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IPP’s National Barbecue Week study highlights eating outdoors as the new eating out

Phil Storer

Organisers of the UK’s 24th National Barbecue Week which happened between 25-31 May would never have imagined that eating out during the summer of 2020 would have taken on such significance in the British psyche.

Barbecue food always seems to taste better, as the grilling caramelises the food to make meat taste more savoury and the vegetables sweeter, but the call of the ‘grate’ outdoors has a special significance in the present climate.

A combination of not being able to visit pubs and restaurants combined with a warm double-Bank Holiday May has meant that barbecues have replaced actually going out, according to figures collated by IPP, one of Europe’s leading poolers of sustainable wooden pallets to the food industry, which has seen significant additional demand in volume, from meats to bread rolls, savoury snacks, soft drinks and salads.

IPP’s figures highlight that behind Germany, France Poland and Italy, Brits are in the top five of Europe’s biggest barbecuers, enjoying an average of 10 alfresco meals per family each year, although the figure is likely to be higher than ever this year.

The findings come hot on the heels of IPP’s research into the UK’s shifting taste buds, which also show an increasing interest in vegetarian and vegan food, which was also fighting for its place on the traditional ‘barbie’. Although burgers and sausages were staples ingredients on 60 per cent of all of the UK’s 106 million barbecues last year, they are now sharing grill space with leaner cuts of meat and fish as well as plant-based alternatives.

IPP’s business model is based upon the circular economy of the recovery, repair and repatriation of pallets to reduce unnecessary CO2 emissions and other figures collated by the business suggest that environmental sustainability was also influencing customers’ barbecue habits.

It discovered academic figures suggesting reduced red meat consumption was in part due to the UK’s greater environmental awareness, as one family barbecue cooking traditional sausages and burgers was creating carbon emission equivalent of a car driving 90 miles, according to scientists at Manchester University.

The researchers, who looked at the entire food chain and included intense land use and animal feed production in their calculations, found the figure dropped to 52 miles for white meat and fish and 33 miles for veggie burgers.

Phil Storer, IPP’s UK and Ireland director, said: “The Brits have always had a love affair with barbecues – as soon as the sun comes out the familiar smell of charcoal drifts across entire neighbourhoods triggering an almost domino effect in demand.

“This is reflected in the kinds of volumes we are seeing for all of the essential ingredients of a patio party, from snacks to sizzling meat products, particularly at this time as people are making the family barbecue the new going out.

“But the days of the charcoal black sausage may be behind us as we are certainly bringing more variety and adventure into our diets, as well as heathier and greener considerations when it comes to what is thrown on the grill.”

For more information on IPP, visit www.ipp-pooling.com.

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