When the sunny days and balmy evenings of the warmer months roll around, there’s nothing better than a bit of al fresco dining. So why not take it to the next level and engage in some al fresco cooking too? Outdoor kitchens are becoming increasingly popular, extending your living space by creating a seamless continuation between the indoors and outdoors. If you’re looking for outdoor kitchen ideas, here are a few features you may want to consider introducing in your garden.
Create an outdoor cook area
First off, find yourself a BBQ that not only cooks your food to perfection, but will look incredible in your garden kitchen too. No kitchen is complete without cooking facilities, and a BBQ always makes a great centrepiece for garden socialising.
Our BBQ collection features good-looking stainless steel models that offer the flexibility of either gas and charcoal grills and even the option to use both at the same time. With an easy to clean grill system, these al fresco cooking heroes ensure you can spend more grilling and less time prepping. They make perfect outdoor cooking stations, with plenty storage potential and you’ll be well equipped to whip up a feast with family or friends.
Fit some outdoor kitchen cabinets
To really transform your space into a proper outdoor barbecue kitchen area, add some kitchen units or an outdoor kitchen island. This will provide you with essential food preparation space so you can cook from scratch, and also allow you to store your utensils and tableware, and make sure everything you need is in easy reach.
Concrete or marble topped kitchen units are usually the best options for outside use, if they’re likely to be exposed to the elements. If you’re building your outside kitchen area under cover, however, you’ll have more flexibility to consider wooden outdoor kitchen worktops and other materials. Our Long Island BBQ is also available with an integrated storage cabinet which gives the appearance and soft warmth of wood but is actually aluminium handpainted to look like natural wood grain.
Arrange a garden table and chairs set
When there’s food to be eaten, you’ll need somewhere to sit down and savour it. Add an outdoor kitchen table and seating to your space, so you can gather with your nearest and dearest for food, drinks and socialising. Depending on the style that you’re after, you may want to consider a comfortable corner dining set with sofa seating, a relaxed wooden dining set with bench seating or an elegant arrangement of a long farmhouse style table paired with rattan chairs.
Add warmth and atmosphere with a garden firepit
Fire pit sets or chimineas are amazing for creating atmosphere in your outdoor space, plus they offer the added benefit of generating heat and a bit of light when the night draws in. You can find garden furniture with fire pits built in (such as a table with a fire pit), but free-standing models give you the flexibility to place it wherever suits your outdoor kitchen design best.
Will an outdoor kitchen add value to a home?
If you’re hoping to add some value to your property, a permanent outdoor kitchen could be a great feature. As they’re becoming increasingly desirable, you could be looking at a 50 per cent return on investment, if not 100 per cent, when the time comes to sell up. Of course, once you’ve created a gorgeous al fresco cooking and dining area, we can’t promise you won’t just want to stay!
Hopefully this has provided you with some inspiration to create your dream garden kitchen, so that you can enjoy outdoor dining opportunities that are both practical and stylish.