Hi, I'm Dan.
Founder of Blaze & Graze, home cook, keen DIYer, and a website builder for over 20 years.
Why I started this site
I've always loved two things: making food and making things with my hands. Outdoor cooking is where those meet. Whether it's a pizza oven on a patio or a full garden kitchen built from scratch, it's part cooking and part building project.
When I started looking into kit and builds, most of the advice I found was either thinly disguised sales copy or written for American backyards with American weather and American prices. Blaze & Graze is the site I wanted to find: practical, honest and written for UK gardens.
Where I cook
I love camping, and whenever I go the BBQ always comes too. I also cook for my parents on their narrowboat when we're away together, so I know what it's like to cook well with limited space and a small, portable setup.
At home, everything happens in the garden. I built a large composite deck there from scratch, with built-in planters, custom horizontal slatted fencing either side and outdoor lights strung over the top. It's where we have friends round, and it's the project that got me hooked on building outdoor spaces as much as cooking in them.
What I cook on
I've got three BBQs, and each earns its place:
- A Weber kettle for the garden: my go-to for feeding friends and family.
- A small portable BBQ that comes camping and on the boat.
- A mini flat-pack BBQ for when space (or weight) is tight.
What I like to cook
Chicken is my favourite thing to experiment with. I marinate it in all sorts: curry spices, Thai flavours, different seasonings, whatever I fancy that week. I make my own burgers with a burger press and serve them in brioche buns with homemade salad and the full line-up of sauces: burger sauce, ketchup, mayo and BBQ sauce. There are always sausages on the grill and corn on the cob on the side.
It's honest, crowd-pleasing food, and that's what this site is about: cooking outside should be fun, sociable and not overcomplicated.
What you'll find here
- Buying guides that explain the trade-offs, so you buy the right thing once.
- Comparisons between fuels, styles and price points.
- Build guides for BBQ islands, outdoor kitchens and the spaces around them.
- Recipes and techniques to get the most out of what you buy.
How we write our guides
Every guide starts with the question a real buyer asks. We look at manufacturer specifications, UK availability and pricing, warranty terms and a wide range of owner feedback, and we're clear about where each product falls short as well as where it shines. When we've cooked on or built something ourselves, we'll say so. When we haven't, we won't pretend otherwise.
How the site is funded
Blaze & Graze is reader-supported. Some links on the site are affiliate links. If you buy through one, we may earn a small commission from the retailer at no extra cost to you. Retailers never pay for a recommendation or get to review our content. You can read more in our affiliate disclosure.
Get in touch
Got a question, a build you'd like to share, or a product you think we should look at? Drop me a message. I read everything.