Year-round grilling in recent years has evolved from a trend to a way of life for many around the country, regardless of geography.
Now, grilling from dusk to dawn is the latest phenomenon that is impacting the outdoor cooking segment as a growing number of Americans are cooking traditional breakfast favorites on their barbecue.
The most recent Barbecue Industry Report from the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA) found that 11% of consumers prepared breakfast on their barbecue and officials with the HPBA expect that number to rise in its next survey slated for later this year.
“Throughout 2016, we saw grilling trends begin to go beyond just lunch and dinner,” said Carrie deGuzman, a spokesperson for the HPBA. “More people are using their grills to make traditional breakfast items, such as eggs, sausage and ham.”
The factors driving this growing trend are similar to those that, in recent years, led more consumers to expand grilling beyond the warmer months. deGuzman noted that the increasingly busy schedules of consumers is a top reason they are looking to find ways to make breakfast in a more efficient manner, which also allows them to eat the day’s first meal as a family.
Dave West, owner of Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium in Brandon, FL, said he has also seen more of his customers moving their breakfast-making efforts from the kitchen to the grill. Helping drive this growing trend, West said, is high-quality grills, such as Big Green Egg. He feels the versatility of the unit allows consumers to a make wide variety of meals.
“It’s an all-around cooking device that people can easily use to make everything from eggs to sausage and bacon and even cinnamon rolls,” he said. “We even did slow smoke baked potatoes in store to show our customers the versatility of Big Green Egg.”
As has been seen with prior new trends in grilling, early adopters typically seek out accessory items that allow them to simplify the cooking process and properly prepare various styles of food.
West said shoppers at his store have turned to items such as Lodge’s cast iron cookware and a cast aluminum collection from Wilton Armetale for their breakfast grilling needs.
Although the HPBA does not track sales of products sold within the grill/barbecue segment, deGuzman anecdotally noted that consumers have also had an increased interest in cedar planks and pizza stones when cooking breakfast items in the grill.
While the merchandising team at Jax Mercantile Co. has yet to see growth in breakfast on the grill at their Bellvue, CO, store, buyer Chrissy LaBarr said a growing trend through the past year is the interest in grills that are fueled by wood pellets.
“We brought in a line of Traeger pellet grills more than a year ago and they really started moving in March of this past year,” she said. “I initially thought it was a fad, but we did see a shift in sales away from one of our other major brands and toward the Traeger items.
Although LaBarr could not pinpoint a sole reason for the growth in popularity of the pellet grills, the line is offered with a host of flavored wood pellets that give consumers several flavor profiles with smoking a variety of meats.
Beyond Summer
With breakfast seen by some as a growing trend in the world of grilling, the year-round use of barbecues for meal preparation has shifted to a way-of-life for many, whether they live in warmer climates or those areas of the country were the winter cold lasts for months.
The holiday season and the Super Bowl are the main factors leading consumers to venture outdoors in December and February respectively, industry insiders said.
“During the winter, people are looking for a reason to be outside,” deGuzman said. “And using their grill for the holiday or the big game gives them the ability to cook a lot of food easily for a big group.”
LaBarr noted that the colder days seen in the Rocky Mountain state does not stop her customers from heading outdoors to prepare a meal.
“While we see a bigger push staring in March and running through June, we do have a large number of people that will do their grilling and smoking all year long,” she added.
Although weather is less of a factor for West’s customers in Brandon, located just east of Tampa on Florida’s west coast, he also continues to see more outdoor cooking activity during the holiday season and more home cooks brining and smoking holiday meats, including turkey and brisket.
“An item such as the Big Green Egg gives a customer more confidence when cooking and they then want to learn more to create better meals at home,” he added.
The growth in year-round grilling has also provided West new sales opportunities for the sale of shelf stable foods. With more of his customers grilling, the need for spices, rubs and sauces has grown and to meet the increase in demand, West works to find a unique selection of flavors that differ from other retailers.
Through his connections within his local culinary community, West has been able to connect with providers of rubs and sauces, giving his store an assortment that differs from other food-related retailers.
“I’m continually surprised by the number of retailers that don’t carry consumables,” he said. “Nothing refrigerated, but items that are unique and that also give people are reason to keep coming back to the store.”
Those retailers with a greater focus on grilling, such as Jax Mercantile or Smoke ‘N Grill in Overland Park, KS, each offer their shoppers an array of sauces and spices.
“We have always carried these products in our stores and are known for our selection of hot sauces,” LaBarr said. “They really keep people coming back to the store.”
To highlight its array of shelf stable items, Smoke ‘N Grill merchandises its selection along one side of its store and utilizes lighted signage to catch the attention of its customers.
Accessorizing
The growth grilling has enjoyed in recent years has also inspired product suppliers to develop new items that go beyond the basic grill brush or tongs.
“We continue to see accessories grow and home grillers continue to look for ways to customize their experience,” deGuzman said. “We’ve also seen growth with smart technology products.”
In recent years, several leading product suppliers have brought to market thermometers with Bluetooth technology, which allows for connectivity to an app downloaded on a smartphone. When using the app, home grillers are able to monitor the temperature of the item being cooked without have to stand over the grill.
“We have seen huge growth with thermometers,” added West. “And we have also seen more in the way of smart products as a growing number of people grill low and slow. They need to keep an eye on the ambient temperature inside the grill.”
While most of Jax Mercantile’s accessory selection focuses on the basics, LaBarr noted that the Himalayan Salt Plate from Charcoal Companion has been a popular item with her customers. The pink slab of salt was originally mined in the Himalayas and then hand-crafted down to individual cooking plates. Cooking food on salt plates actually uses less salt than when cooking with ground salt, and imparts a rich, subtle flavor you can’t get anywhere else, according to product information listed on Jax’s website.
BY GREG SLETER