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There’s something quite appealing about cooking outside on a proper built-in BBQ.

Perhaps you’ve watched a TV chef cooking over glowing coals in an outdoor kitchen and thought, I fancy a bit of that in my own garden.

Or maybe your trusty freestanding BBQ has served you well, but you’re ready to create an outdoor entertaining area that feels a bit more permanent.

A brick BBQ takes things up a notch. It can become part of the garden itself, with space to prep food, store cooking essentials and chat to friends while you cook.

From simple brick grills to larger setups with worktops, pizza ovens and seating, these brick BBQ ideas will help you picture what could work in your space.

What makes a good brick BBQ area?

A good brick BBQ area should make outdoor cooking easier while giving people somewhere they actually want to gather.

The BBQ itself might be the focal point, but think about everything that happens around it too. Where will you put a tray of uncooked food? Where will serving plates go? Can you still talk to everyone while you're cooking?

You don't necessarily need a full outdoor kitchen. Even adding a useful stretch of worktop or a shelf beside the grill can save multiple trips back through the kitchen door.

And because a brick BBQ is a permanent feature, it's worth choosing a design that looks as though it belongs in your garden rather than something that's simply been built into an empty corner.

1. Keep it simple with a traditional brick BBQ

There's a reason the classic red-brick BBQ has been around for so long.

A straightforward brick surround with a grill set between two walls is simple, robust and suits everything from a cottage garden to a suburban patio.

If your house already has red or reclaimed brickwork, using something similar outside can help the BBQ settle naturally into its surroundings.

You could keep it compact or extend the brickwork at one side to create somewhere to put plates, utensils and food waiting to go onto the grill.

2. Give a brick BBQ a more contemporary look

Brick doesn't have to mean rustic.

Clean lines, darker brickwork, simple mortar joints and stainless-steel cooking equipment can give a built-in BBQ a much more contemporary feel.

You could also combine brick with concrete, stone or timber elsewhere in the entertaining area rather than using one material for everything.

Think about what's already in your garden. Picking up a colour or material from your patio, extension or garden wall is often enough to make the new BBQ area look deliberate rather than added on afterwards.

3. Build in some proper prep space

This is where a built-in BBQ starts to feel very different from wheeling a portable grill onto the patio.

Adding a worktop gives you somewhere to prepare food, assemble burgers, season meat and put everything down when you suddenly realise you've brought the tongs outside but forgotten the serving dish.

If you regularly entertain, consider having prep space on both sides of the cooking area.

It also means guests have somewhere to gather with a drink without balancing everything on the dining table you're trying to serve dinner on.

4. Add storage underneath

Built-in shelving or storage beneath the worktop can keep frequently used BBQ kit close at hand.

Depending on your setup, you might want space for:

• Cooking utensils

• Serving trays

• BBQ tools

• Charcoal or other fuel stored appropriately

• Outdoor crockery

• Cleaning supplies

Open shelving keeps things easy to reach, while suitable outdoor cupboards can give the whole area a neater appearance.

Just be realistic about what you'll actually leave outside year-round. British weather has a habit of finding its way into places you thought were perfectly dry.

5. Create an L-shaped BBQ area

If you have the room, an L-shaped brick BBQ can start to create the feel of a small outdoor kitchen.

One side can house the grill while the other provides prep and serving space. You could even add bar stools on the outside edge so friends can sit nearby while you're cooking.

This layout is particularly useful if your BBQ area sits away from the house because you can keep more of what you need outside with you.

It also solves a common entertaining problem: the person cooking doesn't have to spend the whole evening with their back to everyone else.

6. Combine your brick BBQ with a pizza oven

If you're going to build a permanent outdoor cooking area, you might decide one cooking method simply isn't enough.

A brick pizza oven alongside the BBQ opens up plenty of possibilities, from homemade pizzas and flatbreads to dishes that benefit from the intense heat of the oven.

Pizza nights lend themselves well to casual dining with everyone choosing their own toppings while you cook them one after another.

If this is the idea that's caught your eye, take a look at our guide on how to build a pizza oven before taking it any further.

7. Keep the cook close to the action

Where you position your brick BBQ matters almost as much as what it looks like.

Put it too far away from your seating area and whoever volunteers to cook may spend most of the evening standing on their own.

Instead, think of the BBQ as part of the entertaining space.

You could position it beside your patio or dining area, or arrange seating so people can talk to the cook without getting in the way.

8. Turn the BBQ into a garden focal point

A permanent brick BBQ doesn't have to disappear into the background.

If you're redesigning the patio at the same time, you could make the cooking area one of the main features of the garden.

