8 Outdoor Kitchen Ideas for UK Gardens
Cooking outside has moved a long way from a kettle barbecue wheeled out twice a summer. More and more of our customers are planning proper outdoor kitchens, with burners, fridges, prep space and somewhere comfortable to sit while dinner cooks.
If you're at the ideas stage, here are eight approaches that work well in UK gardens, along with what's worth thinking about before you commit to a layout.
Why Outdoor Kitchens Are Growing In Popularity In The UK
The appeal is simple. Cooking outdoors means the host stays out with everyone, and the food tends to be better for it. Charcoal, gas and ceramic grills all do things a domestic oven can't.
There's a practical side too. An outdoor kitchen keeps cooking smells, smoke and mess out of the house entirely, which matters on a warm evening with the back doors open. Modern units are built for the weather, so they stay outside all year without fuss.
1. Go Modular For A Flexible Layout
Modular units let you build a kitchen that fits your space exactly. You choose the cabinets you need, a grill unit, a sink, drawers, a fridge, and arrange them to suit the patio.
The Whistler Fairford range we stock works this way, with individual units including grill cabinets, gas cabinets, sinks, drawer units, fridges and corner cabinets, all finished in 304 stainless steel with laminam worktops. Because the units are separate, you can start with the essentials and add to the run later.
2. Build Around A Statement BBQ Or Kamado Grill
A good many outdoor kitchens start with one piece of cooking kit that the owner already loves, and everything else is designed around it.
Ceramic grills are a popular choice here, because they roast, smoke and sear in one unit. We stock the Kamado Joe range, including the Classic Joe, Big Joe, Joe Jr and Konnected Joe, and the Fairford ceramic egg cabinet is made to hold one neatly within a run of units. If you're taking this route, take a look at our guide on designing an outdoor kitchen around a Kamado Joe which will likely be helpful.
3. Choose An L-Shaped Or Island Layout
Layout decides how the kitchen feels to cook in. An L-shaped run uses a corner efficiently and gives you a natural separation between prep space and grill, with everything within a step or two.
An island sits in the open and lets you cook facing your guests, which suits gardens with room to walk all the way round. A U-shaped arrangement goes further again, surrounding the cook with worktop on three sides. Whichever you choose, allow enough space behind for someone to pass while the grill lid is up.
4. Add A Bar Or Breakfast Counter
A counter along one side of the kitchen gives people somewhere to perch, which is where everyone ends up anyway. It keeps guests close enough to chat without crowding the cooking area.
Bar stools tuck underneath when they're not in use, so the counter takes up very little extra room. It also doubles as serving space when you're plating up for a crowd.
A raised counter has a practical advantage too, since it screens the working side of the kitchen from view. Guests see a tidy bar, while the chopping board and the stack of marinade dishes stay out of sight behind it.
5. Create A Dining Zone Next To The Kitchen
Food tastes better when it doesn't have to travel. Siting a dining table beside the kitchen means plates go straight from grill to table, and the cook stays part of the conversation throughout.
Round tables suit smaller groups and keep everyone in one conversation. Rectangular tables seat more people and line up neatly alongside a run of units. If evenings are the main event, a dining set with a built-in gas fire pit keeps everyone at the table once the plates are cleared.
6. Add A Lounge Area For Before And After Dinner
A kitchen and a table alone can feel a little formal. A separate lounge area gives people somewhere to gather with a drink beforehand and somewhere comfortable to sit afterwards.
A corner sofa works particularly well, since it wraps around and fits neatly into the edge of a patio. Our range of elegant rattan seating for outdoor spaces includes corner sofas, casual dining sets and sofa sets that pair well with a kitchen run.
7. Pick Weatherproof Materials That Suit The UK Climate
This is where outdoor kitchens are won or lost. Stainless steel is the standard for cabinetry because it handles damp without complaint, and 304 grade is what you want for long term outdoor use.
Worktops need to cope with rain, frost and hot pans. Laminam surfaces, which is what the Whistler units use, are hard wearing and easy to wipe down. Look for double skinned doors and drawers for extra rigidity, soft closing hardware, and levelling feet or castors so the units sit flat on a patio that isn't perfectly even.
For the seating around it, powder coated aluminium frames and HDPE rattan both stay outside all year, which saves hauling furniture in and out each season.
8. Light Your Outdoor Kitchen For Evening Cooking
You need two kinds of light out here. Task lighting over the grill and prep area so you can see what you're doing, and softer ambient light over the dining and lounge zones.
Keep the task lighting bright and directed downwards, and the ambient lighting low and warm. A pergola over the cooking or dining area gives you something to mount lights to, as well as shelter when the weather changes mid meal.
Planning Tips: Position, Utilities And Costs
Position comes first. Close to the house keeps the walk short when you need something from the indoor kitchen, and it makes running services easier. Think about prevailing wind as well, so smoke blows away from seating and open doors.
Services need planning early. A sink needs water and drainage, a fridge needs power, and both are far simpler to install before the patio is laid. Gas BBQs require a suitable gas cylinder, so make sure to plan for that as well.
On cost, prices vary widely depending on whether you choose a pre-built kitchen or a modular run, and how many units you include. Our pre-built Cirencester kitchens come in 6 burner versions, and interest free credit is available on orders over £499, which lets you spread the payments.
Bring Your Outdoor Kitchen Ideas To Life
The best way to plan a kitchen is to stand in front of one. Our Essex showroom has Whistler kitchens and Kamado Joe grills set up alongside the garden furniture, so you can see how the units go together and how much space a full run really takes.
Bring a rough sketch of your patio and we'll help you work out a layout, or call us on 01268 219969 and we'll talk it through with you first.
