Chef Robert Thompson MBE × Vlaze

Outside with Robert.

Cooking, gathering and a little sea air. A summer of open-air cooking on the Isle of Wight, in partnership with Vlaze.

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Chef Robert Thompson preparing meat on the outdoor kitchen counter, the sea behind him
A shared appetite for the outdoors

Take the kitchen outside. Let the afternoon unfold.

There is a particular pleasure in cooking outdoors. Ingredients on the board, something good on the grill, and people gathering nearby before anyone has been called. Robert’s work with Vlaze moved the kitchen into the open air and put it where everyone was already standing.

What follows is a summer of it — prep in the morning light, service as the tide went out, and afternoons that quietly turned into evenings. Vlaze also sat Robert down for their own journal: Five minutes with Robert Thompson.

From the outdoor kitchen

A closer look at the cooking.

Two short films, shot beside the sea. Both have sound.

Lighting charcoal with a blowtorch inside the ceramic grill on the outdoor kitchen
Chef seasoning prawns at the outdoor preparation station
The kitchen at the centre

A place to cook. A reason to stay.

Preparation becomes part of the conversation. Nobody stands in a garden waiting to be fed when they can stand at the counter and watch it happen — and once they are there, they tend to stay.

The units are built for weather and for work: a surface wide enough to actually prep on, the grill within reach, and everything kept where it can be got at without going back indoors.

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The sage green Vlaze outdoor kitchen with a ceramic grill set into the counter Close detail of the Vlaze name on the enamelled sage green panel
Around the kitchen

Stay for a little longer.

A drink poured, music on, another conversation started. Good outdoor cooking has a way of turning into a whole afternoon, and the counter ends up doing as much work as the grill.

A DJ setup on the outdoor kitchen counter with guests gathered behind
Three guests talking at the outdoor counter with drinks A guest pouring a drink at the counter under a parasol
Selected collaborations

Something good starts here.

Food has a way of bringing a brand’s story to life. For conversations about cooking, content and experiences with Robert and the team, get in touch.

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