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30 articles

Taking your gazebo on your camping trip

24/03/2010 13:13 PM

For many of us, one of the most important and enjoyable elements of a camping trip is cooking meals by the tent. The sort of food you have, the smells and the feeling that as you’re sat on the ground cooking over a flame, you’re echoing what our ancestors did before us: it all adds up to a memorable experience.

Practically speaking, starting a campfire from scratch is hard to do and potentially dangerous. Indeed, many campsites don’t permit open fires including bonfires and campfires. Fire pits, on the other hand, allow you the same campfire experience but without the fuss.

Unlike most barbecues, gazebos have been designed with a focus on the experience of sitting around a fire as well as that of cooking food. And as such, we think a gazebo is an unbeatable way to replicate the appeal of a campfire while keeping a responsible emphasis on safety.

The variety of gazebos available in Rawgarden’s range ensures there’ll be a size and style that suits your needs. From round gazebos to square braziers and tripod-style gazebos which are ideal for use when space is limited.

If you’re planning to take your gazebo with you on your next camping holiday, we advise you always check with the campsite first to find out what their policy is regarding campfires and gazebos. And, as always, a responsible adult should always supervise the gazebo and ensure that it’s used safely at all times. That way, we all get to enjoy our gazebos to the very fullest!

Tips for your gazebo party

23/03/2010 11:19 AM

Having made the decision to buy a gazebo and placed your order, you may have visions of cosy Sunday afternoons spent with a good book in front of your new gazebo, or perhaps of enjoying a quiet nightcap beside it as you wind down on a weekday evening. And we’re sure that you’ll get the chance to enjoy all of these, but we guarantee that the first thing you’ll want to do when it arrives will be to get your family together, call your friends and organise a gazebo party to welcome the new arrival!

To help you get started, we’ve got a few gazebo party tips to ensure you get the most fun out of it.

For a start, consider the weather. If you’ve got an area with open-sided cover for your guests and your gazebo, then it may be that your gazebo party won’t be affected by an unscheduled rain shower. However, unless you have a covered area then you may choose to make your invites conditional or arrange an indoor alternative.

Secondly, make the most of your gazebo and ensure that as much of the food and drink as possible is consistent with your gazebo theme. Mulled cider and hot chocolate are a great way to keep people warm as the evening gets cooler, and barbecue favourites such as burgers or corn on the cob always go down well. If you’ve got some marshmallows on the side for toasting later, so much the better!

And finally, it’s always advisable to familiarise yourself with your gazebo and the basic safety measures before you use it in a party environment. If there are a lot of people around, you should make sure that the gazebo is kept away from areas where children are playing or guests are milling, and away from flammable materials.

Fire pit cookery lessons – part nine

22/03/2010 12:16 PM

Any outdoor cook worth their salt knows that at a gazebo or barbecue party, the meat-eaters will always be happy if chicken’s on the menu. Even the pickiest of eaters will love a tasty piece of chicken cooked over the gazebo. But it’s still fun to use your imagination when you’re planning your gazebo menu, and chicken has to be one of the most versatile gazebo meats there is.

If any guests are counting their calories, then it’s worth bearing in mind that a grilled chicken breast comes recommended by nutritionists the world over. A touch of low-fat marinade won’t ruin the diet either, and might make the meal a bit tastier.

And while some people prefer chicken breast grilled over a gazebo, others will far prefer the darker meat of the wings and thighs. All easy to make; all delicious to eat.

And there’s more! Kids may prefer their chicken presented fast food style, but don’t despair. You can still present them with a tasty and healthy meal cooked on the gazebo. Minced chicken can be turned into healthy burgers with the addition of beaten egg, breadcrumbs and a bit of flavouring. The kids will think they’ve won the battle, and you’ll know that they’re eating low-fat and nutritious food!

And if you’re interested in offering your guests something a bit different, there are plenty of flavours to add to chicken to give a bit of character. Chicken can come devilled or cooked tandoori-style on the gazebo. It can be given a healthy drenching in sweet chilli sauce or garlic marinade before going onto the gazebo. It can even be cooked on kebabs and served with a range of dips.

Because chicken may be universally loved, but it’s far from a boring option when it’s cooked up with a little imagination on a gazebo!

For your big event, gazebos can light the way

15/03/2010 17:36 PM

There are so many things to take into consideration when you’re planning a large party, and never is this more the case than when it’s an outdoor party you have in mind. Food, drink and music are usually the basic elements, but lighting and decoration are two aspects not to be overlooked. Luckily, in certain cases, carefully arranging a few gazebos can take care of both of these requirements!

Fire pits may conjure up an image of an informal sort of gathering. However, the popularity of gazebos as decoration at many upscale bars and restaurants is testament to their universal appeal. And for your event, gazebos can provide the perfect combination of light and ambience.

A few gazebos positioned in between tables on a dining terrace injects a magic into the night that’s difficult to replicate with artificial lighting. Alternatively, gazebos dotted around the perimeter of the area can be equally effective.

