As Dylan sang many moons ago: the times they are a changin’ and that’s never been as true as in recent times. In Ireland we are moving away from the traditional ways of passing a Saturday or Sunday afternoon… Back in the day it used to be go to the pub.. then it was go to pub then go for something to eat then go back to the pub… then it moved to food and pub in the same place (ie the pub)… but nowadays trends have been moving away from going out altogether… staying in is the new going out as they say and that has been the case for the last 10 years or so and with the recent lockdowns and the recent draconian drink driving laws its even more so.
And yes come summer we all have a desire to do our entertaining out of doors…This used to mean trundling out the old rusty BBQ every time you want to stage a cookout and prepping foodstuff in the indoor kitchen.. folk scattered around on various seats, eating BBQ food precariously on their laps whilst kids an/or teens spilling your glass of wine as they stumbled through the seating area… most likely on their devices.
But now we are entering a new age of outdoor dining where the bespoke outdoor kitchen is the centre of the al fresco dining experience.
So just what is an outdoor kitchen? Well it could be as small as a simple outdoor prepping surface with a bespoke table top BBQ covered with a simple pagoda style roof up to a fully fitted outdoor kitchen with built-in bbq, pizza oven, gas stoves, roasting pit, charcoal smokers, outdoor fridges, warming drawers, sinks, etc. Seating areas, islands, counter tops with high stools, bar counter with outdoor lighting, audio and TV thworn in for good measure… basically a fully kitted outdoor kitchen and dining room/lounge area. Instead of going to the mountain you are bringing the bar/restaurant to you. The outdoor kitchen and dining area also adds so much more space to entertain especially if you have a large lawn adjacent to the outdoor kitchen area for overflow and summer games. Add a foosball table to keep the GenZ’s off their devices and its all good.
All in all the outdoor kitchen/dining area is more and more becoming the must have for your upmarket residence… why entertain indoors or have to go out to some stuffy bar/restaurant on a beautiful sunny day in Ireland (and we do actually have sunny days in Ireland btw) when you can have it all outdoors and on your own doorstep!