Outdoor kitchens differ fairly significantly from indoor kitchens, requiring less overall functionality. With your outdoor kitchen, the cooking appliance will be the main focal point and the centre of activity. The top three most popular appliances are barbecues, pizza ovens, and Kamado grills — for instance, the Kamado Joe or the Big Green Egg. There are endless variations of each, and delving into their comparative attributes would take over a few editions of this entire newspaper, so do your own research on what works best for you. 

Consider the type of food you’ll most often be cooking, how you want that food to taste, the size of the appliance, and whether it works as a standalone or whether it needs to be hooked up to an energy or fuel source. I love the Big Green Egg as a multi-functional all rounder that does delicious things to food, looks great, and is — crucially for me, easy to clean. I also love Ooni pizza ovens that sit atop garden tables for a more interactive al fresco experience. But the choice is yours.

Once you’ve chosen your appliance, consider what countertop space you need surrounding it. Some come with built-in worktops, or have custom designed worktops available as additional accessories. Consider whether you’ll be preparing food outdoors and how much space you might need for utensils or as a serving area. Decide whether you want an outdoor sink for easy washing up (in which case you’ll need access to the water mains). Without being stingy, do stay economical here as countertop areas outdoors require maintenance and if you’re as lazy as me you’ll want to keep that to a minimum. Leaves and debris will gather, so don’t create an overly large area for yourself to clean.

Consider also what storage you’ll need. Perhaps none, if you’ll be keeping everything indoors, but you may like to have a set of outdoor dining utensils and crockery at hand. Melamine is the material of choice for outdoor ware — the Carolyn Donnelly pieces in Dunnes Stores are adorable, and also check out the colourful Ikat range at Marks & Spencer. A browse around picnic se

Once you have decided on your main cooking appliance and defined how much countertop and storage space you need, you can start designing the right structure for your kitchen. How much space you have available will dictate what you can build of course, as well as how you want to use the area. The most popular structures are built-in countertops along a garden wall, which provides some shelter while also leaving the space open and airy, making it easy to pop over to check on how those burgers are coming along.

Materials

Choose durable outdoor materials such as brick, tile, cladding, or decking. Be aware that most wood will require maintenance, although some cladding is highly durable — specifically burnt or charred timber, my personal favourite. 

Check out the outdoor kitchen made of burnt larch; see more on Instagram @Victorianrathmines.

If you have renovated or are planning a renovation, using leftover materials is economical and creates a cohesive look. For countertop materials it’s hard to beat stainless steel, concrete, or non-porous natural stone. Make sure whatever you use is specifically designed for outdoor use. Also have a look for second-hand kitchens, as the structure is usually simple and therefore easily adaptable to most spaces.

Readymade

An alternative option to installing a custom garden kitchen is to purchase a ready-made one. A simple and affordable option is the Ikea Grillskär range. Your local garden centre is also likely to have outdoor units, and can advise on installation. A Room Outside (aroomoutside.ie) has an impressive range of premium outdoor kitchens.

Another quirky and fun option is to go for a complete structure such as a small food truck, a caravan, or a garden bar — these are wonderful if you like a little separation from your guests when preparing the food or mixing the drinks, and add a little ceremony to the whole affair when serving up the food. Plus they come with integrated cooking appliances, offer additional storage, and are built to be durable in the outdoors. And they’re cute!

If you’re a Guy Ritchie fan and money is no object, check out his WildKitchen at ccwildkitchens.com. Featured in his movie The Gentleman, Guy designed the WildKitchen himself as a BBQ enthusiast who reportedly often grills onset, feeding actors and crew while they discuss upcoming scenes. It comprises a copper or zinc-topped table with a central wood or coal grill, a flume, a leather “skirt” around the edges of the table to keep heat in and people’s legs warm, plenty of storage for utensils, and an optional surrounding awning. Price is on request.