Barbecues

Plant-based barbies ‘set to sizzle’

Co-op research reveals that three-quarters of meat eaters say they would opt for vegan food at a barbecue.

It is set to be a summer of plantbased burgers and sausages, as 78% of meat-eaters would choose to try a vegan BBQ alternative, new research by Co-op reveals.

The poll finds 44% of meat-eaters would be tempted to choose a vegan product, but would judge it by its looks, followed by how it smells (34%) or how it sounds when being eaten (29%).

In addition, the survey reveals that 37% of UK adults have noticed more vegan options at barbecues recently and even more 16–24-year-olds (55%) have noticed a significant change in the traditionally meat-inspired spread.

When it comes to who is responsible for making sure vegan guests are catered for, people believe it is mainly the host’s (38%) responsibility rather than the attending vegan guests (19%) for having tasty plant-based food on the menu.

Meanwhile, 35% of UK adults admit they would use a separate grill when barbecuing both meat and plant-based food, yet 23% say they would use the same grill but try and keep the meat and plant-based food apart.

The effort to keep food apart may be totally unnecessary for many, with 10% of respondents admitting to cleaning their barbecue just once a year and 25% admitting to only cleaning it once every six months.

Plant-based product developer at Co-op, Saskia Pinnington, said: “We’re seeing people expand their barbecue horizons and move away from the standard hot dog and burger, so it’s important as a convenience retailer that we have the range to be able to cater for everyone.

“What’s even more important is that plant-based food shouldn’t cost more than non-vegan food, which is why we’ve price-matched our GRO range to meat and dairy-based counterparts, saving our customers money on the foods they love.”

Co-op is adding several new plantbased products to its GRO range this summer, including GRO The Bhaji Burger, GRO Spicy & Smoky Hawt Dawgs, and GRO Shawarma Kebabs.