Spending time enjoying the results of all the hard work you’ve put into your garden over the winter months, is made all the more enjoyable if you can sit back and relax with friends and family over some home barbecued food. So inspired by the run of bank holidays and great weather the UK has enjoyed recently, Helen Ellison, head of design at Kent based garden designers, Floral & Hardy, has put together this beginners guide to building your own barbecue.

Although the majority of expensive gas powered BBQs come with their own set of protective covers, the more cost effective charcoal BBQs, widely available from garden centres, catalogues and high street hardware stores, are usually sold without. This often means that unless they’re wheeled into sheds or garages during the winter, come spring, the shiny new BBQ you only used a couple of times last summer is rusty and damaged.

For keen BBQ fans, building your own grill in the back garden is not only more cost effective in the long term, but also a more sturdy and weather proof solution.

Choosing the perfect BBQ location:

The permanency of a bricks and mortar BBQs means it’s vital you choose the right location for your back garden grill.

Firstly think about the smoke or cooking smells that the BBQ will generate. Although everyone loves the smell of a BBQ in full swing on a hot summer’s day, it’s less delightful if your sitting room curtains still smell of sausages two days later! Don’t plan on building your BBQ too close to a door you will be using in good weather or windows.

It’s also a fire risk to put your BBQ up against the wall of your home and straight up against flammable garden fences, garages or sheds. Don’t position your BBQ under a tree or close to tall plants or shrubs that might catch fire during a strong gust of wind or from a stray coal.

Do you have a permanent seating area that you use in your garden? How far will people have to walk from the kitchen (with raw food) to the BBQ and to where they are going to be sitting?

The ideal location is separate from your house and a little way from the seating area. You need clear space between the grill and your house, so it’s not inconvenient to get to the seating area with just cooked food, but not positioned next to the seating area so you’re breathing in BBQ smoke while eating!

You will need about four square feet of space for the actual construction of the BBQ. This sounds like a big space, but in reality it’s not that daunting and is needed to give you a big enough grilling area and a space on the grill to keep food warm. Sticking together some sheets of newspaper with sellotape four feet square will help you visualise how big the ‘footprint’ of the BBQ will be and help you try it out in different locations.

Building materials & construction:

The materials you’ll need are very simply bricks, ready mix cement and a grill.

Start the design with your chosen grill and work back from the width and depth of the grill to dictate the size of the overall structure. Another important point to consider is the height of the BBQ. You want to be able to reach all parts of the grill comfortably when standing in front of it. So bear in mind the height of chief BBQ-er while planning!

The structure itself is quite simple and overall design very much up to you, but do leave a minimum of two brick heights between the firebox (where the charcoal sits) and the grill, so food isn’t too close to the heat and cooks steadily.

Before you start building the BBQ up, make sure you have installed proper foundations. Your structure will be subject to extremes of heat from lit charcoal when cooking and cold from frosts and snow in winter, so it needs to be of solid construction. Build foundations at least six inches deep into the ground and ensure the foundations have set before you start building up. Leave at least 48 hours from installing foundations to building, but check the instructions on your ready mix cement to make sure.

Another good tip is to run wire through the holes in the bricks as you build the structure. This will make your BBQ even stronger.

Always use a spirit level when building – you don’t want any hot coals or food rolling off your BBQ!

Once your BBQ is complete, wait for at least another 48 hours before cooking, to ensure all the cement is set firmly.

Staying safe:

A vital part of good BBQ practise is ensuring you stay mindful of you and your guests’ safety.

The bricks and metal get very hot well before the coals are ready to be cooked over and stay hot for a long time after you’ve finished eating.

Always ensure your BBQ is supervised by at least one sober adult and children, garden games and pets are kept well away from the cooking area. Never leave your BBQ unattended and keep a bucket of water or sand close to the BBQ to douse any flames should there be any emergencies.

Only use recognised fire-lighters or starter fuel and only on cold coals – use the minimum necessary and never use petrol. Never put hot ashes straight into a dustbin or wheelie bin – they could melt the plastic and cause a fire.

Used safely and responsibly, enjoying a BBQ in good weather is one of the essential ingredients of a good summer for many and having your own hand-build BBQ ready to go in your back garden means you can take advantage of those warm summer days we’re all hoping for.

Helen Ellison, of Floral & Hardy, specialises in garden design in Kent and across the South East of England.