A kitchen is the heart of the home, so it makes sense that a pizza oven can become the heart of a garden. This couple transformed their outdoor dining set up with the help of a DIY pizza oven.
If you're less inclined to put your masonry skills to the test take a look at our best pizza oven guide. However, you might be convinced after seeing this creation.
Jennifer Rothbury showed off her latest DIY garden project on her Instagram @crack_the_shutters. The brick oven took four weeks to build, with the help of her husband.
'We bought a DIY kit (the Milano 750) from Pizza Oven Supplies, the website said that it would take a good builder a couple of days or a novice about 4 days - it took about 4 weeks of a lot of work so we totally underestimated the amount of effort it would take!' says Jen.
The couple thought tackling the project with a kit would take some of the guesswork out of the project. However, as with all flatpacks things don't always run that smoothly.
'It took a full 5 hours just to sort the bricks out into the right sizes as they all arrived totally mixed up on two pallets,' she explains. 'The instructions took a lot of deciphering - imagine trying to build an IKEA flatpack wardrobe but every other step being missing!'
While the pair stuck to the plan when building up the pizza oven itself, they decided to get more creative with an added sidebar area. 'We decided to go off plan to build the side serving part - we got a piece of slate from eBay and some reclaimed bricks and think that bit was the perfect finishing touch,' explains Jen.
The additional side area is the perfect finish to the rustic pizza oven set up. Complete with a bar stool it is the perfect spot for adding toppings to your pizza or to sit chatting with the nominated head chef.
'The hard work was totally worth it,' adds Jen. 'We use the oven at least every week in spring and summer, not only to cook pizza but for any meal you can think of (steaks on there are out of this world!).'
For more tips on what to make in your own oven take a look at our pizza oven recipes.
'We love the whole experience of lighting it, gathering around with family and friends, and of course the taste of the food afterward. People ask why we went to so much effort but I guess it's for the same reason that people love to BBQ in the summer rather than just grill the food indoors - it becomes an event that brings people together!'
If you have recently invested in a pizza oven make sure you are making the most of it with our guide on how to use a pizza oven.
Have you been inspired to up your outdoor kitchen ideas?
