Outdoor cooking

Turn your garden into a space for cooking, eating and entertaining.

Outdoor kitchens have moved from holiday-home indulgence to genuine garden architecture, a properly designed cooking and entertaining space that lasts thirty winters, not three summers.

At Flourish Landscaping we design and build outdoor kitchens for clients across Kingston, Surbiton, Esher and Coombe, from compact terrace cooking stations in central Surbiton to substantial entertaining pavilions on the Coombe estate. This page sets out what makes an outdoor kitchen genuinely successful in a British garden: materials that survive our climate, brands worth your investment, planning considerations specific to the UK, and the design decisions that separate something you use every weekend from something gathering moss by August.

Designing for the British climate

An outdoor kitchen built for California will not survive a Surrey winter. UK gardens demand materials and detailing that handle frost, prolonged damp, low winter light and the occasional summer heatwave, usually all in the same month.

Our priorities for every outdoor kitchen we build:

  • Shelter that actually works. A proper pergola, oak-framed gazebo or solid roof structure, not a parasol. Cooking in light rain becomes pleasant; cooking through a downpour becomes a memory.
  • Worktops that handle frost, rain and UV. Porcelain slab (Dekton, Neolith), granite (sealed annually) or treated hardwood. Composite kitchen worktops designed for indoor use will fail outdoors.
  • Proper drainage beneath and around the kitchen. The London Clay typical of Kingston, Surbiton, Esher and Coombe holds water; a permeable, free-draining base prevents staining, frost-heave and structural movement.
  • Marine-grade or powder-coated stainless steel. Standard stainless will spot and corrode in our maritime climate; grade 316 is the benchmark for coastal-quality finish.
  • Outdoor-rated electrics by a Part P qualified electrician. Anything else is unsafe and will fail an insurance claim or property survey.

Modular or bespoke: choosing the right approach

There are two genuine routes to a serious outdoor kitchen. Both can be excellent. The right choice depends on budget, garden character and how long you intend to stay in the property.

Modular freestanding systems

British brands such as Grillo (powder-coated steel modules that slot together to create straight runs, L-shapes or U-shapes) have transformed the mid-market. Modules start from a few hundred pounds; a four-module kitchen with appliances typically lands between £4,000 and £8,000. The advantages: no planning issues, no foundations beyond a level patio, reconfigurable as you go, and you can take it with you if you move. The right choice for many of our Surbiton and Hinchley Wood clients.

Bespoke built-in kitchens

A permanent, architecturally integrated structure, typically masonry or render with porcelain or granite worktops, built-in appliances and a substantial roof structure. Budgets generally start around £15,000 and climb to £50,000 or more for the substantial entertaining kitchens we design for Coombe and Esher gardens. The right route for forever-homes, properties where the kitchen forms part of a wider terrace and patio and paving redesign, and clients who want the outdoor kitchen to feel like an extension of the house rather than an addition to the garden.

Brands and appliances we trust

After years of specifying and installing outdoor kitchens, these are the brands we recommend without hesitation. Each represents genuine quality with proven UK service and parts availability.

Grillo

British modular outdoor kitchens, designed and engineered specifically for the UK climate. Powder-coated steel construction, freestanding installation, and a genuinely flexible component system. The leading mid-market choice in our area.

DeliVita

Handcrafted wood-fired ovens made in Yorkshire. Beautiful objects in their own right, and capable of properly Neapolitan results once you’ve practised. Pairs equally well with a modular kitchen or a bespoke build.

Gozney

Dorset-based, used by professional pizzaiolos. The Dome and Roccbox offer extraordinary heat retention and the kind of theatre that makes a kitchen feel alive when guests arrive.

Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe and Monolith

Ceramic kamado grills offer the broadest cooking range of any single appliance: searing, low-and-slow smoking, baking, even pizza. The serious cook’s choice, and a fixture in many of the kitchens we build for Coombe and Esher.

Napoleon, Beefeater and Bull

For built-in gas grills, these three sit at the reliable end of the market. All offer UK service support, parts availability and proper warranties, qualities worth more than any feature list.

OFYR

The Dutch designed open-fire cooking ring with surrounding cooking plate. As much sculpture as appliance, and increasingly the centrepiece of design-led kitchens.

Planning permission, building regulations and gas safety

Most outdoor kitchens in our area sit comfortably under permitted development. There are exceptions and details worth knowing before you commit to a design.

  • Permitted development limits. Any covered structure within two metres of a boundary must not exceed 2.5 metres in height. Beyond two metres from the boundary, you can go up to three metres (flat roof) or four metres (pitched). The structure must not cover more than half the garden.
  • Listed buildings and conservation areas. Properties in the Coombe Hill Conservation Area, the Esher Conservation Area and listed buildings throughout the borough will need additional consents. We routinely manage these applications on behalf of clients.
  • Building regulations. Structures over 30 square metres may require Building Control approval. Most domestic outdoor kitchens sit well under this threshold.
  • Gas connection. Any work connecting mains gas or LPG to a fixed appliance must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer in line with the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Non-compliance is a criminal offence and will invalidate household insurance.
  • Electrical work. Outdoor sockets, lighting circuits and appliance supplies must comply with Part P of the Building Regulations and be certified by a registered electrician.

