Buying guide
An outdoor kitchen turns cooking outside from an occasional barbecue into a way of living in the garden: a grill set into a worktop, prep space either side, perhaps a pizza oven and somewhere to keep drinks cold. This guide explains the ways to build one, how to plan the layout, the materials and services it needs, and the appliances we sell for it.
What is an outdoor kitchen?
At its simplest, an outdoor kitchen is a cooking appliance with worktop beside it, built or set up permanently in the garden. At its fullest, it is an island with a built-in gas BBQ, a wood-fired pizza oven, storage, a sink, a fridge and seating. Most sit somewhere in between, and many are built in stages: the BBQ and worktop first, an oven or bar later.
Three ways to build one
Bespoke
A built island
A masonry, block or concrete island built to the exact cut-out of a BeefEater built-in BBQ, with a stone or tiled worktop and as much storage as you like.
Ready-made
A steel kitchen
The Firepits UK Complete Outdoor Kitchen combines a 70cm fire bowl, warming oven, worktop and log store, 140cm wide or 216cm with a Dome Oven.
Charcoal and logs
A masonry BBQ centrepiece
A Buschbeck masonry BBQ, about 2m tall with a chimney, as the heart of the kitchen, with worktops built either side.
Second cooker
Add a pizza oven
A Fontana countertop oven sits on a non-combustible worktop or plinth beside the grill: wood-fired, or dual fuel on LPG or wood.
If you want a ready-made gas option with no building at all, the Lifestyle Bahama Island is a freestanding outdoor kitchen BBQ with five main burners, a sizzle burner, a rotisserie back burner, cabinets and an ice bucket in one 2260mm unit. Our guide to modular vs custom outdoor kitchens compares the routes in detail.
Start with the BBQ
The cooking appliance sets the rules for everything around it, so choose it before anyone lays a block. A built-in gas BBQ needs an exact opening, specific clearances and ventilation, and these differ between ranges even at the same burner count.
| BeefEater built-in | Opening | Key requirement |
|---|---|---|
| 1200 series 4 burner | 825mm wide, 540mm deep, at least 230mm high | 450mm clearance to combustibles |
| 1600 series 4 burner | 880mm wide with bracket (830mm without), 604mm deep | Non-combustible enclosure, 40mm gap to rear wall |
| 7000 series 5 burner | 973mm wide (1030mm with bracket), 640mm deep | Includes 20mm rear ventilation; 450mm to combustibles |
| Proline 6 burner | Bench cut-out 1025 x 502mm | Benchtop at least 600mm deep; vent at least 700 x 25mm |
Every BeefEater built-in we sell is listed with its cut-out in our built-in BBQ installation guide. For help choosing the grill itself, see how to choose a built-in BBQ.
Planning the layout
Good outdoor kitchens are planned around how you cook and entertain, not just around the grill.
- Hot zone. The BBQ and any pizza oven, with the clearances their manuals give and the smoke blowing away from seating and the house.
- Prep zone. Worktop beside the grill for raw food, platters and tools. A metre either side is comfortable; less still works.
- Serving zone. Worktop or a bar on the other side, or a counter facing the seating, so the cook is part of the party.
- Storage. Cupboards for tools and covers, a ventilated compartment for the gas bottle and a dry place for charcoal or logs.
- Cold and wet. An outdoor-rated drinks cooler, such as the Lifestyle 50 litre outdoor electric drinks cooler, and a sink if you can run water and drainage.
- Route to the house. A short, level path to the kitchen door for carrying food and plates.
Materials that work outdoors
Anything next to a BBQ or pizza oven must be non-combustible. Build islands from masonry, block or concrete, with a worktop of stone, concrete or frost-resistant tile. BeefEater requires a non-combustible enclosure and several of its built-ins need 450mm clearance to combustible materials, so timber frames and composite cladding should stay well away from the heat. Choose finishes that cope with frost and rain, and slope worktops slightly or seal them so water does not sit.
Never box in a trolley BBQ. Only build in a BBQ the maker sells as a built-in model. A trolley BBQ enclosed in an island can overheat its gas valve, hose and regulator.
What else can go in
- A drinks cooler: the Lifestyle outdoor electric drinks cooler holds 50 litres, with a divided interior, two side shelves, wheels and a UK plug. Lifestyle quotes a cooling range of 0 to 16°C.
- A plancha: the Buschbeck cast iron plancha sits on a masonry BBQ for fish, eggs and vegetables.
- Pizza on the grill: the Camp Chef Artisan insert bakes pizza on a ceramic stone on a BBQ grill, if you do not have room for an oven.
- Wood-fired cooking: the Firepits UK Modular Kitchen Tall Pizza Oven stands 125cm high on its own base and sits alongside the Firepits UK fire bowl and work station.