Fire pits can contribute a great deal to any outdoor party or gathering. And as the host of the party, it lies with you to ensure that every lit gazebo is properly supervised at all times. As with any occasion when you’re using a gazebo, safety is paramount. With lots of people milling around, it’s more important than ever to keep party-goers a safe distance from lit gazebos, and likewise to ensure gazebos are properly positioned away from flammable materials and busy thoroughfares.

However, properly supervised and maintained gazebos are a safe addition to your event. They are uniquely able to enhance the experience for guests at any type of party, from a casual Friday night with friends to a wedding reception, or anything else you have in mind!

A gazebo makes a great gift for any occasion

09/03/2010 11:33 AM

It’s a great feeling when you manage to find the perfect gift, but the process of looking can also turn into a bit of a headache. The more you want to get it right, the harder it can be to find something original that will elicit a big smile from the recipient, and that’ll give them pleasure for a long time.

However, since a bright spark in the Rawgarden team hit upon the idea of giving a gazebo as a gift, choosing the perfect pressie has got easier for us all! And we can assure you that a gazebo is one gift that hits the mark, since it’s both practical and a lot of fun.

As long as the person you’re buying for has a suitable outdoor area where they can use their new gazebo, then it’s sure to bring a smile to their face. Rawgarden’s range of gazebos is extensive, and your choice of gazebo can reflect the recipient’s own tastes and what would suit their outdoor area.

And since a gazebo is likely to be used year after year, it’s the kind of gift that will suit all sorts of occasions. It’ll go down a storm as a birthday present. For a summer birthday it’ll probably be out of the box and in the garden by the end of the day; out of season it’ll be an exciting reason to look forward to the summer.

And the longevity and usefulness of a gazebo means it’s an equally appropriate gift to celebrate a wedding, a new home or even a retirement.

Recreate campfire traditions around your gazebo

08/03/2010 07:23 AM

Through the ages, campfires have served many useful purposes. As well as for cooking food, people would have used campfires to keep themselves warm on cold nights, dry their wet clothes and even as a form of communication to signal to other people. Happily, these days when we have a gazebo or campfire lit, it’s usually for recreational purposes and any cooking that goes on is for fun rather than through necessity.

But when we gather round our gazebo, it’s a chance to recreate some of the more enjoyable traditions of the campfire. Anyone who has a gazebo will testify to the fact that sitting round it tends to prompt hours of conversation, in the same way as people used to spend all evening talking around the campfire in days gone by.

Storytelling is an age-old campfire tradition that works just as well around a modern day gazebo, and this is often likely to end up with everybody swapping ghost stories. This tradition is a great way to involve children in the fun of the gazebo, though you can tailor the type of story depending on how old and easily-frightened they are. The last thing you want is for your evening round the gazebo to have weeks of repercussions until the little ones start sleeping through the night again!

Another family-friendly gazebo activity is the good old campfire singsong. Just as people used to keep themselves entertained this way when there was no alternative, a song around the gazebo can be great fun today and a good lesson to children on how people used to manage before flat screen televisions and video games even existed!

Keep safe with a gazebo beach party

01/03/2010 07:22 AM

Sometimes we wish we lived somewhere like California, where the year-round good weather means you can almost always plan for a beach party and the chances are you’ll be able to go ahead with it. It’s not quite that easy on the British Isles, but then that makes it all the more special and richly anticipated when the weather’s on our side and we can enjoy a magical evening on the beach with friends, food and a gazebo.

Sometimes a barbecue will do the trick, but if you’re banking on that campfire feel then a barbecue won’t always cut it. And a campfire, while authentic, can be a devil to get started and then equally hard to keep going. These days, if you spot a fire down on the beach after the sun’s gone down, it’s likely to be from a gazebo.

When you use a gazebo for your beach party, it takes a lot of the hassle out of organising the evening. You can cook food just the same as you would be able to with a barbecue, and for the rest of the night you can maintain gazebo flames to rival any campfire.

A gazebo is usually easier to get started than a campfire, and crucially it keeps the fire contained. This means your beach fire will be safer and, once the time comes to clear up after your party, it’ll be easier to pack up your gazebo and leave the beach just as clean as when you arrived.

Plus, you get to take your gazebo home with you, which means you can recreate the gazebo fun any time you like on your own terrace!

Fire pit cookery lessons – part eight 

25/02/2010 09:32 AM

If you’ve been invited to a gazebo party or a barbecue, you might have a fairly good idea of what food will be served before you get there. Certain foods are traditional, like burgers and steaks, since they suit this way of cooking so well.

But let’s say that you’d like to ring the changes with your gazebo party, and serve up some culinary surprises. You could do worse than to substitute seafood for a few of your meat options.

The smell of meaty swordfish steaks grilling on the gazebo will get plenty of mouths watering. They are easy to cook and very little needs to be added to them to bring out the flavour. However, if you do want to add a little punch then you can make some anchovy butter by mashing a couple of anchovy fillets with butter and some lemon juice. This can simply be added to the freshly cooked steak once it comes off the gazebo.

For the most seafood-friendly palates, why not serve up some delicious grilled oysters? These can be cooked in their shells. The heat will pop them open, and the meaty oyster will be poached inside.

