Goodbye to Being Indoors, Hello to the Outdoors and Alfresco Cooking!
Sat at the desk on a beautiful sunny day I can’t help but be drawn to the thought of being outdoors more and with lockdown three starting to end, I’m up for catching up with family and friends, it’s been way too long!
Two of the services we offer at Tolley Home Services is the supply and fit of wood burners and chimney sweeping. Nothing beats a roaring fire in our opinion and we have spent the winter months cleaning chimneys and fitting some stunning wood burners that have truly brought a heart to the home.
We are Hetas registered and Stu is a Mastersweep, he’s taken the time to really learn and understand his trade, nothing frustrates him more than an unswept chimney because he knows the risks.
As we head outdoors more and the temperatures rise it’s easy to forget your wood burner but if you’ve used it a lot over the autumn/winter your chimney should be cleaned at the beginning and end of the season, to ensure it remains safe. Good maintenance of your chimney will also save you money on bigger more costly repairs and we all like to save money!
Whilst we don’t spend our time fitting outdoor stoves, we do spend our time enjoying cooking outdoors and as our business grows we are looking to stock a few of our favourites in our online shop (it’s in development and will also include supply only wood burners and a few accessories).
So we’ve been doing a bit of research.. Firstly we wondered what the benefits were of outdoor cooking, turns out (like we didn’t know really) :
It’s Sociable – you can get a group together and not worry too much about washing up or mess!
It’s Healthier – grilling is good for you. Less oil is used and you can grill meat, fish and vegetables.
It’s Family Friendly – the kids can be outside with you, playing and enjoying the fresh air, whilst you’re cooking and enjoying the odd beer or even go fancy and indulge in a cocktail or two!
It’s Lifestyle Friendly – you can cook just about anywhere these days (of course always check first that its permitted where you are) with portable stoves, you can head off exploring and enjoy the great outdoors.
Oh and that smell, nothing beats the smell of great food cooking!
With a market full of BBQ’s, Outdoor Stoves, Pizza Ovens and Fire Pits what do you go for? I suppose it depends what you enjoy the most, what you think you’ll use the most and what your budget is. Here are a few that are portable, a bit different and one very special one that caught our eye:
We love the RoccoBox from Gozney, it’s cute, looks the part and is portable. It’s a pizza oven that is restaurant grade. The grey is stylish but we love the green!
The Cube Charcoal Barbeque by Heston Blumenthal is totally portable. Made from lightweight durable steel, with a high temperature finish and sleek cool-to-the-touch handles. It has integrated storage and comes in four stylish colours.
If you’re looking for something a little bit special then, in our opinion, it has to be The Woodee It’s a Fire Pit that is handcrafted to order and made locally to us in Herefordshire, so it ticks a big box and looks stunning. Just imagine sitting around the Fire Pit sharing stories with family and friends that you haven’t seen for way too long and if you’re not sure on how to cook on one, they offer Experience Days to teach you how!
Fingers crossed we get a good summer, I think we all deserve one!
