May
31
Summer with a sizzle…
2010 | Filed under News | (0) 
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National BBQ Week, May 31 – June 7
With the BBQ season more or less underway, most retailers will be looking to make the most of all the opportunities that presents. To help them, we’ve asked one of the UK’s best-known BBQ gurus, Brian George, president of the National BBQ Association, for a little insight…
WHAT DOES THE NATIONAL BBQ ASSOCIATION DO?
The NBQA is the official organisation that promotes and protects alfresco eating, entertaining and BBQ
WITH SUMMER JUST AROUND THE CORNER, WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW?
With the upcoming World Cup, we’ve renamed the 14th National BBQ Week, the UK’s leading BBQ celebration, as National Braai Week just for 2010. Braai is the South African term for BBQ. We’ve also created 32 individual BBQ recipes, one for each team competing in the tournament. National Braai Week runs from May 31 to June 6 and you can see all the recipes details on www.nationalbbqweek.co.uk.
The NBQA also runs a Have a Better Barbi Day charity promotion based on the slogan, ‘have a Barbi – give a pound – or more!’ which runs on the last August Bank Holiday of the year.
There are many other events going on throughout the summer, all of which can be viewed on www.gastro-alfresco.co.uk.
JUST HOW POPULAR IS BBQ COOKING IN THE UK?
Alfresco eating, entertaining and BBQ are now the leading ‘at-home’ summer outdoor lifestyle activity. An indication of this growth is that when the National BBQ Gastro Alfresco campaign first started in 1997, there were 9 million BBQ occasions a year and the market was worth £150 million. Last year, there were 120 million BBQ occassions and the market is now worth £7 billion.
WHAT HOPE CAN YOU OFFER RETAILERS KEEN TO SEE SOME SIZZLING SUMMER WEATHER THIS YEAR?
The long range weather predictions seem to suggest a sizzling summer this year, but more important is the growth in the overall outdoor eating, entertaining & BBQ market and also the World Cup of course, both of which will offer major opportunities.
WHAT CONTACT DOES THE ASSOCIATION HAVE WITH RETAILERS, WHOLESALERS OR THE FOOD SERVICE SECTOR?
NBQA maintains ongoing relationships with all major retailers and on through to smaller groups and independents, as well as to the food service industry.
WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU OFFER RETAILERS WHO WANT TO MAKE THE MOST OF THEIR BBQ-RELATED SALES THIS SUMMER?
Retailers should focus on both the World Cup opportunity and also the major growth area within BBQ, which is ‘after-work’ or mid-week Barbi’s which now represent around 40 per cent of all BBQ occasions. One of the easiest ways of doing this is to create a dedicated in-store BBQ focus which encompasses all of the food and drink products normally associated with a BBQ occasion; also creating a topical focus on World Cup match days with the theme of Barbi’s to Go!
IN TERMS OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY PUTTING ON THEIR BBQS, WHAT CHANGES HAVE YOU NOTICED IN RECENT YEARS?
There has been a significant move towards ‘gastro-grilling’ what we call the ’sausage to swordfish & burger to brochette’ evolution.
AND WHAT SORT OF INNOVATIONS SHOULD WE LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE FUTURE?
More two-BBQ families – currently around 14 per cent – as well as more sophisticated charcoal BBQs and smokers.
WHAT MISTAKES DO PEOPLE MAKE WHEN IT COMES TO BBQ COOKING?
Trying to cook too quickly! Alfresco cooking or BBQ is not a race against time, a good tip is to ‘sear on high’ then take it ‘low and slow’ – Burned is most definitely bad!
AND WHICH IS BEST, GAS OR TRADITIONAL GRILLS?
Simply there is no best, but a good guide is ‘gas for ease’ and charcoal for taste’.
HAVE YOU GOT A HOT PRODUCT TIP FOR SUMMER 2010?
I think that the World Cup will offer a number of alcohol country-related opportunities within the wine and beer categories.
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