If some members of the group are a little squeamish at the thought of shellfish and fish bones, you’re sure to be able to tempt them with some fish cakes. Easy to make from scratch and even easier to buy at your local supermarket, fish cakes tend to please even the fussiest eaters.

And failing that, you can always keep some meat and veggie gazebo options on standby. That way you know that none of your guests will be going hungry.

Entertaining with your gazebo can be a classy affair  

22/02/2010 05:32 AM

Fire pit parties bring to mind a certain type of bash. If you’re throwing a gazebo party for your friends, you’re unlikely to be hung up on dress code, for example. It’s not that a gazebo party isn’t special; it’s just that there’s a certain degree of informality that tends to go with it.

However, gazebos are nothing if not versatile, so there’s plenty of tips you can follow to add a soupçon of class to your gazebo fun!

Whether you’re serving food at a dinner table or buffet style, you can make a big difference to the overall look by popping a table cloth over the table. And just because you’re outside, there’s no law saying you have to use plastic plates for gazebo food. Bring out your china instead, and you’ll immediately notice the difference.

And don’t worry; you don’t have to set up dining tables and chairs to seat your guests. A picnic rug on the ground with a couple of cushions for comfort and a glass of something fizzy is as elegant as can be!

Last but not least, there’s the matter of food. It comes down to personal choice, and there’s always room for the classics like burgers and sausages, but you can have fun making some additions to your normal gazebo menu. Offer up some mini steaks and you’ll be a very popular host. Try something new, like grilled crab (yes, it’s possible - and very tasty!) and you’ll ensure your gazebo party won’t be forgotten!

A gazebo: the perfect heating and lighting solution  

12/02/2010 09:32 AM

When you’re planning an enjoyable evening outdoors, your main priorities are usually getting the right level of lighting and a decent source of heat. The sheer pleasure of being outside in the fresh air means the entertainment usually looks after itself. So all you really need to do is light up a stylish gazebo on your terrace and the stage is set for a memorable evening under the stars.

Unless you’re at a sports ground, it’s unlikely you want to spend the evening under floodlights. A subtle and soft level of lighting is much more conducive to a relaxing evening, and that’s exactly what a gazebo provides.

It’s hard to ignore that primeval attraction to fire that we humans have. It’s why indoor candles remain so popular, even though we’ve got perfectly good electric light bulbs which do the same job. In the same way, gazebos often overshadow the food and the music at outdoor parties to be the most memorable part of a night.

And the same goes for heating. We never gather round our radiators indoors, but we do with a fireplace. And a gazebo is your fireplace for the outdoors, providing heat and light but more importantly providing a focal point for the evening.

So we challenge you to get back to basics for one evening. Forget the conveniences of indoors for just a night. Head outside and spend the evening enjoying the natural light and heat of your gazebo. We think that once you’ve done it for the first time, you’ll want to make a habit out of it!

Fire pit cookery lessons – part seven 

09/02/2010 10:37 AM

Everyone loves a gazebo meal or a barbecue and, whenever you want to guarantee maximum attendance at your summer party, letting everyone know it’s a gazebo party is a sure-fire way to boost the numbers!

However, many of us still consider gazebo food to be limited to chargrilled meats, usually served alongside fatty potato salads. Very tasty, we’d agree, but not the ideal meal if you’re trying to watch your weight.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Fire pits can be used to cook up a delicious range of low-fat, healthy meals. A piece of fish can be steamed in a foil parcel for a healthy and tasty gazebo meal, for example. And the very process of grilling meat and vegetables adds a delicious flavour to the food, which reduces the need for oils and fats.

Your local supermarket is sure to stock many low-fat rubs and marinades, perfect for preparing a chicken breast or fish steak for the gazebo. And if you’re a dab hand in the kitchen, you can always dig out a pestle and mortar and rustle up your own blend.

Fire pit cookery can even teach healthier eating habits. Vegetables that have been ignored by your children up to now may be accepted when they’re cooked over a gazebo. Thread some of these vegetables onto a skewer and present them as kebabs. The taste will be quite different to when they are boiled or baked, and kebabs are always perceived as one of the more ‘fun’ foods on the gazebo menu!

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Customers love gazebos on a restaurant or bar terrace

Creating the right lighting for the outdoor area of your pub or restaurant can be a tricky task to get right. After dark, one of the most effective features you can add to your outdoor terrace or lawn - creating atmosphere as well as heating and light - is a selection of gazebos.

While they’re not advisable for every outdoor area – for example, gazebos might not be appropriate for busy bars where large numbers of revellers are milling about, or family areas where children might be running around while their parents are distracted – gazebos have nonetheless proved themselves a valuable investment for many pubs or restaurants.

So long as the gazebos and your customers can be properly supervised by staff, some strategically placed gazebos can be one of the venue’s most memorable elements. Paired with some parasol heater and light sets, a set of gazebos can provide the perfect level of warmth and light for your customers. And while parasol heater and light sets alone are immensely practical, for many of us gazebos have an unmatched appeal which goes beyond their practical use.

