As summer approaches and temperatures begin to rise, the art of outdoor cooking comes into its own, with chefs and hosts around the country finding ever more inventive ways to cook and eat outside. There’s something about eating al fresco that lifts even simple food; add smoke and coals to the equation and everything is guaranteed to taste better. Now, what was once the territory of camping trips and the occasional Bank Holiday barbecue has evolved into something more considered. Professionals, of course, have long understood what the rest of us are catching up with: that fire is the finest cooking tool there is.
Simon Stallard, co-founder of The Hidden Hut in Cornwall has long championed beach feasts that feature open-fire grills, while at Charlie and Caroline Gladstone’s Glen Dye Cabins & Cottages in Aberdeenshire, guest chef residencies and private retreats see food prepared over open flames in the estate’s woodland and riverside settings. And at Oxmoor Farm in Buckinghamshire’s Chiltern Hills, the Big Green Egg, beloved of BBQ aficionados around the world, has become part of their summer offering, known as Open Fire Thursdays. ‘There’s a great deal of flavour brought by slow cooking over a fire and we love the theatre, the smoke in the air, the crackle of the flames – there’s no better way to enjoy the evening sun than relaxing by the grill,’ says co-founder Harry Hope-Morley. ‘We use the Big Green Egg because it’s versatile, reliable and the heat can be controlled. It also gives the flexibility to cold or hot smoke.’
This enthusiasm for outdoor cooking is also encouraging home chefs to look beyond the barbecue, with alternative setups making it easier to experiment at home. So, whether you’ve a neat balcony, a city terrace or a more spacious garden, there are plenty of ways to bring live-fire cooking to your outdoor dining space.
The Japanese grill
There will always be a place for a classic Weber, but a chic alternative to a traditional barbecue is a Japanese Konro grill – a specialist griddle loved by many chefs. Usually fired by charcoal, it’s designed for cooking bitesized pieces of meat and vegetables directly at the table. ‘It creates a wonderfully interactive dining experience, allowing diners to connect with the ingredients and enjoy the flavours at their purest,’ says Wojciech Popow, executive development chef at Beaverbrook country estate, where every summer guests are invited to cook their own Wagyu sirloin, acorn-fed pork pluma and Spanish octopus on the compact grills.
Rick Toogood, co-founder of Prawn on the Lawn and Barnaby’s in Padstow has also been embracing them. ‘We’ve started using a Hibachi grill,’ he says. ‘These are perfect as smaller models are quite portable and can sit directly on an outside worktop. They’re ideal for a couple of steaks, a large fish or a few mackerel. Because of their narrow shape they’re perfect for cooking skewers. With the kids, we have fun with bowls of veg, meat and fish for them to make up their own. They also come in various sizes, so you can find one that suits the number of people you typically cook for.’ Head to Kasai Grills, The BBQ Experts, and ChefTools to browse a good selection.
Pizza perfection
In lockdown, it seemed that everyone was making their own pizza, but unlike sourdough and banana bread, it’s a trend that has endured and a pizza oven is now a garden staple. Popular brands include Ooni, the Scottish company that pioneered the home pizza oven, and Gozney, which launched the world’s first stone-floored portable pizza oven in 2016.
‘I started the company to share the experience of live-fire cooking and the power it holds to bring people together,’ says founder Tom Gozney. ‘When I launched, if you wanted a pizza oven, you’d have to import one from Italy or build it by hand. My aim was to make it accessible to everyone, from home cooks to chefs.’ Now, his award-winning designs are the oven of choice for celebrities including Margot Robbie, Guy Ritchie, Jay-Z and Gordon Ramsay, as well as the team at Pizza Pilgrims, drawn by its ability to cook restaurant-quality pizza in 60 seconds. Models include the portable Tread, right up to the new Dome 2, that has the capacity to cook three pizzas at once.
South American scale
For the genuinely ambitious, South American-style, live-fire cooking offers something altogether more thrilling, and indeed more demanding. Hardcore open-flame enthusiasts might want to follow the lead of chef-owner Dom Chapman at the new The Jack O’Newbury restaurant and pub in Berkshire, who has brought in an Argentinian grill, commonly called a parrilla. Unlike conventional barbecues that rely on direct flames, these cook over embers, which give a smoky flavour while reducing the risk of over-charring. They also have a height-adjustable grate, which allows you to control the distance between the food and the fire, giving more control over temperature and flame intensity. ‘It’s a much bigger structure than a barbecue and demands some skill to get right,’ says Dom. ‘I love roasting a whole lamb or pig. You start the fire early, attach your meat to the spit and allow it to cook for many hours. It’s lots of fun – I’d take an Argentinian grill every day of the week.’
Try Somerset Grill Co, Parilla Gaucha, Flamery or Fire Made, whose Somerset-based founders Tom Bray and Ana Ortiz have spent a decade hand-crafting bespoke rigs for some of the country's most respected chefs, including Thomas Straker, Marcus Wareing and Jamie Oliver. Ana, who grew up in the Galapagos Islands cooking nose-to-tail feasts over open fire, and Tom also run immersive masterclasses for home cooks at their studio kitchen at Westcombe Dairy, with a new series of dates running through to September for anyone keen to learn the art.
The full outdoor set-up
For the truly committed, the full outdoor kitchen is the ultimate goal – a space where nothing is off limits, and the outdoor set up is as well-designed and functional as any room in the house. Taking things to the next level, at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, Neptune launched Broadway, its new outdoor kitchen. ‘We featured our Suffolk kitchen in 2025 and were overrun by customers asking if it could be used outdoors,’ says design director Fred Horlock. ‘The indoor collections can’t withstand the elements, so we designed one that could. Many outdoor designs are quite contemporary, but we wanted something that actually felt like our Shaker kitchen.’
Engineered using specialist timbers, high-performance exterior paints and a durable UV-resistant sintered stone surface, the design also includes drainage details that allow water to run away. Fred recommends pairing the kitchen with an outdoor grill from BeefEater or a Big Green Egg depending on preference. Olive & Barr also makes a classic outdoor kitchen, and there are a wealth of companies offering more contemporary styles – look at Konig Outdoor, Lanserring, and EO Outdoor Kitchens.
And on the side…
Once you’ve invested in the core kit, it’s worth making sure your tools match up. Ramiro Lafuente Martínez, executive chef at The Connaught Grill, has a list of essentials he swears by. ‘A digital meat thermometer is invaluable if you want to cook meat properly and avoid guesswork,’ he says. ‘One of the best brands used by professionals is Thermapen, which is available online or from specialist retailers such as Nisbets.’ Another great investment is a chimney starter. ‘It makes lighting coals much easier and faster. I like the Weber brand as it’s robust and has a thermoplastic handle that protects you from the heat.’
If you enjoy cooking big cuts of meat, Ramiro suggests choosing a robust pair of grill tongs without silicone parts. ‘Using a fork on meat lets the juices run out. I prefer tongs that aren’t too large as they give better control. The 30cm stainless-steel set by Rosle are ideal. I’d also suggest a triangular barbecue brush with stainless-steel bristles for cleaning off burnt food, and if you have a big grill, Weber leather BBQ gloves offer additional protection when cooking.’
