Properties across the UK are featuring outdoor kitchens and barbecues, reflecting a growing appetite for al fresco entertaining that spans everything from a London townhouse with a built-in gas grill to a converted oast house in Kent with an oak-framed outdoor cooking space. The trend, visible in listings from estate agents including Knight Frank, Savills, Jackson-Stops, Morgan Aps and Fine & Country, sees homeowners investing in permanent outdoor dining setups that rival indoor kitchens in ambition.
In Barnsbury, north London, a period house on Ellington Street (N7) is on the market for £3m through Knight Frank. The property, a Grade II-listed townhouse in a conservation area, retains original high ceilings and ornate fireplaces. Its bespoke contemporary kitchen features Carrara marble surfaces and state-of-the-art appliances, with bi-fold doors opening onto a rear garden. There, the outdoor setup includes a built-in gas barbecue grill and an outdoor fridge — a self-contained entertaining zone just steps from the indoor cooking space. The house, described by Knight Frank as sitting on a quiet, tree-lined road that offers a peaceful village feel close to the vibrancy of Islington, has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a double reception and a study.
Further north, a converted period property on The Scores in St. Andrews, Fife, listed at £2.8m+ with Savills, takes outdoor dining to another level. The property, a traditional sandstone Victorian terraced house, sits on the iconic street running from the 18th green of the Old Course along the cliff tops to the ruins of St Andrews Castle. Its garden includes two separate bedroom suites and a wooden terrace with an outdoor kitchen featuring a Big Green Egg barbecue and a wood-burning stove. Inside, the house has wood-block floors and period fireplaces with wood-burning stoves, and an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area with bi-fold doors. The listing offers five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a reception and a front garden, with views stretching from the St Andrews links to the west sands and Carnoustie on clear days.
The most expensive property among those currently on the market with an outdoor kitchen is Boundary Place in Warninglid, West Sussex, priced at £3.45m through Jackson-Stops. This contemporary house overlooks the South Downs within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The landscaped gardens, which have been “reimagined, significantly improved and extended” by the current owners, include a garden pod, a home office, ponds and a terrace with an outdoor kitchen and barbecue area. The property’s high eco credentials and state-of-the-art technology complement a bespoke kitchen by Bulthaup with Gaggenau appliances and Sub Zero and Liebherr wine fridges. With five bedrooms, four bathrooms, an open-plan kitchen and living area, library, gym and a two-bedroom annexe set across 3.5 acres, it also offers southerly views over the South Downs, with easy access to Glyndebourne, Goodwood and numerous golf courses.
Two further properties offer outdoor cooking facilities at around the £2m mark. Church Mead in Flyford Flavell, Worcestershire, is listed at £2m with Morgan Aps. The house, set in landscaped gardens in a quiet village with a sought-after primary school, features an indoor swimming pool with bi-fold doors leading onto a terrace that has a built-in barbecue. Inside, beamed ceilings, wood-burning stoves and a modern fitted kitchen with floor-to-ceiling doors open onto the terrace. The property spans six bedrooms, four bathrooms, three receptions, an orangery, stables, a tennis court and paddocks across 5.7 acres. Nearby, Wrescombe Court in Yealmpton, Plymouth, Devon, is on the market for £1.98m with Savills. This Grade II-listed 19th-century converted barn, extensively renovated and extended, has a dining terrace with a wood-fired pizza oven. The grounds include wildflower meadows and a lake with a timber pontoon. Inside, exposed stone walls, a great hall with a vaulted, beamed ceiling and an open fireplace, and a kitchen with an Aga create a characterful setting. The property has four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a study or fifth bedroom, a reception, workshop, two greenhouses and a paddock totalling eight acres.
The cheapest of the eight, at £1.35m+, is The Oast in Ulcombe, Maidstone, Kent, listed with Fine & Country. This 19th-century former oast house — a distinctive building type traditionally used for drying hops, common in Kent and Sussex — overlooks neighbouring orchards. It features an oak-framed outdoor barbecue kitchen, complemented by a detached oak-framed outdoor lounge and dining room with a log-burning stove and kitchen facilities. The property has been converted and upgraded, with additions including a summerhouse and garden room, an oak-framed garage, a treehouse and outdoor seating areas. With six double bedrooms, four bathrooms, three receptions, a reception hall, study, breakfast kitchen, drawing room, barn, terraces, fruit garden and greenhouse, it offers a substantial country retreat. The village of Ulcombe is well-connected to Headcorn’s shops and mainline train station, and to high-speed rail services from Ashford International and Ebbsfleet to London.
Just above the cheapest in price, The Hermitage in Malvern, Worcestershire, is listed at £1.5m with Morgan Aps. This Grade II-listed country house offers far-reaching views over the Malvern Hills from a position described as a “West Malvern masterpiece” blending crisp modern architecture with rustic country living. The landscaped gardens include a covered barbecue area leading directly from a recreation room with a bar. Inside, split-level living areas with bi-fold doors, modern wood-burning stoves and a contemporary kitchen with an Aga define the interior. The property has five bedrooms, three bathrooms, three receptions, an office and a double garage with loft rooms, set within 1.3 acres.
The oldest of the properties is The Forge in Henley, Haslemere, West Sussex, a restored 17th-century house priced at £1.65m through Knight Frank. The house retains exposed wall and ceiling timbers and inglenook fireplaces. Its gardens include willow walks, a kitchen garden and a dining terrace with a barbecue area. The property, located in the riverside town of Henley-on-Thames — known for its Royal Regatta and Henley Festival, and offering a commute of under an hour to London — has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, two receptions, a study, a one-bedroom annexe and a workshop on 1.2 acres.
