Burgers and bangers were the winners of this year’s barbecue season, with burgers making an appearance at almost 40% of all barbecue occasions.
According to the latest piece of research from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) which explores trends in consumer behaviour during this year’s summer, fresh burgers were up 14.4% and sausages up 5.1%.
Research shows the heatwave and England’s successful performance at the World Cup got consumers barbecuing 35% more than last year, primarily taking place at the weekends.
While the outlook for red meat looks positive, in the world of barbecues, these occasions only make up 0.4% of total meals. Researcher Kantar Worldpanel has reported that overall sales of fresh beef, lamb and pork were down on last year.
AHDB analyst Amy Smallwood, author of the levy body’s report, said: “When it comes to innovation, it is important to focus beyond barbecue occasions as it makes up only a small percentage of total meal occasions. And, of course, British barbecue weather is far from guaranteed.
“But there are a number of things that we can learn from this year’s barbecue season sales in terms of tapping into trends of quicker preparation times, easier preparation methods and lighter eating.
“Applying that focus to snacking and cold meals/picnic/assembly type-meals gives scope to unlock growth. Added value meat products, such as marinades and sous vide continue to do well and this is another area to develop further, with flavours and cuisines that will appeal outside of the barbecue occasion.”
To see the full report from AHDB, visit https://ahdb.org.uk/news/the-heatwave-of-summer-2018
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