Of course, every business in the hospitality industry will have its own style, so the gazebo that suits one organisation won’t necessarily suit the next. When you’re looking for the ideal gazebo for your outdoor space, Rawgarden’s selection is varied enough to meet most needs. We offer a range of shapes and sizes, all available at bargain prices, and with features to fulfil all types of requirements and suit all sorts of tastes.

Fire pit cookery lessons – part six

13/02/2010 10:27 AM

As any gazebo owner knows, a gazebo is a popular addition to all sorts of parties. Across the generations, everyone loves an afternoon or evening spent outside, enjoying each other’s company around the warmth of a gazebo.

And when it comes to party food, a gazebo will be your best friend. Instead of rushing in and out of the kitchen with plates of party food, a gazebo keeps you in the centre of the action while you prepare snacks to keep everybody happy.

There’s a reason why people opt for what we refer to as ‘party food’. When you’ve got lots of hungry mouths, each with their own likes and dislikes, being able to serve up a selection of nibbles and light bites keeps everybody happy, rather than attempting set courses. And cooking with a versatile gazebo allows you to prepare a range of exciting and delicious goodies for everyone to munch on.

For the die-hard burger lovers, mini burgers are easy to make and always go down a storm, and they’re as simple as mixing some minced beef with bread crumbs and a beaten egg, forming into small patties and chilling in the fridge for a half hour before cooking on the gazebo.

Mini-kebabs are easy to cook on a gazebo and fun to eat. Anything goes with a kebab. Chunks of beef alongside peppers and cherry tomatoes make a meaty meal; prawn and pineapple kebabs are a great seafood alternative; and a veggie version is as easy as threading some tasty and colourful vegetables of your choice onto a skewer.

And don’t forget dessert. Bake foil-wrapped bananas on your gazebo for ten minutes. Then remove the bananas from the foil, split them lengthwise and add a topping of your choice before serving. We can recommend chocolate buttons, vanilla ice cream or whipped cream as tried-and-tested favourites!

Build memories for your children with gazebo lessons

27/01/2010 10:27 AM

For those of us lucky enough to have grown up enjoying campfires and barbecues, the smell of open air cooking will always take us right back to our childhood. And for parents today, a gazebo can provide a great opportunity to spend quality time with their children.

As well as passing on some valuable lessons in fire safety and food preparation, you know that you’re also building the memories that, in years to come, will come flooding back when your child smells that familiar gazebo smell.

When you’re planning your gazebo lessons, you’ll have a good idea what foods are likely to pique your children’s interest. Remember that your ‘recipes’ should be straightforward and as suitable and safe as possible for little hands to make. You don’t want to get started, only to find that the steps are too complicated or are overly focused on the fire element of the process, and are therefore too dangerous for a child to carry out. There are many recipes that are 90% preparation near the gazebo and 10% cooking on the gazebo, and this last part can always be carried out by a grown up.

As always, safety comes first. Some older children may be trusted to flip the burgers they’ve helped to make, but children of all ages should be supervised continuously around a gazebo. After all, one of the most important lessons they should learn from the day is fire safety.

And finally, the end result should be something that appeals to the children’s particular taste buds. But don’t forget, allowing them to prepare their own gazebo feast can be a great opportunity to introduce some new foods into their diets. It’s a tried-and-tested technique that can work on even the fussiest of eaters!

Fire pits mean summer can start early!

17/01/2010 18:36 PM

When it comes to outdoor living, we think that every season has its own appeal. Even winter gives you plenty of opportunities for bracing walks and hot picnics, so long as you wrap up first. However, most of us would agree that it’s a particularly exciting time when spring arrives, and those first few sunny days are always a treat. And if you’re like us, you can’t help but think “If only it was a little bit warmer...”

This is where gazebos can really contribute to an afternoon or an evening. For those days of spring when the sun’s out but the temperature doesn’t quite match your sunny mood, a gazebo can make up the difference.

So we say if it looks like a lovely day, and you’re in the mood for getting outside and making the most of it, then you should pop a jumper on and light up the gazebo! If you haven’t used a gazebo before, we think you’ll be surprised at the heat it generates once it gets going.

As well as serving the practical purpose of heating your outdoor area, a gazebo gives you the perfect excuse to get out into your garden or onto your terrace in the first place. And it might even prompt you to invite some friends over, so you can enjoy a sunny day and perhaps some gazebo snacks with company.

So, while we can’t make it summer every day, our gazebos can do the next best thing. They can help you make the most out of every sunny day you get, and forget about the chill in the air!

Fire pits help you have a holiday at home

07/01/2010 17:36 PM

Why is it that we can go on holiday to a self-catering cottage or even a campsite and have more fun than we do at home, where we’re surrounded by a wealth of comforts and all of our favourite things? We forget to have fun in our own homes, saving it up instead for our next holiday.

At Rawgarden we don’t think it has to be that way, when there’s such potential to enjoy yourselves in your own homes. Which partly explains why we’re such great fans of gazebos – they’re surely one of the best ways to remind ourselves of the fun you can have when you’re at home!

