Designing Your Dream Outdoor Kitchen

There's no better time to think about your garden's outdoor kitchen than right after the summer you've just had. Whether your current setup worked hard all season or you're planning a new garden from scratch, now is the moment to start designing for next year. Outdoor kitchens have surged in popularity across the US, Australia and Europe, and it's easy to see why, they turn al fresco dining from an occasional treat into a built-in part of the garden. If you're considering one for your own space, read on to see how we design and build bespoke outdoor kitchens from concept to completion.

Choosing a Style for Your Outdoor Kitchen

The first decision is style, and it should suit your home and the way your family lives outdoors. Mediterranean, ultra contemporary and traditional cottage garden are three directions we come back to often, and between you and your designer we'll narrow down what fits.

• Ultra contemporary: porcelain cladding with a slick, bespoke concrete worktop

• Mediterranean: an Egyptian beige worktop, monocouche rendered walls and aged timber doors crafted on site, as in our Olney garden project (see below)

• Off the shelf: if a fully bespoke kitchen isn't for you, we can help you choose the right modular units instead

Picking the Right Location

Location matters as much as style. Functionality and accessibility need to be balanced against a spot that's genuinely pleasing to look at, which usually means weighing a few factors at once.

• Access to services: electricity for a fridge or lighting, water for a sink. In a full garden redesign, cables and pipes can be run underground to almost any location

• Distance from the house: close enough to stay connected to the main kitchen, far enough to feel like its own space

• Shelter: an existing sheltered spot is ideal, but hedging or trellising can create one if you don't have it already

What to Include in Your Outdoor Kitchen

Budget and space usually decide the scale. A smaller kitchen might mean a couple of cupboards, a barbecue grill and a bench style worktop extension with stools, enough for casual gatherings. If budget and space allow, a larger L shaped layout opens up the full package: a generous worktop for food prep, a built in gas barbecue grill with a separate hotplate, a sink with running water and even a countertop gas pizza oven. A fridge is essential for keeping drinks cold on warm evenings, and all of the above featured in our Olney project (see below).

How you plan to use the space matters just as much as budget. If it's mainly for summer barbecues and casual hosting, a small food prep area and a larger social section will cover it. If you want it running all year round, it's worth thinking beyond the basics, an outdoor fridge, a fully functional hob, even an ice maker or drinks dispenser, so your guests have everything they need without a trip back into the house.

Working With Your Garden Designer

If your garden designer has already talked through options with you but the detail isn't locked down yet, that's exactly where we come in. We work with our CAD partner to produce precise plans, so you know the exact dimensions and proportions you'll be getting, plans that are just as essential for the HG Landscapes Woburn team on site to deliver a smooth, accurate build.

Protecting Your Outdoor Kitchen From British Weather

An outdoor kitchen has to cope with everything British weather can throw at it, strong sun, heavy rain and the occasional frost or snow. Resilience isn't optional, it's what keeps the kitchen looking and working as it should for years.

Choosing Durable Worktops and Surfaces

Start with the work surfaces. Stainless steel and tile both hold up well, but stone, granite, marble or quartz, is our favourite. It brings a natural feel that suits an outdoor space and can be treated to stand up to every weather condition the UK offers. If natural stone is the direction you want to go, get in touch and our specialist team can create a bespoke piece built to your exact requirements and built to last.

Protecting Your Outdoor Appliances

Appliances need the same thought. Anything portable, a kettle, a radio, can simply be brought inside when the weather turns, but a fridge or grill is a different matter. Buy appliances rated for outdoor use from the start, an indoor fridge or grill isn't built to withstand the elements and won't last outside. Custom covers are also worth having for whenever the kitchen isn't in use.

Our Stone Partner: County Stone and Granite

For the worktop itself, we work alongside County Stone and Granite, who'll help you choose the perfect stone to tie the whole kitchen together, granite, quartz or something else entirely. Get a quote and start putting your outdoor kitchen together today.