Time spent with friends and family at our homes and cottages is something we can all appreciate. A great meal enjoyed in the open air during the sweet months of summer in Muskoka is enhanced by a well-designed outdoor kitchen.
Peter Briese of Muskoka BBQ and Outdoor Kitchen Centre takes delight in helping clients maximize the summer season, with outdoor cooking setups to meet any culinary demands. “Every kitchen space has unique possibilities,” he explains. “We want to make the most of those possibilities and ensure that every cottage meal is a success.”
Wood-fired pizzas, tomahawk steaks, fresh fish tacos, or a full Sunday roast: everything tastes that much better when it’s prepared and eaten outdoors. There’s no limit to the dynamic menus you can create for brunch, lunch, or dinner with the right combination of flat-top grills, barbecues, ovens and side burners.
Longtime partnersPeter’s quest for innovative, high-quality products means he is always working with a mix of new and existing suppliers. “It’s a complex time,” he says, “but we’re proud to celebrate our existing product partners as well as working with some new partners offering innovative opportunities.”
Crown Verity is one of Muskoka BBQ’s premium lines, a Canadian company they’ve worked with for many years. “They’re based in Brantford, and they have thirty years in the commercial cooking industry.”
Customizing a Crown Verity kitchen is easy, thanks to their range of grills, griddles, and burners in multiple sizes, and different configurations of drawer systems. Their line also includes versatile refrigeration options, and side burners to keep sauces warm or sautee vegetables.
Meals can be as simple or as complex as you wish, and so can the kitchen. “The Infinite modular series is incredibly flexible. We can build a full kitchen right away, or we can begin with the basics and expand it over time,” Peter explains.
“You can start with a smaller outdoor kitchen suited to intimate family gatherings, and if your family grows or your entertaining expands, we can grow the kitchen to suit your needs.”
The trend these days is to stick a bit closer to home during leisure times, he adds. “It makes sense to invest in comfort, elegance and functionality for those spaces.”
Personal touch As ever, Muskoka BBQ provides a personal consultation to determine what the customer envisions for their outdoor space, as well as what they love to cook. Customizing the design happens around these dreams and requirements. A passionate cook, Peter often shares his enthusiasm for the possibilities of the appliances he himself uses.
A case in point is the Alfa hybrid pizza oven. Designed and made in Italy, the Alfa oven is something Peter and his wife Jen use often. “It can be used as a smoker, as a traditional pizza oven, or you can make a full prime rib dinner in it.”
Hybrid ovens like the Alfa can operate using wood or propane. A wood fire gives foods like pizza a delightful whiff of smokiness; it’s also ideal for foods that require long cooking times, such as bread, lasagna, roasts, and ribs. On the other hand, to quickly roast some vegetables or bake a dessert, it’s quick and easy to heat the oven using propane.
Partnerships around the worldAs their wider product line attests, Muskoka BBQ has established relationships with quality companies everywhere. “We proudly maintain strong support for our premium partners in Canada like Crown Verity, as well as remaining loyal to our other product partners from all other markets.”
European companies are offering dynamic products for grilling and outdoor kitchen design. A Muskoka BBQ kitchen might feature a German grill, Spanish countertops, and Canadian cabinetry. The ever-expanding product line is always about quality first.
Passion for cookingA passion for cooking outdoors is what led Peter to purchase the business back in 2015. It’s never been just about selling barbecues. They service, deliver, assemble, consult, demonstrate and educate. “It’s very important to us that each client feels confident in their use of the various appliances built into their kitchen system,” he says.
“We’re looking forward to cooking our way through another great season in one of the most beautiful places in the world.”
TEXT MARNIE WOODROW
PHOTOS ANDREW FEARMAN
