Outdoor Kitchens

A built-in barbecue is usually a single cooking appliance with some worksurface or storage around it. An outdoor kitchen goes further: it can include proper preparation space, a sink, pizza oven, refrigeration, lighting, power, waste provision and a layout designed around cooking and hosting outside.

Start with how you use the garden.

A family cooking space often needs easy access to the house, clear worksurface area and practical storage. A hosting layout might need cooking, serving and seating planned closer together. Those decisions come before the appliance list.

It depends on the house, garden and entertaining area.

Some outdoor kitchens work best close to the back of the house. Others belong in a covered terrace, garden room or separate dining zone. We look at access, sightlines, appliances, services, shelter and how people move between cooking, serving and seating.

A covered outdoor kitchen can be used through more of the year and gives more flexibility with appliances and finishes.

An uncovered kitchen can still work well in a sheltered position, but the specification needs to handle full outdoor exposure. If a canopy, pergola or garden room is part of the plan, it should be considered alongside the kitchen from the start.

Yes. Outdoor kitchens are exposed to rain, frost, sunlight and temperature changes.

Cabinetry, worksurfaces, fixings and fittings all need to suit those conditions. Materials that work well indoors won’t always be right outside. We’ll talk through the practical trade-offs before a specification is agreed.

The usual starting point is a grill or barbecue. Some kitchens also include pizza ovens, flat-top griddles, smokers, outdoor-rated refrigeration, ice makers or sinks.

The right choice depends on how you cook, how often you’ll use the space and what the layout can support. Some appliances need gas, others need power, and some need more ventilation clearance than you might expect.

Power, lighting, water, waste and appliance connections may all need to be planned for.

These decisions affect where the kitchen can go and what it can include.

It depends on the specification and the level of shelter.

A covered outdoor kitchen with suitable materials and appliances can be used through much more of the year. An uncovered kitchen in a less sheltered position will usually be more seasonal. Shelter, material choice and positioning all affect how often the space can realistically be used.

A straightforward outdoor kitchen without a substantial permanent structure won’t usually need planning permission. 

A larger covered structure, garden room or solid-roofed pergola might need further checks. We aren’t planning consultants, but we can flag the questions to check before you commit to a design

Photos of the garden or terrace are useful, and rough dimensions help too. 

Think about how you want to use the space: everyday cooking, summer entertaining, outdoor dining, or something connected to a garden room. If you already have drawings for a terrace, extension or landscaping scheme, bring those along. 

It varies considerably depending on the size of the space, the specification and whether the project includes outdoor lighting or more involved technical requirements. 

The best way to understand what is achievable within your budget is a design consultation, where we can talk through the options and give you a realistic picture of what different approaches involve.