COALCREST
Outdoor kitchens Plan a usable cooking space before you start building.
By the Coalcrest team · Checked 2026-10-25
A useful outdoor kitchen starts with safe cooker positions and somewhere to prep and put down hot food. Agree the appliances before asking a professional to plan fixed services.
Start with a guide Put the plan on paper Use your own recipe's cooking range and work backwards from serving time, or scale your dough in grams.
Open the cook planner ↗ Cook safely Cook to temperature, not time: these timings are estimates. Use a probe thermometer and follow the Food Standards Agency's guidance linked here, which differs for whole cuts, minced and rolled meat, poultry and pork. Keep raw and cooked food apart and chill leftovers quickly.
Read the FSA cooking guidance ↗ Keep the fire outdoors Never use a BBQ, smoker or pizza oven indoors, in a tent, garage or under a closed gazebo: they give off carbon monoxide, which can kill. Keep children and pets away, check gas connections, keep water or a fire blanket nearby, and let ashes cool fully before disposal.
Carbon monoxide guidance from HSE ↗ Leave fixed gas to a professional Any fixed gas supply to an outdoor kitchen must be installed by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Bottled-gas BBQs: follow the manufacturer's instructions and check hoses and regulators each season.
Find gas safety guidance ↗ For fixed mains electrical work, use a registered electrician .