Great British Barbecue

The barbecue season in Britain has extended beyond the traditional summer months, according to food and grocery specialist IGD, with many consumers now barbecuing between March and November. In London and the Midlands IGD found people who barbecue all year round, and overall a slight majority of Britons (51%) now barbecue at home at some time of the year.

According to 'The Barbecue Market' from IGD's Consumer Watch series, the typical British Barbecuer is a man, aged between 35 and 44 living in the South of England with his partner and children - perhaps no great surprise there. More precisely, 56% of men barbecue compared to 47% of women, and people who live in the South of England barbecue more than any other area of England - over two-thirds barbecuing at home, compared to only 34% in Scotland, 44% in Wales and half in the North of England.

Barbecues are primarily seen as an opportunity for a social occasion, a chance to eat outside and relax more, and a way for all the family to eat together, although the majority of consumers (62%) barbecue on the spur of the moment because the weather is nice so it is not always a planned occasion. 43% use partying with friends as an excuse, and 21% think it adds variety to the weekday menu. 12% see a barbecue as just an alternative way to cook, using foods that they already have in the house, or to cook foods that they would not normally cook inside, (for example because they smell too much).

Consumers are fairly choosy about what they cook on the barbecue. No type of food is barbecued by more than half of consumers, although chicken comes very close, with sausages (41%) and burgers (37%) also relatively popular. Interestingly, consumers tend to favour butchers' shops over supermarkets when buying meat for a barbecue: for example 37% bought beefburgers at the butchers compared to 29% who bought at the supermarket. Few choose a dessert, but those who do, like ice cream (22%), fruit salad (19%) or fresh strawberries (19%). Bread and salads are the top accompaniments - 53% prefer a traditional tomato and lettuce salad, and a third make their own potato or rice salads. 43% remain loyal to the trusty French stick, while 12% enjoy flavoured breads.

Joanne Denney-Finch, Chief Executive of IGD, says the barbecue market is evolving, becoming more sophisticated and even seen as a meal occasion in its own right. 'This represents great potential for driving growth through both increasing the frequency of current home barbecue fans and attracting new consumers. By encouraging shoppers to think about barbecues when they are in-store and by developing innovative products that can be kept as a stand-by to be enjoyed whatever the weather, industry can exploit these opportunities'.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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