FIELD NOTES / outdoor-kitchens
Plan an outdoor kitchen around the cooking
Map preparation space, appliance clearances, routes and services before choosing cabinets or building a BBQ island.
Start with one meal you regularly cook outdoors. List what you carry from the kitchen, where raw ingredients wait, where you prepare food and where cooked food lands. That list tells you more about a useful layout than a row of matching cabinets.
Draw appliances with their clearances
Use the exact model's installation manual, not its headline width. Allow for lids opening, air intakes, controls and access for maintenance. Gozney publishes a manual index for its ovens; use the manual for the correct model and market.
Do not build a freestanding BBQ into a cabinet unless its manufacturer explicitly allows that installation. A wall or roof that looks comfortably far away may still fail the appliance's requirements.
Keep three landing areas in mind
Plan a place for raw ingredients, a clear preparation surface and a separate place for cooked food. They do not have to be three permanent worktops, but your arrangement must avoid reusing a raw-meat plate for cooked food. The FSA's cooking guidance explains the importance of hygiene and cooking through; its time-temperature options include 70°C (158°F) at the centre for 2 minutes.
Walk the route with an empty tray before fixing the design. If a diner must squeeze past the cook or a pizza peel crosses the main path, move the appliance or seating on paper first.
Plan services with the right installers
Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for a fixed gas supply. Follow Gas Safe Register's BBQ guidance for portable gas equipment. Do not extend or conceal gas pipework yourself.
For mains electrics, use a registered electrician. Tell them which appliances, lighting and sockets you plan to use, and where heat and water may reach them.
A roof is a separate decision
A covered area needs open sides and must never become a closed gazebo. Open sides alone do not override a manufacturer's prohibition on overhead structures. If rain interrupts the cook, do not move outdoor combustion appliances inside.
Planning and building requirements differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Check your council's requirements for the actual proposed work before construction. This guide does not calculate structural loads, foundations or building quantities.