The Business of Barbecue: Fighting Fire With Fire

Global Grilling Heats Up the American Barbecue Market

by Christopher Kolon

In the last quarter-century, barbecuing and grilling in America has become an institution that is synonymous with holidays like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. While always used to prepare quick meals on occasion, this style of cooking is currently finding a niche in the daily routines of more and more families who are moving their kitchens outside, for reasons of convenience and variety. This exodus from indoor cooking is a big reason for the evolution of gourmet grilling, which incorporates flavors and cooking styles imported from places like Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Caribbean, including the tastes of India, the Mediterranean, and Mexico. Increasing interest has also prompted barbecue equipment manufacturers to expand their markets overseas.

"Americans are becoming true barbecue connoisseurs," said Donna Meyers, spokesperson for the Barbecue Industry Association (BIA), a national trade group made up of manufacturers whose products include grills and ancillary barbecuing equipment. "Twenty&endash;five years ago Americans barbecued burgers and steaks a couple of times a year on simple brazier grills, but now they are grilling fish, vegetables, a whole meal," she said. This trend has led to increased interest in items such as easy to use gas grills, as well as accessories like extra side burners, smoking capacity, fish and burger baskets, and even woks.

As Americans explore a new range of flavors, outdoor cooking is becoming increasingly popular all over the world, particularly in Europe and Australia, which has resulted in the growing exportation of American barbecue equipment, sauces, and spices. "Europe is importing a lot of grills from here," said Meyers, who pointed out that barbecue business there is now about the same as it was in the U.S. twenty-five years ago, and that American manufacturers are busy setting up in-store demonstrations overseas to teach people how to use their equipment.

Europe

"The percent growth (of high&endash;end gas grills) in Europe is massive," said Bill Shadrack, international sales manager of Broilmaster, a U.S. gas grill manufacturer in Florence, Alabama. "At Spoga (the European equivalent of the national U.S. hardware show, the biggest trade show in the barbecue industry) there are reps of every kind of grilling product you can imagine. Our (export business) is about $1.5 million just from initial start&endash;ups."

Bill Cooke, of Cinders Barbecues Limited in Lancaster, England, the largest manufacturer of gas grills in Britain, said his company saw a 32 percent increase in sales of gas grills in 1997 with total sales being £226,803. "Barbecuing has become sociably acceptable, more of a leisure activity," he said.

And as barbecue becomes a more popular activity, Europeans are learning about its different forms. On the continent, "gas grill usage has increased quantity wise, while wood, or real, barbecue, is slowly finding a niche," said Marcus Zimmerman, owner of Visiontrade, a Swiss importer/distributor of Oklahoma Smoky Joes and other American made wood barbecues. "Europeans five years ago had no clue as to what real barbecue is. Now, we are even having competitions."

In fact, the first European Barbecue Championships were held in Switzerland in 1996. The competition was radically different from those held in the U.S. "Ours are, forgive me, more sophisticated," said Zimmerman. Thirty teams from fifteen countries competed, each preparing a soup, appetizer, entree, bread and dessert. Judges and observers sat at magnificently decorated tables. Participants were judged not just on the taste of the food, but on teamwork, national costumes, serving style, and even table settings and decorations. The World Barbecue Association plans to host the first World Championships in 1999 in Europe, but they are having difficulty formulating rules that include methods of American barbecuing as well as those of Europe and the rest of the world.

Although the European market appears quite different from the U.S. in terms of barbecue seasonings, said Zimmerman, there is still a real interest in American products. American style barbecue sauces, such as Paul Newman's, are quite common in supermarkets.

Fred Lissauer, VP of global export business development at McCormick & Co., Inc. in Sparks, Maryland, was reluctant to release specific sales figures, but said that McCormick's line of dry seasoning rubs called Grill Mates, exported all over the world from the United States, was "doing very well, in particular the Montreal Steak Seasoning line." He believes that a key to that growth was the line's introduction into the food service chain in Europe, which allowed them to reach restaurants as well as individual consumers. Globally, "there is a trend to more and more spices and to convenience where spices are already mixed," Lissauer said. McCormick's Zesty Herb and Mesquite dry marinade blends seem to be the most popular flavors. He said that there is also a significant industrial business overseas by makers of barbecue marinades who use McCormick product.

Lissaur also pointed out that exports are doing well in Bermuda and the Bahamas as well as "countries in which you would not necessarily envision barbecue, such as Israel. It's very common in Israel on a Friday or Saturday to go out to the beach and barbecue. Our Kosher Grill Mates are doing very well over there," he said.

Australia

Peter Anderson, product manager of Barbecues Galore, an Australian&endash;based barbecue store chain in Irvine California, has seen an increase in the sophistication of barbecue Down Under. "In Australia, originally barbecue was putting an old plow disk on the fire and throwing some sausages on," he said. "About twenty&endash;five years ago, there started a trend towards gas barbecues. Now, pretty much every household has one."

Although the number of barbecue events in Australia is far fewer than in the United States, grilling on weekends with friends has become so popular there that the word "barbecue" has become synonymous with "party" and is used interchangeably, Anderson said.

