Counter culture: Why outdoor kitchens should be an option, even in the UK

From firing up the pizza oven to perfectly grilling glazed meats, outdoor cooking shouldn't just be for sunnier climes, says Julia Platt Leonard

Chesneys will kit you out with a complete bespoke outdoor kitchen, that is more like an extension of your inside one

Outdoor kitchens are the stuff of sun-filled spots in Greece, Italy or Spain where people seem to spend more time outdoors than in, right? For them, cooking al fresco isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity for sweltering summer days when it’s too hot to think about turning on the stove. Of course, the grape-covered terrace, complete with stunning views of the ocean is an added attraction.

But outdoor kitchens in England? We can barely light a barbecue before the rain clouds form and the heavens open. But recent hot summers on our shores and some clever new designs mean the great British outdoors – or at least the back garden – is getting a makeover into a Med-inspired kitchen.

Take Yorkshire-based DeliVita wood-fired ovens. The classic domed shape is reminiscent of Italian pizza ovens but company founders Olivia Robinson and Joe Formisano make theirs out of fibreglass so you can leave the DeliVita outdoors all year round without worrying they’ll crack or get damaged. It’s also lighter so you can move it around and fits comfortably on a table top so you don’t need to own a National Trust-sized property to squeeze one in.

Founder Daniel Thumwood works with his father to craft the Harrison solid-fuel cookers that can be used indoors too (Harrison Ovens)

It takes a mere 25 minutes to heat up and a wood-fired pizza is ready to eat in 90 seconds which makes a microwave meal look sluggish. They even have a pizza dough subscription service to keep you stocked up. And you can use it to roast vegetables or other foods too. They’re available in four standard colours plus there is a bespoke colour service. Each one comes with a stack of wood to get you started and a lighter pack. Prices start at £990.

Another company laughing at less than sunny weather is Big Green Egg, a charcoal-based ceramic cooker that can grill, roast, smoke, or bake pizzas. It can hit temperatures from as low as 80º all the way up to a whopping 400ºC. It’s the darling of top chefs like Rick Stein, Raymond Blac, Nuno Mendes and Nathan Outlaw. You too can join their ranks, starting from £599.

Big Green Egg is available in different sizes but all in its signature British Racing Green with a unique dimpled texture. It has a hard-wearing enamel exterior to protect it against bad weather plus a lifetime ceramic guarantee. Now the company behind Big Green Egg has launched OFYR (pronounced Oh-feer) which is a fire pit and cooker. It basically looks like you’re living the dream in California. It uses wood, is made from steel and manufactured in the Netherlands. Prices start from £1,595.

The Yorkshire-based DeliVita wood-fired ovens are made out of fibreglass so you can leave it outdoors all year round

If money is no object and you really want to make a statement, then Chesneys – the company that makes the covetable fireplaces – will kit you out with a complete bespoke outdoor kitchen. You can have the requisite pizza oven and barbecue, plus a fridge, and a sink along with dazzling marble worktops and limestone flooring. The effect feels like it’s an extension of the kitchen as well as a stylish garden room, all in one. It promises to be the favourite room in your home, inside or out. As they say in the real estate business, POA.

For those who want to get down and dirty, there is the option to build your own outdoor oven. Learn how at River Cottage – Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s HQ – at their day-long ‘Build and Bake’ clay oven and bread making workshops. You dig the mud, mould the clay and learn the skills so you can make your own oven back at home. Perhaps not for those who value their manicure but I can’t think of a better way to have real bragging rights next time you invite folks over for a garden party. You learn it all from how to build and insulate the walls, construct a brick archway and hollow out the inside. Plus, you leave with your own loaf of bread, which isn’t too shabby. The next classes are 19 August and 10 September and cost £195.

This charcoal-based ceramic cooker that can grill, roast, smoke and bake pizzas

But if I had my choice for an outdoor oven, I’d choose a Harrison Oven. Based in Ramsgate, Harrison ovens are hand-built to order and are a thing of beauty. Founder Daniel Thumwood works with his father George to craft solid-fuel cookers that cleverly can be used indoors or out.

While a Harrison oven tackles typical outdoor high heat cooking, it can also be used for low and slow, baking, and smoking. Temperatures range from a mere 10-15°C for cold smoking to a hearty 300-350°C for barbecuing meat or cooking flat breads and vegetables. There is an optional base cabinet in stainless steel or walnut and oak for storage and it’s on wheels so you can move it easily inside and out – how clever is that?

If you want a bit of colour, there is the Classic Collection with culinary colour combinations like ‘Kale & Horseradish’, ‘Squid Ink & Moules’ and ‘Borscht’. My favourite hands down, is the Harrison ‘S’, made of pure sexy stainless steel. It costs £6,000 and has a lead time of 4-6 weeks but forget the china and silver – I reckon this is what you should be handing down to the kids.