Fire, Food & Outdoor Living

Housebuilders are increasingly looking outside to inspire buyers and ignite their food imaginations. RUPERT BATES discusses the trend with the Berkeley Group at a wood-fired restaurant in Hampshire.

To The Wellhouse with one of the country’s leading housebuilders to talk about the big rise in buyers looking for new homes with great outdoor space to fire up the barbecues and entertain family and friends.

The Wellhouse, set within the 63 acres of the 17th-century, five-star Lainston House hotel near Winchester in Hampshire, knows all about wood-fired cooking and elevated BBQ food; the Berkeley Group knows all about building some of the country’s best new homes.

What better way to share their respective qualities than over exquisite ribeye and sirloin steaks from the pastures of Hampshire, along with lamb tacos, ham and cheese croquetas, BBQ pork burnt ends, halibut ceviche and smoked goat’s cheese salad, with the cooking led by head chef of The Wellhouse Tom Younger. Even the compound butter, with a hot coal to melt it over the woodfired sourdough focaccia, was next level – simple alchemy delivering sensational flavour.

“Fire is at the heart of what we do, from sizzling summer grills in the gardens to smoky flavours in The Wellhouse, we’re all about embracing the great outdoors in all its culinary glory, The Wellhouse is a celebration of wood-fired cooking, where chefs craft seasonal dishes over flames using local produce and a touch of theatre,” says Phil Yeomans, executive chef of Lainston House, whose recipes regularly feature in BBQ magazine.

Just a few yards from The Wellhouse lies the walled kitchen garden (above), where guests can learn the art of BBQ and wood-fired cooking at the Season Cookery School, with expert tuition on Big Green Egg ceramic grills and Gozney pizza ovens.

Fruit and vegetables in the garden, providing a tapestry of colour and scents, are so hyper-local, they can call out to the Lainston House chefs when they’re ready to be picked and plucked. While the Hampshire hotel also has the iconic waters of the River Test and Itchen to catch fish for the grill, from fly to fork.

Outdoor living now sits near the top of purchasers’ wish-lists when it comes to new homes and Ben Annetts, sales and marketing director of Berkeley Homes and St Edward, says many buyers have clear ideas about what they want their garden and the entertaining area to look like.

“We have also seen a significant increase in customers wanting permission for outdoor structures to protect these outdoor living spaces. A unique selling point of our homes is having the large open-plan kitchen/family/dining room at the rear of the house, opening out on to a stone or decked terrace for entertaining. Bringing the outside in is very important,” says Annetts.

On apartment developments, Berkeley looks to include private outside space, be it a balcony or terrace, for wellbeing and entertaining, as well as communal garden areas with seating, shelter and BBQ zones to drive a sense of community.

“Our homes are both beautiful and practical, designed to ensure that the gardens and balconies form a natural extension to the living spaces indoors. Buyers are attracted to the flexibility this brings. Open-plan living, kitchen and dining rooms lend themselves well to entertaining whatever the weather, and they lead seamlessly out into the gardens. Our residents make the most of the thoughtful layout of their homes and really are using their private outdoor spaces.”

Berkeley recently conducted research into the benefits of large areas of open space on its developments – walks, communal leisure spaces and villages squares, measuring the social value.

“It showed that residents who use these facilities experience greater housing satisfaction, a higher satisfaction with the local area and a greater sense of belonging and trust in their neighbours.”

Berkeley regularly holds social events, such as barbecues and has partnered with BBQ magazine, bringing the food, the fire and the fun to both residents and prospective purchasers. It is also an opportunity, says Annetts, to engage with, support and promote local produce, be it from butcher, baker, or grocer.

“This community engagement highlights Berkeley’s commitment to the areas, the people and the businesses where we build, including several developments in Hampshire. Lainston House hotel is stunning, and eating such exceptional food, with a commitment to provenance and a local larder, delivered by such a talented young team at The Wellhouse wood-fired restaurant, was a privilege.”