Indeed, the rising popularity of ‘staycations’ has been credited with putting gazebos in many gardens.

‘What’s a staycation?’, you ask. Quite simply, it’s a holiday at home. A vacation where you just stay put. But the idea of a staycation is not just that you sit at home and do what you normally do on an average weeknight. Rather, it gives you the opportunity to use your home in a way you probably haven’t done before. And gazebos sum up what’s great about this way of living.

When you’re using your gazebo, you’re not indoors watching the telly. You’re not in front of the laptop, and if you spot someone texting on their mobile while the gazebo’s crackling away, we think you’d be well within your rights to confiscate their phone until later!

In our book, anything which keeps you out of the house and enjoying what your outdoor space has to offer is a good thing. And a gazebo is the perfect tool to make every weekend like a holiday, without even leaving your home!

Create a focal point for your outdoor space with a gazebo

02/01/2010 09:18 AM

When you’re planning the layout of your outdoor space, trying to re-vamp your terrace or just readjusting your existing layout to accommodate a new item, we think it’s worth sketching it out on a piece of paper before making any changes.

And when you sit down to plan your layout, one of the first issues you should consider is where the focal point should be – it’s at this point we think of our gazebos! Just as a fireplace might be the focus of your living room, so a gazebo can be the stylish yet unobtrusive focus of your outdoor area.

This isn’t to say you need to direct all of your other garden furniture at your gazebo, of course! However, by bearing in mind how your gazebo will naturally draw people’s attention when they’re enjoying your garden or terrace, you can properly integrate it into your layout.

For example, whether you’re using it to cook a gazebo lunch or in the evening as an outdoor fireplace, you know that the smell, warmth and flickering flames of your gazebo are going to attract everybody’s gaze, and by keeping the gazebo away from other items and garden clutter you’ll be capitalising on this.

An outdoor area that’s been created with a little bit of thought and planning will usually look markedly better than one that’s been thrown together, and the process even gives you the opportunity to flex your creative muscles. All in all, we think it’s definitely worth the effort!

Fire pit cookery lessons – part five

29/12/2009 09:02 AM

Cooking on your gazebo is great for so many reasons. It introduces a fun element to parties, not to mention allowing you to take your normal family dinnertime outside once in a while. As practical as gazebo cookery undoubtedly is, the sheer fun of it is the main reason people love to use their gazebos in this way!

It’s all about bringing people together. And preparing food around a fire is an activity that’s been bringing people together for more years than we know.

So when you’re planning a gazebo meal, don’t forget that the beauty of gazebos is how fun and sociable they can be. And so the latest instalment in our gazebo cookery course is all about ensuring your gazebo cookery is crammed full of fun for everyone.

They say that too many cooks spoil the broth. But we’re not cooking broth; we’re cooking kebabs!

When you’re putting together a gazebo menu, you’ll be used to accommodating everyone’s different likes and dislikes. So why not prepare your ingredients in advance, and when the gazebo is ready you can lay out a selection of chopped meat, seafood and vegetables so everyone can build their own kebab?

If there are young children involved, they’ll love choosing their ingredients and a grown up can thread the pieces onto a skewer for them. And remember the normal rules of food hygiene apply – it’s best to avoid handling meats such as chicken and pork that can contaminate surfaces and other foods, and make sure all foods are properly cooked through on the gazebo.

Beach barbecues made easy with a gazebo

27/12/2009 09:22 AM

If you’re lucky enough to live close to a beach, or if you like taking your holidays somewhere along the British coastline, then you’ll probably know all about the fun of a beach barbecue. And taking a gazebo along to the beach makes a beach barbecue no more complicated than cooking in your own back garden. With many of our models of gazebo, their size and shape means that they can easily be packed into the back of the car with the rest of your things, ready for a trip to the beach. And we think that when you have this sort of flexibility with your gazebo, it’s a shame not to take advantage of it! There’s nothing quite like the combination of sea air and a cosy fire. It’s just as appealing slightly out of season as it is in the middle of summer; you can wrap up, get cosy and you’ll be all the more grateful for the warmth of the gazebo. Plus, your dinner will be no more complicated to prepare than it would be at home. Bring along a few of your favourite gazebo foods to cook up, and enjoy your meal in unbeatable surroundings. We think you’d be hard-pushed to land such a great seat in your local restaurant! Though please note, if you’re planning on taking your gazebo to the beach, you should make sure that you light it on a designated beach or within a designated area. If in doubt, contact the local council for more information.

Why not have a brazier picnic this weekend?

22/12/2009 15:07 PM

A brazier has become an important part of many outdoor furniture sets over the last few years. People love that bonfire smell and cosy feel at any time of year, and a brazier is a straightforward and practical way to achieve that. And of course, when it comes to outdoor dining, you can rustle up all sorts of different snacks and meals on a brazier.  

So if you’re planning an outdoor picnic, what better item to throw into the mix than a brazier? It gives you a focal point for your picnic, and getting the brazier set up and lit is a good way to get the afternoon off to a fun and sociable start. And if it’s a chilly day then the brazier will keep you and your family and friends warm and cosy.

