BBQ island maker KamadoSpace expands as lockdown fuels home cooking boom
Infinite Island, its launch product, is a flatpack outdoor cooking island made specifically to fit all of the most popular brands of kamado grill.
Initially designed in response to a customer’s request, Infinite Island is now available to buy in 14 markets, with particular demand from the UK and US.
The new product, XL Island, is designed to fit any of the largest and heaviest kamado grills like Big Joe, Big Green Egg XL, Monolith LeChef or Primo X-Large Charcoal.
These grills are most popular among heavy BBQ users whose set-up features accessories such as a rotisserie, pizza oven attachment, various grates, expanders, racks, deflectors and pizza stones.
“Even the smallest outdoor area has become an integral part of our everyday lives at home. After folks migrated to the backyards, they now demand the same level of comfort, aesthetics and functionality they used to have indoors,” said Mindaugas Voldemaras, co-founder and CEO at Lithuania-based KamadoSpace.
“We believe you should not step out of your comfort zone when stepping on a patio.”
Voldemaras, who founded the company with Vitalijus Čičiškinas and Gediminas Balodas, had been running a metal company manufacturing safes when coronavirus hit in March 2020.
When business stalled, the trio were presented with a new business idea by a customer.
“We were approached by a man who was a heavy grill user,” said Voldemaras. “He gave us a very detailed sketch and asked if we could make it for him. We did, and thought that if he needed one, there could be lots of other potential customers out there.
“It turns out we were right – there has been a huge demand, particularly as a result of people having spent so much time in their homes and gardens over the past year.”
KamadoSpace’s engineers have ensured that although the XL Island is solid and sturdy, able to accommodate the grill’s weight of up to 220 kg and provide up to 340 litres of storage space, it comes prefabricated and flat-packed to fit on one pallet.
Each unit, which weighs 250kg in total and can be easily assembled within three hours, can be shipped to any location worldwide.
Made of stainless or hot-dipped galvanised steel components and high-pressure laminate fronts, XL Island has three 110-litre volume drawers for tools and accessories and one sturdy 179-litre volume drawer for charcoal, all with concealed full extension runner systems.
KamadoSpace is also set to launch the Cabinet model, designed for users who need to store oversized equipment like an ash vacuum cleaner, huge dutch ovens or boilers.
The new XL Island (MSRP: £3,599) and Cabinet (MSRP: £2,099) will be available at retail partners across the globe. The original Infinite Island retails at £2,599.