Canadians are barbecuing more often - up 35% in four years. Grilling frequency has climbed to 97 times per year in 2005 from 72 times in 2001. Westerners are particularly fond of grilling, using their barbecues 114 times a year. The fastest growth in grilling has occurred in Quebec where usage jumped from 47 to 82 times a year between 2004 and 2005.
The most popular days of the week for a barbecue vary across the country from the beginning of the week (Monday/Tuesday) in the Maritimes to the weekend in the West. In Quebec, the top days for the thrill of the grill are Saturday and Monday.*
Canadians are becoming seasonless sear-ers. Although summer is peak barbecue season, half of barbeque owners brave the cold in order to grill more than once a month from October through April. Whether it's the milder weather or the love of sizzled steaks, people in British Columbia grill most often in winter, an average of 2.6 times a month.
"Some foods just taste better when barbecued," was the number one reason given for grilling popularity (90% of respondents)**. Seventy-one percent of men also answered, "I really enjoy cooking on the barbecue."
Beef tops the menu. When asked, "What is the number one food you think of when cooking on the barbecue", 74% mentioned beef.** People in the Prairies particularly love red meat, with 88% mentioning steaks or burgers as their top grilling choice.
Canadians have the outdoor tools needed to expand their grilling repertoire. Sixty percent of Canadians have never cooked a roast on the barbecue, even though more than one-third of Canadians own a barbecue with a rotisserie and 8 in 10 have barbecues with two burners that can be controlled separately - a feature that allows roasting directly on the grill**.
* Research sourced from National Eating Trends (NET) produced by NPD Group.
** Synovate e-Nation Online Omnibus. An internet survey of 1010 Canadians completed in March 2006. |