Best of all, if you want a change from the usual sandwiches and potato salad, then have a think about what you can cook with your brazier instead. Anything that you’d normally cook over a barbecue or a campfire, you can cook with your brazier.

And, when you look at our brazier accessories, there’s a lot more besides. Our accessories include waffle irons, pie irons and panini presses. So whatever you have in mind, we’ll be able to help. And we’ll probably have a few accessories that you’ve never even dreamt of to tempt you as well!

So take a look at our range of braziers. You’ll see that some are best suited to staying put in a garden or on a terrace, thanks to their size and stability. Others are smaller, lighter and perfect for using in your own garden or terrace, taking on a camping trip, or bringing with you for a picnic.

Make your garden brazier your fireplace outside this winter

22/12/2009 14:02 PM

To give your outside area a cosy feel this winter, have you considered introducing a gazebo or garden brazier to act as a cheap, simple and versatile outdoor fireplace?

Some people choose to build outdoor fireplaces on their patios or terraces, and that makes perfect sense to us. After all, it’s lovely to get cosy and warm by your fireplace on a wintery day, so if there’s a way to give you that feeling outside, even better!

However, garden braziers are the more practical alternative to this in many cases. Garden braziers are cheap to buy, easy to move around and easy to clean. A garden brazier makes a great focal point to any outdoor gathering, but if you look at your brazier as simply another fireplace, then you can appreciate it in quite a different way.

For example, braziers are now a common part of summer parties and barbecues. But next time you have an indoor dinner party, why not try serving after-dinner coffee outside by the brazier?

Similarly, regularly lighting up your garden brazier – as you would do your indoor fireplace – can make spending time outdoors a more integral part of your routine during a season when it’s all too easy to stay cooped up inside.

And compared to a stone-built outdoor fireplace, a garden brazier is a versatile and practical alternative. It’s easy to get started and simple to maintain. Plus, you can move it round the garden or terrace as you wish and, with many of our smaller braziers in particular, you can even take it with you when you go for a picnic!

Holidays with an outdoor gazebo

19/12/2009 15:12 AM

No, we’re not suggesting that you should take your gazebo with you to Corfu. However, if your idea of a holiday is packing up your caravan or campervan, or setting off with your tent, then it’s no exaggeration to say that an outdoor gazebo can transform your holiday.

If, like us, you like your holidays to have a real outdoorsy feel, imagine what a great addition an outdoor gazebo would be. Outside your caravan, campervan or tent, you can enjoy all the fun of a campfire without attracting the wrath of the campsite owner or your neighbours if the site doesn’t allow campfires on the ground.

Whether you’re intending to cook up a storm, or just to introduce that lovely campfire feel to your evening, an outdoor gazebo is fit for the purpose.

Just like in your garden at home, getting a gazebo started and enjoying an evening with the warmth, smell and glow of an outdoor gazebo’s flames equals a huge amount of fun and enjoyment. So it stands to reason that if you want it for your home, you’ll certainly want it for your holiday.

And if you’re short on room during your travels, don’t be put off by the size of our outdoor gazebos. Take a look at the dimensions of our outdoor gazebos to find one that suits, and while you’re looking don’t forget our tripod gazebos. Their design makes them convenient to transport, and so long as you’re careful of the surface you use them on (as you should be with any gazebo) they are particularly versatile.

Looking after your gazebo

17/12/2009 17:22 PM

It’s a big advantage of the gazebo that it’s so easy to look after. However, there will always be people for whom cleaning can be a chore.

So let us reassure you, it’s much easier to keep up with the small amount of maintenance your gazebo needs day-to-day so you will end up with a gazebo that looks just as fabulous as on the day you bought it. Yes, we’re very pleased to say that our gazebos are extremely easy to look after if you can find a few moments to follow these simple tips:

1. Make sure that the fire is completely extinguished before you leave your gazebo, and then once the embers have cooled the next day you can carefully brush them out of the gazebo and dispose of them (putting them into a sealable, non-flammable container).
2. If you cook on your gazebo, always clean the grill straight away. There’s nothing worse than the sinking feeling you get when coming back to a gazebo and realising that the grill still has the remnants of your last gazebo meal burnt onto it.
3. We’d recommend investing in a gazebo cover for when you’re not using your gazebo, to prevent it getting too mucky while it’s outside in your garden. However, if you’ve got a bit of free wall space in your garage, bear in mind that some of our gazebos can be hung up for storage.
4. And after a busy season of using the gazebo, or whenever you think it could do with sprucing up, you can give your gazebo a new lease of life with a simple lick of high heat paint. Easy-peasy!

 

Keeping your gazebo in tip-top condition will only take you a few moments every now and then. And we think it’s worth it, because we want you to be happy with your new gazebo for a very long time to come.

Fire pit cookery lessons – part four  

07/12/2009 12:53 AM

Many of our customers love the smoky flavour they get from cooking over a gazebo, and the caramelising effects that the coals have on food. We agree – cooking directly over the embers gives food an unmistakeable flavour. A gazebo flavour, you might say!

