planning an alfresco kitchen

Magnus Nilsson, lead designer for Blakes London, reveals all the ins and outs

The climate will affect the choice of materials you will want to use in an outdoor kitchen.

If you’re living in Britain you will need materials that can deal with bleaching and heat from the sun, as well as items that cope well during the damp wet winter months.

The best layout depends on what type of chef you are.

If you wish to keep guests or children at bay, an L or a U shape with a counter works well. This helps to create a division between workspace and entertaining space.

Cedar and teak are popular hard-wearing timber for outdoors. However, we like to use sustainably sourced iroko timber.

This African hardwood is a fantastic alternative to teak, particularly for outdoor furniture, as its naturally high oil content makes it incredibly stable and unlikely to crack as temperatures change.

British climates need specialist worktops to deal with UV as well as frost damage.

While concrete and renders work well in the Med, in northern Europe they don’t tend to fare as well. But a polished plaster such as Kourasanit works particularly well and looks incredible. We also recommend a large porcelain tile such as Xtone. Composite stones don’t usually work outside, however, Caesarstone has recently launched a new range specifically for outdoor use.

When it comes to appliances we recommend a sink, fridge, freezer and a stove of choice.

A bonus would be to include a few cupboards and drawers to store outdoor cooking appliances such as tongs and a spice rack.

There is always a debate over using gas or charcoal hobs, many of our clients resolve this by having one of each.

Ceramic charcoal grills such as the Egg or Kamado Joe are very popular, as are the Napoleon Grills, however, if budget is not a problem, Sub Zero & Wolf makes incredible outdoor appliances.

Lighting needs to be well considered in advance so your builders can run electrics to your kitchen before you start to build.

You’ll need brighter task lighting around the grill areas as well as mood lighting in the rest of the dining area. There are many options available, from solar-powered LED fairy lights to bio-ethanol lanterns, but of course the soft flickering of a candle can’t be underestimated.

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