DOES MY OUTDOOR KITCHEN NEED A COVER?

Not all pergolas are covers. In fact, traditionally, a pergola was for style or shade, not protection from the elements. Many of our projects have the kitchen placed under a fixed wood or metal slatted pergola that offers some shade but no protection from the rain. Others have the pergola to one side for sitting under, and the kitchen uncovered. You may choose or reject a cover based simply on how it looks, and that’s okay.

Putting barbeques under any sort of cover comes with a few safety and practicality considerations. Barbeques produce smoke, and that smoke needs some place to go, preferably not forming a layer at about head-height. So you’ll need to consider the permeability and height of your cover, and ensure it’s something that is not easily smoke- or heat-damaged. And you must ensure any barbeque is not placed anywhere it may cause a fire risk. In particular, the open fire of the Chef’s Anvil generates significant heat, which could cause damage to timber or metal louvres alike.

Jerry went to a friend’s for an al fresco meal. An immaculately laid dining table under an immaculate pergola. Dinner is ready and beautifully presented, so the host rotates the louvres to allow some sunlight in, as though drawing back the curtains for the grand opening-night performance. Cue a cascade of winter’s debris onto the party below. Dirt, dead leaves, the full bug hotel, you name it. We’re not told what happened next, but the message is simple – if you have rotating louvres, you will need to keep them clean.

The British climate gets a lot of bad press, both at home and abroad. But this doesn’t stop us buying more convertible cars than any other country in Europe. When the sun shines, everyone wants to be outside. Not too hot, not too cold, everywhere’s green… The Med, America, Australia, India? In summer they can be too hot – great for a holiday, but not for everyday. In Australia, outdoor kitchen areas are often fully-enclosed and glazed so they can be air-conditioned. But the British climate is perfect for outdoor living.

Can the party move indoors?

If you have enough space inside, and your social events are fairly flexible, you may consider simply moving inside if the weather takes a turn for the worse.

No. Your Grillo outdoor kitchen is designed for outdoor use (!) and comes supplied with barbeque covers, so much like your car it will cope just fine with whatever the weather can throw at it. As with your car, if you keep it in the garage, it will need washing a bit less often, and is less likely to receive an unwanted present from a passing pigeon. But for most of us, pigeons and car washes are a fact of life, and the garage is more valuable as overflow parking for little-used belongings and detritus that won’t fit in the attic. So the car stays on the drive. For more info on caring for your kitchen see here.

The doors and rear fascia’s are not designed to seal completely. That said, the worktops are solid porcelain, so unless the weather’s really wild it will be fairly dry inside your cabinets. If you want to keep things in your cabinets year round, airtight plastic boxes are the way to go. Find more storage tips here.

The most important thing is that you enjoy your kitchen. In summer, when the sun’s out, Britain is beautiful, and you’ll be enjoying your kitchen regardless of what you decide.

If you’re unsure, consider finding a pergola that can be retrofitted, then complete your project without it. You can then enjoy your garden, revisiting the cover question should you find you need one, and once you have a better idea of your requirements.