space for relaxing and entertaining friends and family.
Front Driveway Design in Woking, Surrey
I design gardens of all sizes and this small front driveway in Woking, Surrey is about to start construction. The small garden designs are often more challenging than garden designs for large gardens. The driveway is quite steep. The clients wanted a wider entrance and to include some planting to the front. We will be re-building the front boundary wall, and putting in new railings. The clients wanted to have something more attractive to look at whilst in the kitchen. So, the side return will have a raised bed and pergola so that plants can be grown.
Cottage Garden with a Contemporary Twist in Berkshire
This small rear garden is on two levels and sits behind a traditional cottage. It will be constructed early 2027. The client wanted to preserve the view of open fields to the rear and give the garden a fresher appearance. There will be a new timber pergola and a small seating area on the upper terrace. The planting scheme retains some trees and other existing plants including a very large Wisteria. The rest of the planting will be removed as it is very overgrown and a traditional mix of herbaceous plants and shrubs will be planted. There will be year-round colour and interest, particulary in the two new raised beds on the back boundary.
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