Get Grilling with Traeger

from GTN October 2021 - Garden Trade News, UK

Glee 2021 – a special return

Get grilling with Traeger –BBQ but not as you know it

With interest in BBQ’s and Grills increasing amongst consumers we take the opportunity to catch up with Karsten Nielsen, President of Europe for Traeger Pellet Grills at Glee to find out what makes Traeger different and what his aspirations are for the brand and the company as it makes headway in the UK market.

Traeger Grills has its roots in Oregon in the USA. Established over 30 years ago the company founders were pioneers of using 100% natural hardwood fuel to infuse food with unparalleled flavourful smoke, making food taste absolutely delicious. Whilst others have entered the market Traeger continues as a market leader in this niche category.

As one of the founding members of Weber in Europe, Nielson, who hails from Denmark, left in 2010 when the company was sold. He then took up several sales directorships and CEO roles outside of the industry before joining Traeger Grills in December 2017. So, what made him return to the world of BBQs?

He explains, “In 1993 nobody knew how to cook on a BBQ with a lid on and so at Weber we had to start from a grassroots level. Customers adapted well and we created a new culture in grilling culminating in Weber becoming the biggest brand in Europe. I loved the challenge of being part of a startup company and developing the brand.”

“The ethos behind the company is very clear – it is about getting back to our natural ways of cooking with fire but in a controlled way. ”

Nielsen continues, “The team at Traeger were extremely persistent! At the third time of them asking me to join them they sent me a grill to try out with my family. What could be different I was thinking but the grill seriously impressed me with its built-in technology and I said yes I’m in. It was such a totally different experience – not just another BBQ.

“For the first ten months, my role was all about planning and strategy, sourcing distributors and hiring our team. It has grown from there. This is our third season and it is great to be involved with such a great brand with a fun feel.

“The ethos behind the company is very clear – it is about getting back to our natural ways of cooking with fire but in a controlled way. It is really as easy as turning on the BBQ but with a far superior taste – the result

For further information please contact Jo McDonald, Country Manager for UK and Ireland on +44 (0) 7884115817, or email: jmcdonald@traegergrills.eu www.traegergrills.com

Jay Bunker, Director of BBQ World at Alton Garden Centre receiving the Traeger Day Retailer Award (a framed limited edition American Football Shirt) from the Traeger team including Traeger President of Europe Karsten Nielsen, Country Manager for the UK and Ireland Jo McDonald and Traeger Chef, Sam Wanstall. a different BBQ experience consumers are embracing wood pellet grilling.”

So, what sets Traeger Grills apart?

of using hardwood. In summary, it is about better taste, convenience and control. The real innovation is in being able to set and control the heat allowing the chef to enjoy the gathering as much as everyone else, rather than being left in a corner cooking! In that way, it is about celebrating togetherness with friends and family. Our products are much more than a grill providing so much versatility to outdoor cooking from BBQ, grilling and smoking to baking, roasting and braising. It is a real game-changer.

“We launched in the UK just a couple of weeks before the first lockdown. Whilst not ideal this period has been important for our industry with people using their outdoor spaces more and investing in their homes and gardens. We have a strong following on social media with 1.6 million followers in the Traeger community sharing recipes, posting images of themselves grilling and sharing the Traeger love! Over lockdown, we have seen strong growth in this community with people having more time to learn about the product in this period.

“We cover all of Europe with our three core markets being Germany, the UK and Ireland and the Nordic countries. We are dealing directly with these markets to have full control. The UK market is particularly important to us. The UK audience likes to adapt and are eager to adopt food cultures from around the world. There is also a culture of being in the garden. This makes it much easier for a brand like ours to establish itself in a country that loves the home and garden. Despite this being Nielsen explains, “Our sole focus remains the grill – we have not deviated. Innovation is at our core and we are constantly investing to make the product and the consumer experience the best it can be. We have patented our WiFIRE® technology (introduced in 2017) which means grills can be controlled via the smartphone app that maintains precise temperatures, so you can focus on friends, family and flavour instead of constantly monitoring the fire. Another innovation is our brushless motor which self cleans and last forever!

“We are innovative on the digital front too. Our app has more than 1600 recipes on it. Consumers can select a recipe and programme the grill to cook it. It knows the temperature and timing for all the recipes allowing this information to be programmed in via the app.”

Nielson concludes, “Glee has given us a great opportunity to meet existing and prospective customers in a short space of time. It has been great to be able to demonstrate and showcase the values of our brand in a fun and innovative way. People have been able to get a feel for the brand and the team behind it. We have had a high level of interest which is encouraging. We are growing the brand continuously and always working on new and better ways for the consumer to interact with it.”

