Grilling Year Round?

What do consumers love about summer? Grilling of course! Find out what the consumer panel had to say about grilling- you’ll be surprise

When the weather warms up, so do those grills! Our latest SupermarketGuru consumer panel on grilling suggests enthusiasm is high for this type of outdoor food preparation not only for the spring and summer seasons, but also for the colder months.

During the warmer months, 60 percent of the consumer panel told us that they grill two to three nights per week, 17 percent grill one night per week, and 10 percent grill five or more times per week.

In addition, we found that 60 percent of our panel enjoys grilling in the colder months just as much as in the warmer months; as expected, 30 percent grill more often in the warmer months.

Traditionally, men play the role of "grill-master" in households, and half of our panel said this was true. However, another twenty percent of households have hailed mom the "grill master," suggesting that modern supermarkets have a great opportunity to promote grilling to women.

And when we take a look at what shoppers are putting on the grill, we found the top must haves (80%) to be burgers (beef and turkey), and chicken. Other "must haves" include vegetables (66%), hot dogs/franks (46%), fish (41%), and veggie burgers (16%).

And when it comes to side dishes to round out their grilled main dish, consumers want grilled veggies (67%), leafy greens (59%), baked beans (51%), pasta salad (37%), and grilled fruit (17%).

We also wanted to find out what our panel thinks will be the next big trend in grilling. Forty-one percent predict meatless grilling or grilling fruit/sides/desserts as the next big trend, 22 percent said predict game meat or non-traditional meats becoming more popular, and 18 percent look forward to more gourmet burgers with unique toppings.
Grilling is a great way to get friends and family together and spend some time outside.

Click here for the top 5 grilling condiments.