Outdoor Kitchen Planning Guide: What you need to know to start bringing your vision to life!

Welcome to our Outdoor Kitchen Planning Guide. Outdoor kitchens are gaining popularity year on year as people look to create outdoor spaces as an extension of their homes. Spending time outdoors has proven to aid mental health, reduce stress and improve your physical health. By creating a space for al-fresco dining it will encourage more time outside during the summer season!

How to choose the right location in your garden

Choosing the right location in your garden makes a big difference in how comfortable, practical and enjoyable it will be. It’s important to consider a suitable place to easily connect water, gas or electricity (if required). Typically the majority of people choose to use the space closest to their house for ease of carrying food, utensils and ingredients, making it more convenient when hosting! It’s also a good time to decide whether you would like to create or choose a more shady space in your garden as cooking and eating in direct sunlight can become uncomfortable. With our ever changing UK weather, some protection can be very helpful. Remember to include the Chef in the party by keeping the seating space near the cooking zone.

Decide how you’d like to use your outdoor kitchen

This is completely up to personal preference! You can keep it simple with a BBQ and worktop space, or go all out with a bar, fridge, pizza oven, BBQ and grill! Consider whether you would like to maximise your worktop space if you’re going to be hosting for bigger groups or whether you would prefer to add a sink in for the convenience of washing up as you go. Having storage under your worktops allows you to keep everything together, saving you time carrying utensils and crockery outside. This helps to create a more efficient preparation process. Planning your layout to ensure everyone is included in the social aspect (including the chef) is important for a fun and inclusive atmosphere!

Plan your Layout and Workflow

A common outdoor kitchen layout is a straight wall design- best for small gardens, narrow patios and budget friendly builds. Placing the grill in the centre will give you plenty of preparation and worktop space either side. It is easy to install and requires little space to create, simply becoming an addition to your current garden seating spaces.

An L Shaped worktop is most suited to medium gardens, connecting two counters together. It creates a more sociable cooking space and additional preparation space if you’re hosting bigger groups of family and friends. This allows you to have a BBQ/grill on one side and a pizza oven/ sink or fridge on the other. It is a more natural cooking zone!

For serious cooking and al-fresco dining a U shaped kitchen is a popular choice. It is best suited to bigger garden spaces and can incorporate a bar, storage, fridge, pizza oven, grill, sink and still have plenty of worktop space. It is an efficient cooking layout with everything within reach because you have maximised the workspace.

Some people prefer to have an Island layout. This enables you to have bar seating around the island, storage underneath and a grill in the centre. Everyone can get involved in the cooking, creating a brilliant space for hosting and a modern look for your garden.

A great feature!

What worktops work best for outdoor kitchens?

One of the most important things to consider is your worktops. They have to withstand the changing UK weather conditions throughout the seasons. Materials such as quartz and marble would wear incredibly quickly making them an unsuitable choice for outdoor use. We would always recommend Granite or Sintered Stone (such as Dekton) for your outdoor kitchen worktops. Granite and Sintered Stone are both:

• UV Resistant
• Scratch Resistant
• Hygienic
• Low Maintenance
• Heat Resistant
• Sintered Stone is waterproof
• Granite is non-porous when sealed (yearly re-sealing is required).

Granite and Sintered Stone are both also hygienic for food preparation and are easily cleaned with hot, soapy water. They have a high resistance to stains and scratches and are easy to maintain compared to wood and other surfaces.

Granite and Sintered Stone come in various designs and colours, all at different prices so you can be sure to find the perfect material to suit your budget.

Choose your essential appliances and plan your utilities early

Choose the location of your essential appliances early means you can ensure you’re able to connect to the water, gas and electric (if required). Choosing the location of your appliances to avoid BBQ smoke blowing into guests is always best where possible. Keeping away from low tree branches and fences/ structures for safety is important.

Set a realistic budget for your outdoor kitchen

An important feature in our outdoor kitchen planning guide! Once you have an understanding and vision of how you’re going to use your outdoor kitchen and what appliances you’d like to include you can then start to understand how much you’ll need to invest. A basic set up for a smaller garden can cost around £2500. A bigger and higher end kitchen would be upwards of this cost. You can reduce the cost by using granite offcuts from our yardstock range or by keeping the appliances simple. You can also choose weather-resistant materials to fit your budget when building the structure. Consider possible installations including electrical outlets, gas lines, lighting, water supply and drainage which will add on additional costs depending on the complexity.

Adding a 10-20% contingency to your budget is a good rule.

Check Planning Permission and Regulations

The majority of outdoor kitchens in the UK fall under ‘permitted development’. This means you can build them without needing planning permission as long as they meet the rules and requirements. This is usually the case for simple set ups. It is always worth checking to ensure your design would meet the requirements otherwise you may need planning permission to complete your project. Please also check the building regulations if you’re looking to install new connections, drainage and new foundations. Please always check before committing to your design!

Work with experienced builders and stonemasons

Working with experienced builders to create the foundations of your design will aid a smooth installation and ensure all your requirements are met at a high standard. They can also ensure it will be safe and convenient to use.

For your stone worktops please give us a call and we can provide further information about the process. Our team can answer any questions you may have about our outdoor kitchen planning guide and supply the most suitable and quality stone for the job. We can talk you through different options ensuring your vision and budget are met and that templating, manufacture and installation all runs smoothly. We’re here to help! Check out our Granite and Sintered Stone Material Galleries to view a range of material or Book Your Visit to our showroom to view a wider range of samples.

Contact Us today for your free outdoor kitchen worktop quote!

Find out more about how our services and how it all works at Eaton Stonemasons.