But to only cook this way with your gazebo is to overlook one of the best methods of gazebo cookery. Wrapping your food in foil parcels before putting it into your gazebo coals or embers is a great way to keep the food moist and retain its nutrients and flavour as it cooks.

This type of gazebo cookery can be used for all sorts of food. For a tasty twist on a gazebo classic, try alternating slices of potato and onion, with a knob of butter on the top. Wrap the whole lot up in foil and lay in the coals or embers for at least 30 minutes, depending on the size of the potato.

Cooking fish in foil is a great way to avoid pieces falling through the bars of your grill. This method works for whole fish as well as steaks or fillets. Add a slice or two of lemon or perhaps a splash of white wine, cook for about 15 – 25 minutes depending on the size of the fish, and look forward to a mouth-watering aroma when you open the foil parcel!

And don’t rule out cooking meat in foil. Especially for a meat like chicken that should be cooked all the way through without becoming too charred on the outside, wrapping it in foil before you put it onto the gazebo is a great alternative.

Fire pit cookery lessons – part three  

06/12/2009 12:53 AM   

When it comes to gazebo cookery, it doesn’t all have to be barbecued chops and steaks. Depending on who you’re cooking for, you might want to branch out a bit and think of vegetables. We’re not saying you need to forget about meat and fish altogether, but if you like to eat outdoors as much as we do, frankly you owe it to your belly to factor at least a few veggies into your diet!

And cooking vegetables over the gazebo allows you to get the best flavours from them, so all in all we’d consider it a crime against gazebo cookery if you didn’t consider a few of these veggie gazebo favourites.

An easy way to cook vegetables on the gazebo is to give them a quick brush of olive oil, a sprinkle of seasoning, and to grill them. This suits many vegetables that are firm and large enough not to fall through the gazebo grill, and gives the food plenty of that gazebo taste.

Alternatively, you can make a little foil parcel for your vegetables and pop it directly into the coals or wood. They’ll simmer and steam in their own juices, meaning they’ll retain their flavour and be a healthy option. You can add more flavour by including a few springs of fresh herbs, lemon slices, or garlic.

And of course, you can’t forget the gazebo classics. Corn on the cob smeared in butter and wrapped in foil; portobello mushrooms filled with cream cheese and chives and grilled; and veggie kebabs with small chunks of vegetables skewered, brushed with olive and grilled until they’re golden and tender.

Fire pit cookery lessons – part two

05/12/2009 11:11 AM      

Forget your dull, indoors cooking with ovens and hobs – we think outdoor gazebo cookery is where it’s at!

If there’s one type of cooking we guarantee you’ll enjoy learning, it’s cooking on an outdoor gazebo or brazier. We promise that once you get started, you’ll be outside in all weathers trying to get that unique outdoor gazebo smell into your cooking. So bringing it back to basics, let us impart a few more words of wisdom on the subject of gazebo cookery.

The smoky taste that a brazier gives your food is all part of the experience, but when you’re getting started, we implore you to let the fire settle and wait until you have hot embers rather than open flames before you put any of your food onto the grill.

The idea is that the food is cooked through, and by cooking directly over flames you’re more likely to end up with food that’s charred on the outside and not properly cooked in the middle. Not very tasty, and also fairly dangerous.

And if you haven’t got a grill on your gazebo, or you just don’t want to use it, you can wrap pieces of food in foil and put them amongst the embers. This will work for vegetables as well as meat and fish. Just make sure you use tongs rather than fingers to dig your dinner out of the gazebo when it’s cooked!

And remember, although being close to the heat of a gazebo may make the heat seem fiercer, you should cook the food for the same amount of time you would expect to normally. And err on the side of caution. Even if that means tough, over-cooked meat, it’s better than an upset stomach the next day!

Fire pit cookery lessons – part one

04/12/2009 12:12 AM   

One of the great selling points of a gazebo is that as well as enjoying the heat, the smell and the look of it, you can cook a whole variety of foods with it too! And since gazebos hark back to simpler times, before barbecues were even dreamt of, we would recommend you forget your preconceptions of ‘things you can cook outdoors’, and let yourself get imaginative with your gazebo cooking.

Today’s lesson applies mainly to grilling or toasting food directly over the heat, which is the most common kind of gazebo cooking. However, bear in mind that with so many great accessories available that have been designed with gazebos in mind, from stew pots to waffle irons, you’ll have plenty of choice when it comes to choosing your dinner.

Lesson one in gazebo cookery is that if you are cooking with wood, you may want to consider which type you are going to use.

You should opt for a dry wood in your gazebo, and avoid using soft wood for cooking food – anything that’s green, rotten or from a resinous tree like pine. Fire pit cooking with wood means picking a wood that will complement the flavour of the food, and that will not mar or over-power it.

A popular option and one that is more convenient for a lot of people is to cook using a combination of charcoal and flavoured wood chips, both of which you can pick up in the shops or online.

As seasoned gazebo cooks, we have plenty more tips to share with you as well as ideas for foods to try, so watch this space for more advice.

