Garden bar BBQ and pizza oven station: siting, clearances and smoke

Pizza and pints in the same corner of the garden is a fine ambition. The catch is that a BBQ or wood-fired oven sits very happily next to brick and stone, and much less happily next to a timber shed full of bunting and spirits. Get the siting right and the rest is easy.

Start with the maker's clearances

Every BBQ, pizza oven, fire pit and outdoor heater comes with instructions on how far it must be from combustible materials, walls, fences and overhead structures. Those distances vary a lot between models and fuels, so we will not guess them here.

• Find the clearance figures in the manual before you choose a spot.
• Check the clearance overhead as well as to the sides.
• Treat the bar walls, the counter, a pergola, a canopy and fence panels as combustible unless you know otherwise.

If you cannot meet the stated clearances, choose a different spot or a different appliance.

Siting the station

• Separate, but close. A few steps between the cooking and the bar is ideal: close enough to chat, far enough that sparks and heat do not reach timber.
• Out in the open. Never cook under a closed roof or inside the bar. Gas and charcoal produce carbon monoxide.
• Not under an awning. Fabric canopies, sail shades and parasols are not designed for heat. See awnings and canopies.
• On a solid, non-combustible base. Paving or a slab is better than decking. If you are on decking, read garden bar on decking and check the maker's advice.
• Away from the exit. Do not put the hot zone between people and the way out.

Our outdoor kitchen and bar guide covers layouts, and garden bar layout helps with flow.

Fuel types

Gas cylinders should be stored upright, outside and away from heat, never inside the bar. Electric griddles and ovens need an outdoor socket installed by a registered electrician; see power to a garden bar.

Smoke and the neighbours

Smoke drifts. A pizza oven with a short chimney can fill the neighbour's washing line in minutes.

• Check which way the wind usually blows.
• Use dry, seasoned wood and light it properly.
• Do not burn treated timber, pallets or garden rubbish.
• Give neighbours a heads-up before a big cook.

Smoke can be treated as a statutory nuisance if it happens often enough. Our neighbours and noise guide covers how councils deal with complaints.

Fire safety

• Keep a fire blanket and a bucket of water or sand nearby.
• Never leave a lit BBQ or oven unattended.
• Let ashes cool fully before emptying them into a metal bin.
• Keep children and pets back from the hot zone.
• Do not cook if you have had too much to drink; hand the tongs over.

Our fire safety guide covers alarms, extinguishers and escape. GOV.UK's fire safety in the home guidance and its carbon monoxide advice are both worth reading.

Making it work with the bar

• Add a small prep counter by the cooker, ideally stone or tiled.
• Store tools on hooks, not inside the bar.
• Keep a cool box for raw meat separate from the drinks fridge; see garden bar fridges.
• Plan cleaning; see garden bar cleaning routine.
• Light the cooking area properly so you can see whether food is done. See garden bar lighting.

A portable BBQ or oven on a stand is often the better first step than a built-in station. You can move it around for a summer, learn where the smoke goes and where people gather, and only then build a permanent plinth in the spot that actually works.

Read the manual of the BBQ or oven you already own, find its clearance figures, and mark them out on the ground with string before you move anything.