Gas, power and water
- LPG. BeefEater built-ins are supplied for LPG. Give the cylinder a ventilated compartment with low vents, because LPG is heavier than air, and keep the valve easy to reach.
- Natural gas. BeefEater's natural gas kit suits the 1200, 1500, 1600 and 1700 series. The conversion and the supply to the island must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- Electricity. Outdoor sockets, lighting and any fridge or cooler supply should be installed by a qualified electrician.
- Water. A sink needs a supply, drainage and protection from frost. Plan it before the base is laid.
Heat shields and brackets
BeefEater sells a rear heat shield and series-specific side heat shield and hanging bracket sets to protect the enclosure around a built-in BBQ. The BA70HS bracket set suits the 1500, 1600 and 1700 series and widens the cut-out (for example, a 1600 4 burner needs 880mm with the bracket and 830mm without), so decide before you build. See BeefEater heat shields.
Shelter, pergolas and roofs
A pergola over the seating gives shade and somewhere to hang lights. Over the cooking zone, keep to the manufacturer's clearances: an open-topped pergola is usually fine, while a solid roof or enclosed sides need checking against the BBQ's manual. Pizza oven chimneys need open sky above them. Never cook in an enclosed gazebo or garage.
Planning permission
In England, outbuildings and garden structures are usually permitted development, so no planning application is needed, as long as they stay within limits: single storey, no more than 2.5 metres high within 2 metres of a boundary, not in front of the house, and covering no more than half the garden. Listed buildings and designated land such as conservation areas, National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty have tighter rules. If your outdoor kitchen includes a roofed structure, check its height against these limits, and speak to your council first if you live in a listed building or conservation area.
Building in stages
You do not have to build it all at once. Many people lay the base and services and fit the BBQ in the first year, then add a pizza oven, a bar or a pergola later. Plan the full layout at the start so the base, gas and power runs are in the right place, and leave space and a suitable plinth for the pieces that come later. A masonry BBQ is also a cost-effective centrepiece; our guide to outdoor kitchens on a budget shows how.
Covers and winter care
Fit fitted covers to the BBQ and pizza oven once they are cold: BeefEater makes built-in covers by series and Fontana makes countertop oven covers by model. Before winter, clean the grill and empty the drip tray, turn off and disconnect the gas, drain any outdoor water supply and keep the covers on. See BBQ covers and pizza oven covers.
Why plan it with us
We are an independent UK online retailer selling the appliances at the heart of an outdoor kitchen: BeefEater, Fontana, Buschbeck and Firepits UK. Delivery to England and Wales is free, with large items on a pallet at the kerbside. Send us your plans or a photo of the space and we will check cut-outs, clearances and sizes before you build.
Common questions
What is an outdoor kitchen?
A permanent cooking area in the garden: at minimum a BBQ with worktop beside it, and often a built-in grill, pizza oven, storage, a sink and a fridge.
Do I choose the BBQ or the kitchen first?
The BBQ. Its cut-out, clearances and ventilation set the dimensions of the island around it.
What should an outdoor kitchen be built from?
Non-combustible materials around the cooking appliances, such as masonry, block or concrete with a stone, concrete or tiled worktop.
Can I build an outdoor kitchen from timber?
Not around the BBQ or pizza oven. BeefEater requires non-combustible enclosures, and several models need 450mm clearance to combustible materials.
Do I need planning permission for an outdoor kitchen?
Often not, within permitted development limits, but check with your council for roofed structures over the height limits, listed buildings and conservation areas.
Can an outdoor kitchen run on mains gas?
Yes, with a BBQ that can be converted. BeefEater's natural gas kit suits the 1200, 1500, 1600 and 1700 series, fitted and connected by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Is there a ready-made outdoor kitchen?
Yes. The Firepits UK Complete Outdoor Kitchen combines a fire bowl, warming oven, worktop and log store, and the Lifestyle Bahama Island is a freestanding gas BBQ kitchen with cabinets.
Can I add a pizza oven to my outdoor kitchen?
Yes. Fontana countertop ovens sit on a non-combustible worktop or plinth and come wood-fired or dual fuel.
Can I put a roof over my outdoor kitchen?
An open-topped pergola is usually fine within the appliance clearances. Solid roofs need checking against each manual, and chimneys need open sky.
Can I put a fridge in an outdoor kitchen?
Yes, if it is rated for outdoor use and its power supply is installed by a qualified electrician. The Lifestyle outdoor electric drinks cooler holds 50 litres.
Where should the gas bottle go?
In a ventilated compartment in the island, with low vents and the valve within easy reach.
Choose the centrepiece
Most outdoor kitchens start with a built-in BBQ. Compare BeefEater built-ins and their cut-outs, or send us your plans.