The St Albans-based distributor of an outdoor kitchen range is expecting a spike in sales since Heston Blumenthal installed one at his gastropub.

The celebrity chef used the WWOO kitchen to launch his range of barbecues in the garden of The Crown at Bray.

Designed by Dutch designer, Piet-Jan van den Kommer, the concrete kitchens have already proved a hit in Europe.

They are now available in the UK for the first time, and Simon Hawkins, garden designer and the UK distributor of WWOO, is thrilled to have the endorsement of a Michelin-starred chef.

He says: “We are delighted that one of the world’s finest chefs has chosen a WWOO kitchen, and think it speaks volumes about the appeal of these groundbreaking, beautifully designed outdoor kitchens.

“As more people extend traditional living into their outside space and become experts in the art of barbecuing, eating outside is becoming the norm for the summer months. But an outside kitchen is much more than a barbecue area.

“The WWOO kitchens are very stylish, very contemporary. They look stunning, are wonderfully practical, and are fantastic for providing that beautiful but functional space outside in the warmer months: to eat, entertain, relax.”

The celebrity chef was joined by staff from his restaurant, the Fat Duck, as well as from The Crown, as he unveiled the WWOO outdoor kitchen at the official UK launch of his own barbecue range, Everdure by Heston Blumenthal.

For more information on the WWOO outside kitchens, visit www.wwoo.co.uk.