Along these lines, Australians prefer the faster cooking flattop grills, uncovered, with powerful gas jets, as opposed to the slower cooking of covered grills. "Our interest in covered cooking is on the wane. Sales of these types of products peaked about five to ten years ago," he said.

Barbecues Galore, an Australian-based retail store, has also seen the popularity of Australian flattop cookers such as the Captain Cook and Cook On brands grow tremendously, said Kean Corrigan, marketing director of the American subsidiary. This company, in a bit of a turn-around, is capitalizing on the American mainstay of barbecue--in America. In addition to their eighty-four Australian stores, they now have about forty stores across the U.S., with plans to open more. Corrigan said that the stores exclusively sell "everything and anything related to barbecue, from grills and wood cookers to accessories and the largest selection of barbecue sauces available anywhere."

"I see the trend getting away from ketchup&endash;based sauces," said Corrigan. "People want a safe adventure. Hotter, tangier, fruitier sauces that taste a little different each time." Some of their top sellers include Soy Vey Teriyaki Sauce, Gates Barbecue Sauce, and a line called Aussie Sauce which consist of fruit and herb&endash;based products.

As far as flavorings, Australians have been influenced by a strong immigrant population consisting of Italians, Greeks, Lebanese and Asians. Marinades and cooking styles originating in these countries have found acceptance among the general population, particularly the Asian style of grilling called Satay, which usually consists of skewered, thin slices of chicken or beef marinated in Asian spices, that are quickly grilled and served with a spicy dipping sauce, usually peanut. It's everywhere in Australia. "Most butchers sell 'em (the sauces), most people use 'em," Anderson said.

The Secret's in the Sauce

The Asian influence in the American barbecue market is undeniable. Ann Wilder, owner of Vanns Spices, LTD, a Maryland&endash;based wholesaler and manufacturer of spices and spice blends, and frequent judge at barbecue competitions around the country, said she's noticed that many of the newer barbecue sauces are influenced by the Far East, particularly India. She said that she has recently seen more sauces containing tamarind, ginger for heat, and soy sauce at both food shows and barbecue competitions.

This building interest in Asian flavors has translated into profits for some manufacturers. Just ask Foo Swasdee, owner of Texas Food Research, manufacturers of the Satay and Jakarta authentic Asian lines of bottled sauces, marinades and salsas. Sales of these products tripled during her first year of business seven years ago, and have doubled each year since. Swasdee believes the market is expanding even more for unconventional barbecue sauces. "In Texas alone, I've talked to six different companies who want to put out different versions of barbecue sauce. And in Thailand, I've worked with two manufacturers who wanted to introduce a lemon grass&endash;based barbecue sauce," she said.

She also feels that Satay is here to stay. "This is Asian barbecue, served in every Southeast Asian country," she said. "In the United States I can see how popular it has become in the Asian restaurant scene." The reason, she said, is primarily the flavor, something completely different from what Americans expect from barbecue. Indonesian herbs, chiles, garlic, coconut milk and sugar seem to have a natural affinity for grilled, smoky meats and vegetables. And then there is the irresistible spicy peanut dipping sauce. "Americans love it. We call it the adult version of peanut butter," she said.

In fact, Swasdee envisions expanding the American barbecue palate even further by adding a fourth seasoning category--dipping sauces--to the already-existing three: dry rubs, marinades (called "mops" when used for basting meat), and finishing sauces. "In Asian barbecue, dipping sauce is the key," she said. "You can change the flavor profile by dipping the meat into three to five different sauces. My mom would always put out sweet, spicy, lemony, salty, and mild dipping sauces."

Americans love to dip chips, why not barbecue?

Allen Susser, proprietor of Chef Allen's in Miami, author of New World Cuisine and Cooking, and manufacturer of the New World Foods line of tropical marinades and salsas, emphasizes the importance of dipping or finishing sauces. "You can achieve a depth of flavor and complexity by creating a finishing sauce or a salsa containing ingredients that work with those in the marinade. For instance, red wine vinegar in a salsa balances the sweetness of orange juice and brown sugar," he said.

Some of the trends he observes in barbecue are the use of Scotch bonnet peppers, allspice and dried citrus zests. In addition, he expects Americans to pick up the Latin style of marinating meats called mojo. Mojos are popular throughout the Latin Caribbean, and consist of sour, or Seville, oranges, olive oil, garlic, cumin, and black pepper. Susser manufactures two mojo products, a Key Lime Mojo, containing Scotch bonnets, and a Passion Fruit Mojo, to which he adds serranos.
Rick Bayless, owner of The Frontera Grill in Chicago and author of Authentic Mexican Cooking, and Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen, suggests that Mexican cuisine, with its extensive use of chiles such as chipotles and habaneros, has a lot to offer the American griller. "There are grilled specialties in all parts of Mexico. You'll find spicy split chickens grilled over coals, accompanied by sweet, smoky onions, slow&endash;grilled fish with garlicky marinades or smeared with achiote and served with pickled onions and habanero salsa," he said.

