Alfresco Living – Plants to Keep the Wind off

alfresco living - garden plants to keep wind off

You can spend time outdoors in comfort all year round when you own a chiminea. But even on a warm summer’s night, a stiff breeze or sneaky wind can soon make you feel less than perfectly comfortable. Luckily there are many ways to create a sheltered spot in your garden for alfresco entertainment, one of […]

What Climate Change Means to Alfresco Living

garden dining

Alfresco living. Or, as some spell it, ‘al fresco’. It’s an Italian word, and we don’t really have an English alternative. How come? Because, until recently, the opportunities for enjoying lots of time outdoors with friends and family were fewer in the UK. Global warming is changing things. Climate change is underway and while it […]

How do They Make Clay Chimineas?

Mexican grapes extra large chiminea

Chimineas, also called pot-bellied ovens, were invented in the 1600s in Mexico but can be traced back to Spain. The chimney directs smoke up into the air, protecting the fire inside, and the bulbous design means you can set a good blaze that isn’t affected by wind or rain. So how is a clay chiminea […]

Why and how do clay chimineas crack?

cracked chiminea

A clay chiminea is a precious thing. It has been carefully made by hand, with love and skill, in Mexico. It has travelled thousands of miles by sea, sometimes in dreadful weather, and stayed whole. It has spent time on the back of a lorry, been kept in a warehouse, then delivered to your home […]

15 Things to do With an Old Chiminea

Rusted Garden Chimenea stove

Eventually, everything dies. Even our beautifully made, quality steel, cast iron and clay chimineas. Sometimes we just get tired of them and fancy a change. But these days the trend is clear. We don’t just throw things away. We recycle, repurpose and repair. We use it up and we wear it out. So what can […]

Chiminea Cuisine – BBQ the Vegan Way

Vegan food

Are you Vegan or vegetarian? The UK is home to more Vegans than ever before, as climate change bites and people give up meat to help reduce farming’s CO2 emissions. In fact, according to Truly Experiences, the number of Vegans in the UK has increased by 445,428 or 40% over the past 12 months. If the two […]

Three XL chimineas – Big, bold and beautiful

XL chimineas

What size is your garden? Are you searching for a choice of three XL chimineas? If your lawn, deck or patio is a little one, a smaller version of our beautiful chimineas makes perfect sense. You need to leave enough room around the edge for people to sit, stand, cook and move around safely, in […]

The Toledo Chiminea – Six Years No Maintenance!

What does a cast iron chiminea look like after six years outdoors with absolutely no maintenance? You can spend time keeping a cast iron chimenia in perfect nick, getting rid of small spots of rust as they appear, covering her up, and keeping her out of the rain through the winter months. Or you could […]

Four of the Best Selling Chimineas for 2022

best selling chiminea

When the world went into lockdown in 2020 our sales shot into outer space. Brits discovered the joy of the chimenea in their millions, many for the first time. 2021 saw much of the same, with sales booming and countless people wanting the finest chiminea accessories. In 2022 it’s a case of ‘same again’. The […]