Between directing blockbuster films and running a sprawling English estate, Guy Ritchie has quietly built an empire around his greatest passion—grilling over open flames. What began as a personal ritual has evolved into WildKitchen, a high-end outdoor cooking brand that now stars in everything from Netflix docuseries to Michelin-level supper clubs. But for Ritchie, it all comes back to the fire.
A filmmaker with fire in his soul
It’s been a hectic stretch for Guy Ritchie. Fresh off the launch of his gritty crime series MobLand and Netflix’s The Diamond Heist, he’s now shooting Wife and Dog, a black comedy about Britain’s elite. Yet, when reached in his on-set trailer, it’s not cinema he’s eager to discuss—it’s his barbecue. Specifically, the £75,000 WildKitchen grill sitting just outside.
“I’m in charge of catering for the unit,” he says with a grin. “I play mum when it comes to cooking.” This isn’t a celebrity hobby. It’s a lifelong obsession. “I reckon I’ve been grilling every day for 25 years,” Ritchie adds. “And it never gets boring.” To him, fire is not just heat—it’s a living element. “A wood or charcoal fire is not for the lazy or unappreciative,” he muses. “Handled with care, it’s generous. But if you’re careless, it punishes.”
From steak nights to screen time
Ritchie’s grilling passion has slowly moved from the personal to the public. A prototype of his WildKitchen grill had a cameo in The Gentlemen, and more recently, the 12-seat luxury model appeared in the Netflix docuseries Beckham, shot at the footballer’s Cotswold home. David Beckham is not just a friend—he’s a fan and owner.
Launched officially at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2021, WildKitchen was years in the making: eight years and 30 prototypes, to be precise. Inspired by a dinner gone cold during a chilly evening with Argentine chef Francis Mallmann, Ritchie envisioned a better way to grill outdoors in unpredictable British weather. The result? A weatherproof tented dining area, copper-topped grill tables, and dual-chamber cooking systems that allow for both prep and execution without losing heat. “You either understand that primal interest in fire cooking, or you don’t,” Ritchie shrugs. For him, grilling isn’t cooking—it’s craft, it’s ritual.
WildKitchen: From backyard to brand
The original idea behind WildKitchen was personal: create the perfect outdoor cooking experience. But demand from friends—some famous—quickly pushed it beyond a backyard project. “Once you start making one, you might as well make ten,” he laughs. “Then a hundred.”
Despite its luxury price tag, the £75,000 model is more popular than the £1,250 entry-level version. And yes, celebrity exposure has helped. “The Beckham programme led to a spike in interest,” Ritchie admits. “It’s not a spontaneous purchase, but it does build a steady business.”
Still, WildKitchen isn’t just a product. It’s become an experience.
Supper clubs and smoked lobster
Since 2023, Ritchie has opened up his estate to a very different kind of film set: an exclusive supper club in partnership with Carousel, the chef-residency restaurant in London. Every weekend from May to September, 16 guests are treated to a full food-and-fire immersion—grilling workshops, wild swims, yoga, and five-star meals cooked by Michelin-starred chefs using Ritchie’s WildKitchen.
“It was rather successful last year,” Ritchie says modestly. For 2025, the experience has expanded to include overnight stays in tastefully restored guest houses named after literary women—Austen, Brontë, Woolf—and a broader calendar of events.
The culinary line-up is no less ambitious. Among the rotating roster of chefs are Andy Beynon (Behind), Alex Nietosvuori (Hjem), and Debora Fadul (Diacá in Guatemala City), all using flame, smoke, and Ritchie’s design to rethink what grilling can be.
During one of these weekends, double Michelin-starred chef James Knappett prepared a six-course menu, including Cornish lobster grilled over juniper-smoked coals and scrambled eggs made with the lobster head’s juices. His verdict? “It’s pretty genius,” Knappett says of Ritchie’s invention. “You can do things here that you just can’t do in a traditional oven.”
From Lock, Stock to leg of lamb
Back at his Wiltshire estate, Ritchie’s transformation from filmmaker to fire guru feels natural. His country pub in Fitzrovia, Lore of the Land, now has a sibling: Lore of the Sky, a smokehouse at a rural airfield he bought in 2022. Spitfire fly-ins and vintage car events dot the summer calendar. And yet, there’s still something understated about it all.
Guests at Ashcombe Estate rarely glimpse Ritchie himself, though he’s known to appear unannounced—sometimes with guests like Stanley Tucci in tow. The emphasis remains on warm hospitality, great food, and the primal pleasure of fire. “It’s quite a big estate,” Ritchie says with classic understatement. “So it doesn’t make much difference.” But the impression he leaves is unmistakable. As you walk away from one of his dinners with a jar of wild garlic gremolata in hand, the desire to grill something beautiful—and slowly, over flames—feels irresistible.
Now all you need is a WildKitchen of your own.
