. . . and the posh new way to keep yourself toasty
A SIMPLE barbecue and a couple of deck chairs simply won’t cut it any more: this season’s must-have garden item is a firepit.
David and Samantha cameron recently revealed they have invested in one alongside their rustic £25,000 shepherd’s hut at their cotswolds home.
every good DIY outlet now sells a dizzying array — from the simple hole-in-the-ground variety to gas numbers complete with synthetic pebbles. So which is perfect for your patio?
Country chic
Ring of Logs steel firepit, £560 plus £48 delivery, Firepits UK, Monmouthsire, via notonthehighstreet.com
POSH people spend a lot of time doing things like hunting, shooting and fishing. They also love congregating in big numbers and braying.
This is why they love a fire pit, which provides the perfect opportunity to stand around.
Their versions will always look as if they are terribly earthy and rustic, but in fact they are eyewateringly expensive to run, consuming whole forests of wood in one evening.
Urban glamour
Price on application from Firetables at Urban Fires Limited, Kew, London, 020 7183 1806.
FAVOURED by the shamelessly super-rich, this is the opposite of a real fire-pit, in that there is nothing rugged or home-made about it all. It’s a neat little row of flickering flames, creating a minimalist urban aesthetic.
The ‘wall of fire’ will be made of expensive materials such as Welsh slate or canadian teak, and finished in simple brushed steel. you won’t have to burn any logs as it is bio-ethanol powered, and covered in smooth glossy pebbles. no wonder it is called ‘Glamm Fire’.
Mass appeal
Tesco small round wood or charcoal firepit, £25.
AT £ 25, this little b lack number is a fire- pit for the masses — it would not be at all out of place beside Jeremy corbyn’s vegetable patch.
There is no grill so you can’t cook anything, and it is not suitable for using on decking, as the little legs can fall through the cracks, scattering burning logs around.
Still, you can just about fit two logs in it, which is enough to give off a tiny bit of heat. or you could just wear your che Guevara jumper.
Upwardly mobile
Durango stone charcoal firepit table, £373.99, wayfair.co.uk
IF YOU’RE a discerning Home counties hostess, this firepit is perfect for your spacious terazzo. At £373.99, it is reassuringly expensive
It boasts ingenious design features such as a steel bowl that doubles as an ice bucket, meaning you can be grilling chicken or serving champagne. And it doubles as an elegant outdoor dining table, made of hand- cut natural slate.
Hacienda heat
La Hacienda Serena Clay Chimenea, £48.15, from homebase.co.uk
THE owner of this haciendastyle ‘chimenea’ has fantasies of living in a hotter climate, like Spain or even mexico.
They will have seen these natty porcelain chimneys on their travels and marvelled at how well their salchicha’ and
empanadas were cooked. So they try to turn their home into a hacienda with one of these Serena clay chimeneas, available for just £ 48.15 from Homebase. Trouble is, a terracotta chimney is fine in the baking sun of Andalusia, but might look less fetching on a cold grey patio in Blighty.
Hippy heaven
Original Kadai on Gothic Stand, from £430, kadai.co.uk
For those who like to contemplate the meaning of life ( aided perhaps by a little herbal inspiration), the fire-pit of choice would be a Kadai, a type of old Indian fire-bowl, as used in the hills of rajasthan for cooking.
Two enterprising chaps from Shropshire have set up the Kadai company, which will furnish you with a firebowl for £430.
or one made from recycled oil drums for just £180. Both perfect for heating up a lentil curry.
Dig your own fire pit
Hole in the ground, free. Pack of wood chips from B&Q: £7.36.
IF YOU’RE mainly interested in playing Apaches, you will want the simple hole-in-theground variety. This is the one you make yourself.
It is probably the most authentic, since the point of a fire-pit is to allow you to channel your inner Bear Grylls and hone your survival skills.
Dig your pit, then fill it with wood-chippings from B&Q.