We handle planning enquiries with the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Elmbridge Borough Council (covering Esher, Thames Ditton and Hinchley Wood) and neighbouring authorities as a routine part of our outdoor kitchen projects.

Materials that survive a British winter

The right material specification is the difference between an outdoor kitchen that looks impeccable in year ten and one that looks shabby in year three.

  • Worktops: porcelain slab (Dekton or Neolith) is now the leading choice, frost-proof, UV-stable, scratch-resistant and available in large-format pieces that minimise joints. Granite remains a reliable second option, sealed annually. Avoid composite worktops marketed for indoor use.
  • Cabinetry: powder-coated marine-grade aluminium, grade 316 stainless steel, or solid masonry with rendered or stone-clad finish. Reclaimed timber works visually but demands annual maintenance.
  • Cladding and surrounds: Yorkstone, Portland stone or reconstituted stone for traditional gardens; honed basalt or porcelain cladding for contemporary schemes.
  • Flooring beneath and around: porcelain paving with appropriate falls for drainage. Permeable jointing improves performance on London Clay sites prone to surface water.
  • Roof structure: oak-framed pergolas with louvred or fixed roof panels, or insulated solid roofs for fully sheltered cooking. A clear polycarbonate roof is the cheapest solution and the one that most clients later regret.

Bars, drinks stations and the social dimension

The best outdoor kitchens are designed for the cook to stay in the conversation, not stand with their back to it. A few details that consistently work:

  • Bar seating along an island. Guests sit opposite, drinks in hand, while the cook works.
  • Built-in outdoor-rated fridges and wine coolers. Model selection matters; many domestic fridges fail when sited outdoors even under cover.
  • A dedicated drinks station with sink, ice well and shelving keeps the cooking area uncluttered.
  • Considered lighting. Low-glare task lighting over the grill, warm-white ambient lighting for the seating area, and architectural uplighting on surrounding trees or planting.

Heating for year-round use

In the British climate, heating extends usable months from four to nine. The options worth considering:

  • Wood-burning or gas fire pits and fire tables. Focal point, heat source and informal cooking surface in one piece.
  • Infrared overhead heaters. Efficient, instant warmth without the carbon footprint of a patio gas burner.
  • Retractable side screens or glass walls. Useful for pergola-covered kitchens that need protection from prevailing winds.
  • Properly sited masonry chimney and flue. For built-in pizza ovens or open fires, sized for draw and clear of overhanging branches.

Integrated herb and edible planting

A well-designed outdoor kitchen sits within planting that connects it to the rest of the garden. The most useful edible plants for cooking at arm’s reach:

Dining spaces that work with the kitchen

The cooking area and the dining area are two halves of the same room. We treat them together from the first sketch.

  • Pergola-covered or solid-roofed dining areas that sit adjacent to (but not under) the cooking zone, so fumes and smoke are kept out of the seating space.
  • Substantial outdoor dining furniture in teak, powder-coated aluminium or reconstituted stone. Domestic indoor-outdoor sets do not survive a Coombe winter.
  • A fire table or fire pit as the focal point, sized for the seating arrangement around it.
  • Soft, glare-free lighting at table level, the difference between a beautiful evening and squinting at supper.

Outdoor kitchens in Kingston, Surbiton, Esher and Coombe

Each part of our area brings its own design considerations. Surbiton and Norbiton gardens, often compact Victorian or Edwardian terraced plots, typically suit modular kitchens against a sunny boundary wall, with planning constraints around overlooking. Kingston Hill and Coombe properties usually have the space and architectural weight for substantial bespoke pavilions; conservation area consents commonly apply. Esher and Hinchley Wood sit somewhere in between, with KT10 properties often combining contemporary architecture with mature gardens that benefit from a fully integrated outdoor room. We work across all of it.

Final thoughts

A good outdoor kitchen is not a barbecue with a roof over it. It is a properly designed extension of the home, built in materials chosen for our climate, with appliances from brands that will still be servicing parts in fifteen years. Get the design right at the beginning, and it becomes one of the most-used spaces in the entire property.

Let’s create your perfect garden

Flourish Landscaping designs and builds outdoor kitchens across Kingston, Surbiton, Esher, Coombe and the surrounding KT postcodes, from modular Grillo installations on compact terraces to fully bespoke entertaining pavilions with masonry pizza ovens, kamado integration and integrated planting. We work with Gas Safe registered engineers and Part P qualified electricians as standard, manage planning enquiries on your behalf, and design every kitchen as part of the wider garden rather than as a bolted-on feature.

Contact us today to arrange a consultation and start transforming your garden into the perfect outdoor space for you and your family.

Company owner/director

Craig is the founder of Flourish Landscaping and has spent nearly 40 years working in the gardening and landscaping industry. He holds a degree in Horticulture from the University of Bath and is known for his deep, practical knowledge of plants, soils, and garden construction. On this blog, he shares clear, experience-led advice based on what really works in gardens across Kingston, Surbiton, Richmond and Surrey.

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