The growing appeal of the outdoor kitchen

For most of us the main ingredients of outdoor cooking are a smouldering barbecue grill, slabs of alternately under- and over-cooked meat and a light sprinkling of frustration. But these days, it seems, there is another option on the menu. Ever since the pandemic, more and more homeowners have been investing in lavish outdoor kitchens – keeping up with the Joneses with garden wine fridges, rotisserie grills, pizza ovens and professional-quality prep areas so they can cook and eat outside in comfort.

The concept has been enthusiastically adopted by the likes of David and Victoria Beckham, who are reportedly awaiting a verdict on a planning application for an all-singing, all-dancing outdoor kitchen at their Cotswolds barn. If approved, their glass-walled structure will be surrounded by wild plants and seating areas for the family and their guests. But outdoor kitchens aren’t only a status symbol for the super-rich – a recent study by Uswitch found that they have become one of the UK’s most popular home improvement projects, ranked somewhere between installing new windows and replacing the roof.

Buying agent Emma Fildes, founder of Brick Weaver, believes it was lockdown that transformed us into a nation of garden chefs. ‘The pandemic accelerated our obsession with alfresco dining and now you will find more houses accommodating a full [garden] kitchen, usually partly covered with a built-in fridge, wine coolers, hob, barbecue, workspace and storage,’ she says. 

Oliver Custance Baker, head of Strutt and Parker’s country house department, thinks hot weather has also played a part. The recent string of heatwaves, from June’s long dry spell to last summer’s record-breaking temperatures, have conspired to convince us that we are living in the Mediterranean. ‘Consistently hot summers will see more people looking to make the most out of their outdoor space, and buyers view these kitted-out garden areas as extensions of their main home,’ he says. ‘Ultimately, a great set-up plays the role of an extra reception room.’

The cost of setting up a garden kitchen varies wildly. At Ikea (no slouch when it comes to picking up on social trends), the GRILLSKÄR range includes a gas barbecue with side burner for £765, a sink unit with shelves and a back panel for £230 and a kitchen island shelf unit for £140. At WildKitchen, the outdoor cooking firm launched by film director Guy Ritchie, around £75,000 will buy you a canvas tented all-weather fire grill plus seating for 12. For that you also get accessories such as lighting, serving plates and a log store, although you will need to cost in adding suitable flooring, a water supply and power source.

Some homeowners go bespoke. ‘One memorable outdoor kitchen had a hog roast spit and a braai – South Africa’s answer to the BBQ,’ says Claire Carter, head of the country house department at John D Wood & Co estate agents. ‘This kitchen also had high-end stainless steel appliances, a custom-built brick pizza oven, a fully stocked outdoor bar, an expansive dining area and a charming pergola.’ 

For Carter, the appeal of an outdoor kitchen is the impression it creates of an enviable lifestyle of constant, Instagram-friendly socialising in the sunshine without the inconvenience of having to trek back and forth from the (indoor) kitchen. ‘They epitomise the country house lifestyle of leisure, relaxation, and appreciation for the great outdoors,’ she says. ‘Most people like country houses for the entertainment factor, so outdoor kitchens very much feed into this.’ 

Opinions vary on whether investing in an outdoor kitchen can actually add significant value to a property, though. ‘An outdoor kitchen is not a deal maker or breaker but is a cherry on top, particularly at the upper end of the market with large townhouses or detached properties,’ says Fildes.

However London buying agent Jo Eccles, founder and managing director of Eccord, says an outdoor kitchen is a ‘huge draw’ for buyers. ‘It sells a lifestyle and anyone looking around the house and garden can instantly visualise themselves hosting on a summer evening,’ she says. On this basis she believes buyers will pay a 10 per cent premium for a property with al fresco cooking options. ‘While a good outdoor kitchen can cost £100,000 or more, it’s a worthwhile investment in a super prime garden,’ she says.

But before you start eyeing your patio and wondering how it might look with a worktop and oven built in beside the begonias, bear in mind that an outdoor kitchen is a toy which only works well if you have space going begging. If it eats up too much of your outside space then Fildes warns that it could end up detracting from the value of your property. ‘I would think very hard about adding anything substantial to a garden of less than 800 sq ft,’ she says.