FEATURE
BBQ AND SUMMER PRODUCTS
27 JUNE 2025 ASIAN TRADER 35
he kinds of product that
fit a BBQ and Summer
Products feature are
those associated with eating and
drinking – and enjoying yourself
socially – outdoors, in the garden,
on a warm and sunny day, even if
the reality is that you’re
sheltering in the garage or under
an awning, listening to rain
drumming on the roof and
watching water cascade off the
eaves and leaves.
The Brits have proven time
and again that mere weather
fails to dampen their enthusi
asm for a get-together and a bit
of a knees-up with friends and
family during the day and into
the evening – so stock accord
ingly.
“The premium BBQ market
has certainly benefited from
consumers opting to entertain
at home rather than dining out
over the last couple of years, and
we would expect this to
continue during 2025 as the
economic climate continues to
look uncertain for shoppers,”
says Lesley Parker, Senior Brand
Manager for Kühne at UK
distributor RH Amar, highlight
ing another good reason for the
rise of the BBQ – saving money
on eating out. “The resulting
cost-conscious behaviour – cou
pled with a continuing and
growing interest in home
cooking – means that the BBQ is
going to be a big opportunity for
retailers of all sizes as brands tap
into this occasion during the
year ahead.
All the trimmings
Heloise Le Norcy-Trott, Group
Marketing Director for Lactalis
UK & Ireland, who provide the
cheeses that make outdoor
dining more than just a
meatfest, says that he UK’s love
of barbecue season continues to
make summer a critical trading
period for food and drink
retailers. “2025 is shaping up to
be no different. The total cheese
market is now worth £3.3bn,
with value and volume growth
of two and three per cent
respectively . While private
label still holds the largest
market share at £1.9bn, it’s
branded cheese that’s driving
real momentum – growing four
per cent in value and six per cent
in volume.”
And it is the “peripheral”
products (cheese as well as
burgers, buns as well as dogs and
mustard as well as steaks), that
will add extra to sales.
With eight out of 10 consum
ers making a conscious decision
to improve their diet [IGD
Shopper] and an increased focus
on health and wellbeing in the
summer months, the days when
consumers can just serve
bangers and burgers at a BBQ are
a distant memory.
Martin Purdy, Commercial
and Marketing Director at
Florette UK says that the BBQ
occasion is an ideal opportunity
for consumers to get creative
with fresh salad.
“With one third of fresh
salad eaten as a component,
adding freshness and texture to
sandwiches and wraps, and
almost two thirds of salad
occasions featuring on the side
of plate, consumers can
personalise and improve their
favourite BBQ dishes with
prepared salads.”
According to Nielsen
[Discover Total Market Pre
pared Salad Value and Unit
Sales], the UK’s favourite
prepared salad brand is Florette
– the salad in a bag! Florette
outperformed the category,
with growth at +43 per cent.
“Florette,” he says, “is doing
more than any other brand to
attract more shoppers to the
category, creating a clear point
of difference by supporting its
market-leading products and
introducing new, inspirational
products which tap into key
usage occasions such as BBQ.
Florette has a wide range of
all-natural salad products to
enhance the BBQ occasion,
including Florette Crispy (90g
and 140g) which is the biggest
selling product in the impulse
channel and seeing strong
growth at +25 per cent [Nielsen
Discover Total Market] and
Florette Mixed salad (125g), the
Time to fire up the barbie
The sun has come out,
and so has the nation
– at least into their
gardens, where a million
grills are sizzling – so
make the most of these
summer sales