And then there are the time-honored flavors of the Caribbean, the source of the most well&endash;known, and perhaps greatest, global influence on American barbecue: Jerk.

"Barbecue was born in the Caribbean. In fact the word comes from the Arawak Indian word, barbacoa," said Diane Starke, co&endash;owner of the Puerto Rican&endash;based Tropical Chile Co. line of sauces, marinades and tropical fruit mustards.

Spreading the Word

Starke suggests that the popularity of jerk in the United States is the result of tourists coming back from the Islands, bearing tales of the incredible barbecue they had down there.

Tom Beasley, owner of Montego Bay Trading, importer of Jamaican jerk sauce, agrees. "You've got a half million people out of the U.S. going to Jamaica and they'll probably eat jerk. That and all the Jamaicans who've moved to the U.S. and are introducing it to the mainstream cuisine. Even TGI Friday's has got Jamaican Jerk Wings on the menu now," he said.

In fact, the Jamaican influence extends beyond the U.S. "I know Jamaica exports to Europe. They've gone to some of the (hot food) shows in Europe. That market is slowly opening up," Beasely said.

However, not everybody knows about jerk, and Beasley admits that selling it to people who have never tasted it can be difficult. "But once I get it in their mouths, I can sell them a bottle," he said.
Ann Wilder suggests introducing unfamiliar products by targeting markets already geared toward nontraditional tastes. "Sometimes it's easier to get a new product into a specialty food store (such as Fresh Fields on the East Coast, or Wild Oats out West) than on the shelves in a grocery store," she said.

In order to encourage even more American consumers to build a cooking arsenal of world-beat barbecue products and the hardware necessary to prepare new types of cuisines, it is essential to overcome a fear of the unknown. This can be done by providing recipes with cooking products, conducting in-store demonstrations, and holding product tastings, among other things. "Education is the key," said Foo Swasdee. "It takes a combination of media and the stores cooperating (with entrepreneurs) and the public being open minded (about new products)."

Christopher Kolon is a chef, cooking teacher, and freelance food journalist living in Santa Fe.



Resource Guide


Barbecues Galore
Peter Anderson
15041 Bake Parkway, #A
Irvine, CA 92618
(714) 597&endash;2400

Barbecue Industry Association
Donna Meyers
P.O. Box 767
Holmdel, NJ 07723&endash;0767
(732) 975&endash;9675

Broilmaster
301 E. Tennessee St.
Florence, AL 35631
(205) 767-0330

Cinders Barbecues Limited
Bill Cooke
Bentham Industrial Estate
off Wenning Avenue
High Bentham
Lancaster
LA2 7NB
UK
PH: 011-44-1524-262900; FAX: 011-44-1524-262955
www.webworld.co.uk/mall/cinders

McCormick's--Corporate HQ
18 Loveton Circle
Sparks, MD 21152-6000
(410) 771-7301

Texas Food Research
Brian Thomson/Foo Swasdee
3202 West Anderson Lane, Ste. 203
Austin, Texas 78757
(512) 467&endash;9008

Visiontrade
Marcus Zimmerman
Goldbacherstrasse 8
2700 Kusnacht, Switzerland
011&endash;41&endash;19109925




Retailers: Increase Your Audience

Following are some suggestions for introducing new products, expanding your customer base, and capitalizing on the world-wide barbecue and grilling trend.

*Design a number of sampling packages that you can "cater" to events in homes and businesses that already have the food prepared. This is not only a fun way to add zest to a cookout, but it is also a good way to introduce your line to a new audience. Packages can include a range of products, from mild to wild, or can be based on themes such as Caribbean, Asian, Mexican, Hot, Hotter, Hottest, etc.

*Take advantage of holidays such as Father's Day, Labor Day, and Memorial Day to create the need for a hot and spicy cookout. According to the National Retail Federation, barbecue supplies are one of the hot trends in gifts for Father's Day, and that on average, consumers spend about $90 on gifts for this occasion.

*Host an evening of tastings, recipes, and maybe even cooking demonstrations and prize give-aways in your shop that you advertise through mailing lists and in-store promotions. Show people that hot products are more than curiosities--they can also be used for marinades, cooking sauces, salad dressings, barbecue sauces, etc. Expand the possibilities and increase the sales.

*Gather names for your mailing lists by collecting business cards in a fish bowl and then have drawings for small prizes on a regular basis. If you have product tastings, you can provide comment cards with spaces for names and addresses. You can also ask customers to sign a guest book, or gather names and addresses through your Internet site, if you have one.

*Create a newsletter to send to your mailing list. This publication can contain new product information, upcoming store events, fun stories, recipes, or anything else you think might be interesting. "I found that starting with a list of 100 names, my newsletter quadrupled sales," says John Dobson of The Pepper Connection in Appleton, Wisconsin. "It more than pays for itself." He also includes a brightly colored order form, a business card, and other materials about his offerings, all with prominent contact information. He believes there is a good chance that recipients will keep at least one sheet with his name on it, and that many of those people will eventually call.

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