The sizzle of steak, the aroma of freshly-tossed salad, and perhaps some garlic bread warming through wrapped tightly in foil and settled on the barbecue. There’s nothing like eating al fresco, and when you have your own BBQ area ready to go, you’ll be out there enjoying it whenever the weather permits.

If you’re thinking of creating a barbecue area in your garden, we’ve got some tips on how to make the most of it.

Where should you situate your barbecue area?

Hartwood Supreme Pergola Decking Kit

Ideally, it should be as close to the house as possible. You don’t want a long walk from the kitchen to the barbecuing area when you have food to carry. The BBQ itself should be positioned on a stable base (your patio, for example) but a short distance from the house so any smoke can blow away rather than going inside.

Allocate a large space near the house for your table and chairs to be positioned, so everyone can reach it easily, and so you have some shade from a wall or two if need be.

Hartwood Dining Pergola With Panels

If you don’t yet have a patio area, you could lay slabs or set down a concrete base to create one. Alternatively, an easier and faster solution would be to construct a decked area. This can be treated or stained to make it fully waterproof and weather-resistant, and the Hartwood Supreme Decking Kit adds a pergola into the mix as well, to provide a greater sense of structure and an eye-catching focus.

If you like the idea of a pergola but you already have a patio or decking area to work with, you can always buy one separately. For example, you could purchase the Hartwood Dining Pergola Without Panels to provide a chunky and easy-to-access area that is ideal for barbecues. If you do want to have panels included in the design, there is a Panelled Version to buy instead.

Contemporary Charcoal Cooking

Oren Flame 58cm BBQ

The Oren Flame 58cm BBQ has a great modern look to it. In addition, with this being a charcoal BBQ you will be able to achieve that authentic smoky taste to your food. There is plenty of cooking room on this BBQ too so no one will be kept waiting, the grill diameter is a generous 54cm. It also comes with side hooks to hang your utensils from when cooking, and a chopping board.

Add a practical and attractive dining set

Mayfair 6-9 Seater Rattan High Back Corner Sofa Dining Set - Grey

Of course, you’ll need somewhere to eat your food, and a rattan dining set is the perfect choice. The Oren Athens 6 Seater Rectangular Rattan Dining Set is designed for outdoor use (although it looks just as good in a conservatory). It’s weatherproof and comes with six chairs and a glass-topped table, which is beautifully easy to wipe clean.

If you have a big space, you could think about having a corner sofa set to accommodate more people. The Oren Napoli 6-9 Seater Rattan High Back Corner Sofa Dining Set comes complete with a corner sofa, table, and three ottomans, so there’s room enough for everyone to tuck in.

Adding more appeal to your BBQ area

Hartwood Devon Corner Arbour Seat

While you will want a separate area close by to position your barbecue, you should pay close attention to how you want the finished seating and entertaining area to look. This will depend on the space you have available and your budget. Take care to provide enough seating for regular use by the family, and to consider additional seating that could be brought out when needed.

If you have a corner to do something with, an arbour seat is a beautiful way to make the most of it. The Hartwood Devon Corner Arbour Seat is a stunning addition to any garden, and it comes with four trellis panels included in the design. This means you can encourage plants to climb up it and across the beams that form the roof structure. This softens the whole look and provides a cosy area to sit and eat some sizzling burgers when they’re ready. It’s also an easy area to get ready for guests – just throw some scatter cushions onto it and it’s done.

Make the most of the summer months with an attractive BBQ area

Rowlinson Party Arbour And Barbecue

We never know what the summer will throw at us, but we do know we can make every effort to create the perfect entertaining and BBQing area to use when the time comes. Hopefully, our tips and recommendations have helped you come up with some ideas for your own home. We can’t plan the weather, but we can plan to have a great time when we do see some sunshine.

Once your BBQ area is constructed and ready, all you need to do is to send out the invitations…