FEATURE
BBQ AND SUMMER PRODUCTS
38 ASIAN TRADER 27 JUNE 2025
shoppers want quality and
simplicity.”
So think Camembert, think
Burrata, think Brie, and add
Leerdammer, Galbani and
President to your featured
brands for BBQ season.
Snacks sur l’herbe (“on
the grass”)
And don’t neglect the snack
bowls, which complement not
just the main meats but
the sides and cheese
board so well when
enjoying the
great (lawn)
outdoors. It’s
the influence –
again – of the
world foods taste
palate and the
adventurous,
premiumising
search for new and
exciting flavours that has
inspired the snack world to new
heights.
As Tash Jones, Commercial
Director at crisp specialists
Fairfields Farm, points out,
“With greater access to global
food influences, consum
ers are increasingly
seeking bold, adventurous
flavours like never before.
Social media platforms
like TikTok and YouTube
have played a significant
role in showcasing
exciting new flavours,
driving consumer interest.
The market for BBQ
sauces and rubs has
expanded as demand
grows for these unique
tastes. During the
summer, we see a spike in
these bold flavours in our
crisps as well, with our Roast
Rib of Beef flavour and Sweet
Chilli crisps performing particu
larly well, alongside our classics
like Lightly Sea Salted.”
Jones advises that stocking
exclusive local produce and
artisanal products can put you
in the lead of multiples when it
comes to BBQ and summer
ranges, offering customers a
unique experience that they
can’t find elsewhere.
“Whether it’s picking
up one of our
Fairfields Farm
150g sharing
packs to take to a
friend’s BBQ or
grabbing some
tasty options for a
family picnic,
convenience is
key,” she adds,
saying “our newest
limited edition Chorizo &
Red Wine flavour crisps are just
in time for summer, available in
150g sharing packs. Be sure to
pick one up for your BBQs and
gatherings this summer. We’ll
also be unveiling a new festive
flavour later on this year so keep
an eye out!”
Stuart Graham, Head of
Convenience and Impulse at KP
Snacks, is similarly enthusiastic
about BBQ snack opportunities,
and recommends that retailers
capitalise on seasonal sharing.
“BBQs and summer events,
like gathering to watch Wimble
don, the Women’s Euros or the
Club World Cup all represent
excellent opportunities for
retailers to drive sales and
footfall,” he says. “As
friends and family
get-together for summer
and sporting fun, they will
seek out their favourite
snacks to maximise
enjoyment.”
KP Snacks has, of
course an enormous range
to choose from, and
Graham’s top BBQ picks
include its exempt-from-
HFSS-legislation nuts
selection. Worth £102m
RSV and growing +2.9 per
cent [Nielsen IQ, Total
Coverage], the KP Nuts
portfolio offers flavours in
a range of sharing formats and
leads the category as the UK’s
number one branded nut.
“Bringing big, bold flavours
to evening sharing, the largest
occasion within both nuts and
sharing [Kantar], KP’s Flavour
Kravers range launched in
2022,” says Graham. “Available
in three delicious flavours:
Flame Grilled Steak, Smokin’
Paprika, and Sour Cream &
Chive, Flavour Kravers look to
ignite interest from younger
consumers to drive sales, with
this demographic over-indexing
in bold flavours.
For shoppers looking for
sweeter snacking moments, he
suggests Butterkist toffee
popcorn is the perfect product
to add fun and indulgence to any
summer occasion – and that
includes the premium lines,
which retailers should fore
ground in any BBQ merchandis
ing.
“We know there is a high
demand for premium lines as
consumers look to make
in-home occasions feel more
special with 46 per cent of
Kings of the grill
According to
pollsters YouGov, the
most popular BBQ
food items break
down this way, with
a strong preference
for meats and tasty accompaniments:
Britain’s BBQ god-tier – the items that every BBQ must have
to ensure happy guests, liked by more than 80% of Brits who
have tried them: chicken skewers and breast, pork sausages,
beef burgers (57%), garlic bread, baked potatoes and bread
rolls.
BBQ classics – a little lower, but still top-tier and enjoyed by
more than 70% of Brits: steak (74%), coleslaw, potato salad
and corn on the cob (71-72%).
Mid-tier – chicken thighs (69%), halloumi (63%), crudités
(67%), ribs (66%) and pasta salad (66%), lamb skewers (67%)
and lamb chops (63%).
Lower-tier, (but still enjoyed by over 50% of BBQ-ers) – dips
(hummus, guacamole and tzatziki), baked sweet potato,
prawn skewers and chicken wings
Vegetarian alternatives – veggie burgers (44%), vegetarian
sausages (40%) and aubergine steaks (31%)