Beyond the Barbecue – Designing Your Outdoor Kitchen for 2018

Do you love eating outside and entertaining?

Want to transform your garden into the perfect party space?

A high quality gas barbecue might be enough for casual BBQ enthusiasts, but for keen entertainers, serious al-fresco diners and true BBQ masters, a dedicated outdoor kitchen is the way to go.

At Keen Gardener, we’re one of the UK’s leading BBQ and outdoor cooking specialists. In this post, we take a look at how to design the perfect Outdoor Kitchen, looking at what you need, and examining some of the options from the best BBQ brands.

Planning the space

Before you start buying built in BBQs, bar areas and fridges – it’s important to do some careful planning.

Start by measuring out your space, and setting out the available area – you’ll need to ensure you have the space for all the different cooking, food prep, storage and bar areas. You’ll also want to think about the location of mains water and electricity, as you may want to plumb in sinks and add lighting to your setup.

Next, think about the features you want to include. Is it primarily BBQ you want to cook, or do you also want a pizza oven? Do you need an integrated bar?

Outdoor kitchens aren’t cheap – so think about your budget. The good news is that an outdoor kitchen is an investment. It won’t just provide you with the ultimate entertaining areas, it will also add value to your home if you ever choose to sell.

Outdoor Kitchen Components

When building an outdoor kitchen, there are no fixed rules!

With a range of modular systems available, you can build your perfect cooking and entertaining area, utilising a range of different components:

Cabinets and trims

Just as in a normal kitchen, many outdoor kitchen systems are designed to be modular – and are built around cabinets or trims. These provide a framework for your kitchen, with space to slot in your choice of cooking components, sinks, fridges, drawers, cupboards and accessories, bringing everything together.

Grills, side burners and accessories

No outdoor cooking area is complete without a top quality grill. Available in a range of sizes to suit your cooking requirements, these come in a range of designs, including both standalone modules and grills that slot directly into the built in systems. As with gas BBQs, you’ll also find a range of side burners, great for cooking up sauces and sides. You can even find special islands with dedicated pizza ovens!

Refrigeration

If you’re planning on entertaining a lot, it pays to have a dedicated fridge section to your outdoor kitchen. From simple ice buckets, to expansive drinks sections, there’s something to suit every design, requirement and budget.

Sinks

Every bar area needs a sink – whether for washing up or pouring guests a glass of water. From standalone sink units to built-in bar tops, there are a number of different options available.

Storage

With a range of drawers, cupboards, cabinets and bar tops available, you can add useful storage space for store ingredients, utensils, crockery and BBQ tools. Some systems also offer warming drawers – great when cooking for large parties.

All in One Island Systems

If you don’t want to build your own outdoor kitchen completely from scratch, there are plenty of pre-built Island units available. These all in one systems typically include a central grill, storage, fridge and prep area – with some also offering built in sinks and seating areas.

Whether used as standalone kitchens or as part of a larger system, they can be a great starting point for your outdoor kitchen.

Modular Outdoor Kitchens from Keen Gardener

At Keen Gardener, we stock a comprehensive range of standalone systems and modular outdoor kitchen components from a range of the world’s best BBQ brands, including Napoleon, Bull and Beefeater. From clean, stainless steel kitchens, to warm, Mediterranean-inspired stucco effect rock, there’s something to suit every space.

Explore our full range of outdoor kitchen products today – all backed up by our lowest price promise.

Don’t know where to start? Give our BBQ experts a call on 01789 763 336 today, and we’ll help you put together your perfect system.