Coveting the Beckhams' outdoor kitchen? Get the look for (much) less
If you haven't watched Netflix's four-part doco about the world's greatest living footballer (not counting Lionel Messi) and his family yet, you need to get on that quick.
Not because it unflinchingly tells the story of a very ordinary man with extraordinary talent, who somehow managed to keep his head during the worst excesses of late 90s, early 2000s celebrity mania. And not even because of all the beautiful football. But because you need to see the wonder that is David Beckham's mesmerisingly good outdoor kitchen.
Directed by Fisher Stevens, who you might know as obsequious crisis management goon Hugo Baker from Succession, Beckham closes with a family dinner, prepared by Becks and number one son Brooklyn, a self-styled celebrity chef, in the family’s outdoor kitchen.
See, when he’s not managing Inter Miami in the US, David Beckham lives the life of the archetypal English country gent on his estate in Chipping Norton.
Part of that is being able to provide for his family in the style of a Victorian British explorer: in a safari tent, with vintage-style barbecue equipment, and luxury dinner wear, in the backyard.
”On a Saturday morning I just potter around this place. I love it,” he says as B-roll of him doing exactly that plays. “It’s kind of my escape. I’m in here from 11 till 9 o’clock at night, later sometimes, grilling. It’s what I do. I bring my iPad, watch the football.”
His kids give him a gentle ribbing over the amount of time he spends in the tent, but to be fair, who wouldn’t want to spend
time in there? It’s immaculate, wellstocked and overlooks a delightful pond, which Becks also owns. Nice.
The entire kit has pretty deep celebrity roots. It is the product of The Cashmere Caveman Co., the luxury barbecue and safari tent company owned by director and professional cockney Guy Ritchie, who has a passion for fire, and burning meat over it.
The all-weather safari tents can be opened in a variety or ways, making the kitchens usable all year round. They’re fitted with fancy barbecues called WildTables and all the accessories, including the knives, glass cooking cloches, folding chairs, and train-seat-style teak benches.
The Beckhams have what appears to be a double WildKitchen tent, with a WildTable
12, which includes two fireboxes and teppanyaki-style hotplates for cooking on. There appears to be a second cooking station, as well as a hanging utensil rack.
The kitchen seats 12 around the cooktop, so you can grill and chat at the same time. Becks fires up the barbecue with WildKitchen charcoal, a naturally sourced wood charcoal made from collected fall wood, rather than trees that have been chopped down.
Prices for WildKitchen products are by enquiry only, which should tell you everything you need to know about the cost. According to Delish magazine, Becks shelled out a cool £60,000 (NZ$124,000) for the set-up.
While that might put the ultimate celebrity outdoor dining experience out of reach for most of us, there are other options:
How about a yurt-style tent, made here in New Zealand, with open sides, and an opening in the roof for a chimney?
Kiwi company Jaia make kitset yurt packages that can include flues, and consents for erecting them at your property. The tents can be from four to seven metres in diameter, and can have windows and insulation. They do not come cheap, but they are cheaper than Guy Ritchie’s safari tents, and they can double as a sleepout if needed. A basic 4m model is around $14,200 including GST. The basic 7m model is $23,250.
The seating
Guy Ritchie’s furniture is all teak, for durability. So you’ll need outdoor furniture that has the same earthy quality.
Auckland decor store Elle Maison has a 2m outdoor dining set in teak which seats about eight with room at the top and tail of the table to add a couple of Posh and Becks-style thrones if you want. The Ohope teak cross leg outdoor dining table is $2,154.
The cooker
We’re spoilt for choice in New Zealand when it comes to barbecues. I picked the Kamado ceramic grill, because it seemed to offer the same grilling versatility the WildKitchen has. The 21” model is $999 from Trade Tested. Add cast iron grilling plates for about $79. You will need to cook outside with the Kamado, unless you have a rangehood and flue in the tent, or the tent is open-sided. Even then, be careful of fumes from the charcoal, which can overpower you quickly.