Try framing it with planting, continuing paving around it or positioning a dining table nearby so the whole space reads as one outdoor entertaining area.

Lighting also becomes important after dark. Rather than relying entirely on decorative garden lights, make sure whoever is cooking can actually see what's on the grill.

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9. Add a fireplace or fire pit nearby

If you love being in the garden after dinner, adding a fire feature can help the entertaining area work beyond the cooking itself.

That doesn't necessarily mean building the fire directly into your BBQ. A separate fire pit or outdoor fireplace nearby can create somewhere to move to once the food is finished.

Arrange some comfortable seating around it and suddenly the BBQ isn't the end of the evening.

Take a look at our guide to building a fire pit and fire pit cost guide for more inspiration if you're considering this as part of a wider garden project.

10. Create a compact brick BBQ for a smaller garden

You don't need a sprawling garden to justify a built-in BBQ.

A slim brick unit against a suitable wall or at the edge of a patio can give you a permanent cooking spot without dominating the garden.

Keep the design simple and prioritise the features you'll genuinely use. In a small space, a grill and useful prep surface may be far more valuable than squeezing in a sink, fridge, pizza oven and storage simply because you can.

You'll still get the pleasure of having a dedicated outdoor cooking area without sacrificing half the patio to it.

11. Go one step further with an outdoor kitchen

For keen outdoor cooks, the brick BBQ can become the starting point for something bigger.

An outdoor kitchen might include:

• Generous worktops

• A sink

• Weather-suitable storage

• A fridge

• A pizza oven

• Additional cooking equipment

• A bar or seating area

At this point, it's worth thinking about how often you'll genuinely use each addition.

A sink sounds convenient, for example, but it also introduces plumbing. A fridge needs a safe electricity supply and needs to be suitable for outdoor use.

Those extras can be worthwhile if you entertain outside regularly, but you don't need them simply to create a brilliant BBQ area.

If you're imagining something closer to a second kitchen than a simple grill, our outdoor kitchen cost guide is a useful next step.

Think about how you'll actually use your brick BBQ

It's easy to get carried away looking at immaculate outdoor kitchens, but the best design for you depends on the way you cook and entertain.

Before deciding what to include, ask yourself:

• How many people do you normally cook for?

• Do you tend to prep food indoors or outside?

• Would you use a large worktop?

• Where will people sit while you're cooking?

• What would genuinely save you trips back to the kitchen?

• Do you want charcoal cooking, another type of grill or several cooking options?

• Will you still want plenty of open patio or garden space around it?

• How exposed is the area to wind and weather?

This should help separate the additions you'll really appreciate from the ones that simply look good in a photograph.

Where should you position a brick BBQ?

Position your brick BBQ somewhere that's convenient for cooking and entertaining, with plenty of safe space around the cooking area.

You'll probably appreciate being reasonably close to the house, particularly when you're carrying food, plates and drinks backwards and forwards.

But don't judge the position on convenience alone. Think about nearby seating, boundaries, planting and structures, as well as where smoke is likely to travel.

For detailed construction and safety guidance, head to our how to build a brick BBQ guide.

Brick BBQ ideas checklist

Before settling on your favourite design, think about:

• How often you BBQ and how many people you normally cook for

• Where the BBQ will sit within your entertaining area

• How much prep space you would genuinely use

• Whether you need built-in storage

• Where guests will sit or stand while you cook

• Whether you'd like to include a pizza oven or separate fire feature

• How the brickwork will complement your house and garden

• Whether lighting would make the area easier to use after dark

• Whether your plans are edging towards a full outdoor kitchen

• Whether you'd prefer to build it yourself or use an experienced bricklayer

Can you build a brick BBQ yourself?

A simple brick BBQ can be a manageable DIY project if you're confident with basic bricklaying and understand how to construct it safely.

Our how to build a brick BBQ guide takes you through the practical side, including planning the structure and choosing suitable materials.

If your ideas involve a more elaborate brick structure, large worktops, multiple cooking areas or additional services, getting professional input may be the easier route.

Need peace of mind? Every Checkatrade job is backed by the £1,000 guarantee.

Up to £1,000. Eligibility criteria and T&C’s apply.

Find help building your brick BBQ

A bricklayer or builder can help turn your ideas into a permanent outdoor cooking area that suits your garden.

Show them examples of the styles you like, but also talk about how you plan to use the space. Someone experienced in this kind of work may spot practical details that are easy to miss when you're concentrating on how the finished BBQ will look.

If you're creating a larger outdoor kitchen with plumbing or electrical features, you may need other suitably qualified trades too.

When you're ready, search Checkatrade to find checked and reviewed tradespeople near you.

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