•RENOVATION GUIDE
ENJOY YOUR SUMMER WITH SOME SERIOUS ALFRESCO COOKING KIT
Choosing an outdoor kitchen and pizza oven for your garden for summer entertaining days
Long lazy lunches and balmy evening soirées outside in the garden are what summer was made for. If you’ve progressed beyond the portable pizza oven and want to cultivate your culinary prowess, or just make outside entertaining easier and more elegant, here’s what you need to know about creating an outdoor kitchen.
WHAT SHOULD I CONSIDER?
As well as your budget, think about how often you’re likely to entertain outdoors, how many people you tend to cater for and what you like to cook or eat. Also, consider the size of space you have as this will determine the type and size of grill, burner or pizza oven you go for.
A compact kamado grill (an insulated, egg-shaped grill with a hinged lid) for example, will roast, barbecue, and bake pizza. Many wood-fired pizza ovens, meanwhile, will cook more than just a single margerita, some baking five pizzas or other dishes at the same time. ‘It’s possible to roast a chicken, trays of vegetables and even bread in our larger models,’ says Gavin Prosser, managing director of
The Stone Bake Oven Company.
WHAT ELSE DO I NEED?
Would you like to be able to prepare food or serve cold drinks outside, stack plates and utensils, and have your seasonings to hand? In which case, consider how many shelves or cupboards you need, plus a worktop. You might even want to include a sink and tap, achievable if you already have an outside cold water supply. If you can’t manage without hot water, you’ll need a professional plumber. At the premium end of the market are outdoor kitchens with fridges, drinks dispensers, multiple burners, rotisseries and teppanyaki grills
(in addition to pizza ovens and barbecues). ‘Seating and eating, as well as cooking, are equally vital and don’t forget lighting, heating and music,’ says Carolyn Bullivant of Bradshaw Luxury Appliances. ‘Another tip is to have recycling bins for the rubbish.’
WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO LOCATE MY KITCHEN?
It depends what you want to include but a level surface, away from a wooden fence is a general rule. It’s not essential, but if you’d like a sink with running water, a burner for a pan or a fridge for cold drinks, then close to your house will enable better access to water, gas and electricity supplies. A built-in outdoor kitchen will also need a roof or cover to protect it from the elements. However, there are many modular designs that can simply be wheeled away and stored when not in use, too. A traditional wood-fired pizza oven can be insulated and encased in brick or sand and cement render to make it more robust, giving you the freedom to build it into the landscape of your garden. Either leave it a natural clay colour or paint it with masonry paint. Close to a herb garden is ideal if you like a sprinkle of freshly picked basil on your pizza.
IS BUILT-IN OR FREE-STANDING BEST?
A built-in outdoor kitchen is a bigger investment; however, you can tailor it to your tastes, requirements and the style of your home, buying just the components you need to create a bespoke cooking station or garden room. Some come as complete packages with a ready-made unit containing a grill, burners, sink and tap, drawers, cupboards and work surfaces for ease. Free-standing kitchens also offer the flexibility to move them or add components, such as a sink or extra cupboard, if your needs change. Also, as you’re not building anything or using mains gas or electricity they can usually be used straight away.
WHAT MATERIALS SHOULD I USE?
Those materials that are durable and can withstand high heat, low temperatures and the British weather are the obvious choice. Go for outdoor 304-grade stainless steel or brick for a kitchen frame and real stone, concrete or tiles for a worktop but check whether they’ll
need sealing. Also, co-ordinate the tones and textures with your home’s exterior and garden for a cohesive indoor-outdoor look.
WHAT ABOUT FUEL TYPES?
For an authentic pizza flavour, a wood-fired oven is the traditional choice and most will grill or bake other dishes, too. The manufacturer should advise the type of wood but generally it must be kiln-dried and untreated or briquettes, so it burns cleanly and efficiently. For grills and burners, the options are usually charcoal, LPG (bottled gas) or mains gas, while fridges, drink dispensers and infrared heaters will likely require a dedicated external electricity supply. For appliances that run off mains gas or electricity, you will need a professional gas plumber or electrician for installation.
HOW CAN I PROTECT MY KITCHEN?
A weather-proof, made-to-measure protective cover is essential, particularly at the end of the summer season when your outdoor kitchen will no longer be in use. In addition, consider a pergola or stylish outbuilding built over your outdoor kitchen, ideally with an under-cover dining area and perhaps even a log store to keep wood dry. This will also allow you to enjoy alfresco entertaining despite any light summer showers. ‘The protection given from a full or partial solid structure overhead means not only can you continue cooking, whatever our unpredictable British weather throws at us, but it also provides a certain amount of protection for the kitchen itself,’ says Carolyn Bullivant of Bradshaw Luxury Appliances. ‘However, remember to allow for correct ventilation if you are enclosing the grill or adding a roof or walls to your entertaining area.’