Outdoor kitchens continue to grow in popularity. James Scott, MD and principal designer at The Garden Company, has just published a blog post sharing his design advice to clients considering an outdoor kitchen feature.

‘There are certainly great advantages. When food is prepared and served outside, it’s easy for people to gather around and socialise with the cook (and each other) before, during and afterwards. Many indoor kitchens don’t lend themselves easily to this. Adding some outdoor cooking facilities is much more straightforward than adding extra rooms to the house!

You can go further too, installing appliances that allow you to have a fully operational outdoor kitchen. However, my overall advice is to keep it simple and avoid replicating your indoor kitchen unnecessarily. Most people still do most of their food preparation indoors even when hosting a barbecue or outdoor party.

You probably don’t need as much work surface or kitchen infrastructure outside as you may think. Whatever the space (or budget) you have in mind, there are certain design considerations to consider’.

Read more about Scott’s ‘top tips’ on creating a space that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing at: www.thegardenco.co.uk/making-the-most-of-an-outdoor-kitchen/ 

The garden featured in the image above was designed and built by The Garden Company – winner of the Pro Landscaper Business Award, in association with Caribbean Blinds, for Garden Design Company.