Traeger accolade for Alton Garden Centre

BBQ World at Alton Garden Centre has been named as Traeger Day Retailer 2021 at Glee. Traeger makes the award annually to recognise those retailers that really support the brand. Jo McDonald, Country Manager for UK and Ireland comments, “Jay and his team have embraced the brand holding demonstrations instore, working with influencers and being active across social media. They even have Wing Wednesday for staff where the team is treated to chicken wings for lunch helping to spread the word about the product. It is no surprise that their sales have been exceptional this year and we have given them the award in recognition of this.”

Tyres into gold: how Primeur ’ s Eco Garden collection has become a multi-award winner

Since its launch in 2016, Primeur’s Eco Garden range has helped to repurpose millions of rubber tyres. With a wealth of striking products, from stepping-stones and garden borders, to decking tiles and self-watering Tierra Verde planters, it’s little surprise that Eco Garden has scooped countless industry awards and is winning the hearts and minds of eco-conscious consumers who also enjoy the range’s virtually-indestructible structure.

Here, the Primeur team talks more about why the popularity of the Eco Garden range continues to grow at a pace, and takes us on the journey that has seen their trophy cabinet become rather full!

Eco-conscious consumers driving demand

Long before the pandemic, there was a growing demand amongst consumers to see more environmentally-conscious product hitting the shelves. Greater awareness and concern over issues, like global warming and the ocean plastic crisis, meant consumers were asking more of suppliers, as they wanted to be able to purchase responsible products that actively work to minimise the ongoing pollution problem.

Rubber tyres may not immediately seem to be the biggest contributor to climate change issues but they certainly have a role to play. Each year in the UK more than 40million tyres are used on a wide range of vehicles. This means that, every year, 40 million tyres also start their retirement. Whilst there are national recycling schemes available, many of these tyres end up in landfill, where they can take upwards of 80 years to decompose. Not only does this mean that large areas of land are required for landfill purposes, but decomposing tyres can leech toxic chemicals back into the local eco-system, as well as posing a possible fire risk, if stored incorrectly.

However, help is at hand. Each year, the Primeur Eco Garden collection is repurposing hundreds of thousands of recycled rubber tyres; breathing new life into this material and creating good for both the circular economy and for consumers who want something durable, long-lasting and trend driven.

A single recycled rubber tyre can produce 6kgs of rubber crumb –enough to make two Eco Garden planters. Not only does this ratio make the use of recycled rubber a costeffective material choice for Primeur but the benefits of this as a raw material are outstanding; creating lightweight, durable and flexible products. Rubber doesn’t crack, stain or rot, and is also slip and nylon-cord resistant, making products in the range a top choice for multiple locations in the garden. The rubber also acts as an insulator, helping plant roots to survive plummeting winter temperatures. And, it’s not just consumers who reap the benefits of the virtually indestructible nature of the products, as retailers will enjoy reduced wastage and breakage costs, as the range easily survives the stresses of transit and relocation within the shop environment.

The Eco Garden collection, extended in both 2019 with the introduction of the self-watering Tierra Verde planters and in 2021 with the all-new MultyDeck™ offering, now includes the widest collection of design-led steppingstones, garden borders, and deck tiles; all in a variety of colours to match current interior and exterior trends. The complete collection is supported by tailored merchandising support, designed to help each retailer identify their best-selling lines and to optimise visibility of these product groups.

If that isn’t keeping the Primeur team busy enough, they have also used the success of its retailer relationships garnered through the Eco Garden collection, to raise vital funds for the Greenfingers Charity. In 2019, the team

presented Greenfingers with a £4,000 cheque and raised further funds by participating in the annual Garden ReLeaf Sponsored Walk, together helping the charity to build much needed garden spaces at children’s hospices throughout the country.

Find out more

To find more about Primeur’s Eco Garden range, please contact the team on 01274 518800, email sales@primeur.ltd.uk or visit

www.primeur.co.uk

The Trophy Cabinet Industry accolades and awards are one reason that Primeur say has contributed to Eco Garden’s ongoing success. Whether selected by a panel of their peers, retailers or supporting trade associations, the recognition that has come from receiving numerous awards has helped to put Eco Garden on the map, whist providing retailers with a rarely contested unique selling point when choosing next season ranges.

Glee New Product Awards – Best New Landscaping Product + Overall Best New Product winners: Medallion Stepping-Stone Glee New Product Awards – Best New Growing Container + Best Eco Initiative Product winners: Tierra Verde Planters Glee New Product Awards – Best New Garden Landscaping winners: Carolina Border