Masonry Barbecues - Beautify Your Garden this Spring with an Outdoor Cooking Area

Masonry barbecues and concrete barbecues provide a great excuse to invite family and friends round for a social event and make the most of your outdoor space! These barbecues are a fantastic addition to the aesthetics of your garden, and will give it a wonderful Mediterranean feel. The amazing thing about masonry barbecues and concrete barbecues is that they look good combined with any style of home and garden, including older and more modern properties.
At Big K, as well as masonry barbecues and concrete barbecues, we also sell a wide range of other barbecues including stone barbecues, Kamado Joe, brick stone barbecues and metal barbecues.
Masonry Barbecues - click here to view our range of products.

Outdoor Eating Areas – Top Looks for Your Garden

If you have a sociable household, with lots of extended friends and family, you might well want to create an outdoor eating area. In this article, we will look at some of the looks you can go for that work well with a Mediterranean style barbecue.

The Sunken Eating Area

Sunken gardens create a unique and exciting look to your outdoor space as they are contemporary with a slightly ethnic feel. Strategically placed chairs and benches, with few large cushions placed on the floor or seating area, will maximise your space so you can fit in plenty of guests.
To increase intimacy further, you can light this area with outdoor candles and solar powered lights. Another way to make the most of this space is to add a gas fire bowl which will make a wonderful centre piece. The walls, walkway, tables, and steps leading down to the dining area, can be tiled to enhance the Mediterranean look and this looks fantastic with this style of barbecue.
It's important to get an expert to construct your sunken garden for you to ensure that you achieve a professional look. However, this style of eating area is probably not suitable if your property is situated in an area that's prone to flooding.

Raised Garden Dining Space

Alternatively, you can opt for a dining area with a raised patio or decking, or simply designate this space to an elevated part of your garden. This is a great look for an outdoor eating area, especially if you have nice views of the countryside or a stream.
If you have a terraced lawn, you could go for a traditional rustic look, with distressed garden furniture, a shaded area, and climbing roses; for a more contemporary look, choose garden furniture made of glass, metal or black painted wood; or for something completely different, marble furniture looks fantastic in this space.
Having a raised outdoor eating area - such as decking or a patio - may well add to the value of your home. One point of note, however, is that if you do opt for decking, it’s probably best to keep the barbecue separate for safety reasons.

Patio Area for Family Dining

Outdoor eating areas traditionally consist of a patio area that is immediately outside the house. They will often connect to the house through glass patio doors, and this is still a popular option.
< p>However, you could make more of a feature of this space and surround the patio with raised flower beds and low, stone walls. One of the most common types of patio furniture is wooden, or wicker furniture.
When it comes to furnishing this space, the accessories add the all important finishing touches and can be bought to match. For example, you could have a matching umbrella, table cloth, cushions, place mats and crockery, or you might want to go for a more eclectic look with mismatched plates and glasses.
Once you and your guests have finished eating, the barbecue doubles as a heater so you can keep warm as you chat well into the evening!

About Big K

At Big K, we have a wide selection of barbecues, including masonry barbecues and stone barbecues.
The main body of the masonry barbecue is made from reinforced concrete and the table is made from reconstituted coloured stone. It is designed for cost effective cooking and uses charcoal, to give food its authentic barbecue taste.
All our barbecues are easily assembled by two people. However, one point of note when you take delivery of the barbecue is that it needs to be painted with Artex paint 24 hours after it has been put together; this is supplied with the barbecue.
Our stone barbecues are made from marble grain and do not require paint. These barbecues can be fired by wood or by charcoal.
Once assembled, it’s easy to maintain your barbecue and they are designed for use all year round. However, during cold or frosty periods it’s always advisable to keep your barbecue covered up, to ensure that it's protected.
Concrete Barbecues – click here to view our range of products.