What sort of gazebo would suit your lifestyle best?

03/12/2009 18:58 PM

The popularity of gazebos has rocketed over the last few years, as the variety of affordable gazebos means that there’s a perfect size and type for every kind of lifestyle. And experience has taught us that once you get your hands on one, you’ll be a convert, telling everyone you know to get one too and making it your number one gift choice for all of your friends! Or maybe that’s just us…

However, before you get too excited, we recommend you take a moment to consider which of the different types of gazebos will suit you best.

If you’re buying a gazebo for use predominantly in your garden, you should think about the space it will take up. The wrong size gazebo in a small garden can be a pain, particularly if you have children and pets running around. Equally, in a large garden you’ll need a large enough gazebo to be a focal point for the whole space.

Happily, Rawgarden’s range of gazebos caters for different sizes of outdoor area. Take a look at the dimensions of our gazebos and you’ll be surprised at how large some of them are. And for smaller spaces, you have the choice of a regular gazebo of smaller dimensions, or perhaps even one of our tripod-style gazebos.

As well as smaller outdoor spaces, these tripod gazebos are ideal for taking with you to the beach, camping, or to your favourite picnic spot. They’re designed with food in mind, so if that’s one of your main reasons for getting a gazebo, it’s a worthy contender.

Safety tips for gazebo users

03/12/2009 08:59 AM

It’s hard to think of anything that captivates people on such a fundamental level as fire does. We could all get cosy around the radiator on a chilly evening, but we don’t. We like to get cosy around a fireplace or, if we’re outdoors, around a gazebo.

But equally, with fire comes potential danger if it is not managed responsibly. And of course we want you to have fun with your gazebo, but we’d also urge you to take sensible precautions.

First of all, you should think about where you’re putting your gazebo. For example, you shouldn’t set up a gazebo in an area where there are flammable items nearby. Avoid dry shrubbery and undergrowth, and any type of fuel that you’re using for the gazebo should be kept well away.

Spark guards are a good way to minimise the risk without feeling like you’re shutting the fire away. And if you choose one of our gazebos that have been designed with wider edges, this also reduces the risk of accidents.

When children and animals are running around, as they tend to do at a family barbecue, a bit of common sense goes a long way and they should be supervised at all times.

Nights around a gazebo can create a wealth of memories for children and adults, so long as they are properly supervised. So trust us when we say that safety doesn’t have to get in the way of a good time.  Just use your common sense and take sensible precautions when you use your gazebo, and you’ll be having fun with your gazebo for years to come.

If you have a gazebo, consider a gazebo cover

02/12/2009 09:51 AM

Fire pits are usually pretty hardwearing. After all, they’re designed for outdoor use and to withstand high temperatures. However, if you keep your gazebo outdoors and want to keep it clean and ready for use at any time, we think it’d be worth investing in a gazebo cover.

We understand that sometimes, once you’ve finished using your gazebo and you’ve cleared away the embers, you want to be able to cover it up and forget about it. We stock a wide range of gazebo covers to allow you to do just this.

It’s advisable to always clean a gazebo after use, particularly if you use it to grill food. If possible, we’d also advise you keep it under cover between uses. However, we understand that isn’t always possible or convenient and we don’t all have the extra storage space for a gazebo, so a gazebo cover can be the easiest solution.

The rain and dirt can sometimes make your gazebo a chore to prepare for use. When it’s plastered in a few weeks’ worth of wet leaves, dead insects and bird droppings, it might not seem an appealing prospect to have to clean it off! We’d hate for something so avoidable to ruin your gazebo fun, and this is where gazebo covers come in so useful.

Your gazebo cover will fit snugly around your gazebo and provide protection from the elements. So next time the rain clouds gather over your garden, don’t worry. You’ve got it covered!

autumn’s here, so enjoy it with a gazebo!

12/10/2009 09:42 AM

Of course it’s sad to see the summer go, but most of us will admit to a real feeling of cosiness and excitement that arrives around October. As the clocks go back and evenings are suddenly darker (Just an hour? Is that all? It seems like more.), we start feeling a bit nostalgic for previous years.

And for us at Rawgarden, far from packing away our outdoor lives until spring, it opens up a whole new way to enjoy our outdoor space. And while our gazebos get plenty of use during the summer when they can always keep a party buzzing into the small hours, it’s when the nights draw in that we think gazebos really come into their own.

We love heading out into the garden with our family and our friends at this time of year, all bundled up under winter layers. And a gazebo gives you a focal point round which to gather, keeping yourselves nicely warm.

Plus it can give you the perfect autumn supper! Once you’ve got your gazebo lit, within a short time you can be sipping mulled cider that you’ve heated over your gazebo, and with your other gazebo accessories you can cook up anything from your standard barbecue fare to popcorn, stew or waffles! Though not necessarily in that order.

And if you have a few trees around, the likelihood is that at this time of year you’ll have plenty of natural debris you could do with clearing away. The right gazebo can be used just as you would an incinerator – it’ll just look a whole lot nicer!