Survey Reveals Canadian BBQ Food Favourites!

Canadians have Grilled Ostrich and Cake on the BBQ! - It's True!

TORONTO - According to the online Weber Canadian GrillWatch(TM) Survey conducted in September 2007, hamburger remains hot. However, steak and healthy food items are gaining in popularity.

The 18th annual survey, conducted by Toronto-based Leger Marketing on behalf of Weber-Stephen Products Co., probes the habits, knowledge and performance of Canadian outdoor chefs. More than 1,000 consumers nationwide aged 19 and over participated in the online survey.

And the Winner is: Hamburger remains the number one barbecue food item. Nearly nine in ten Canadians report they flipped burgers during the past year (89%). Second and third place items remain the same: chicken pieces (85%) and steak (78%).

Sizzling Steak: For the first time, steak took the top spot as the all-time favourite food item (48%). Steak is most likely to be grilled by those aged 45 to 54 (85%), by males (83%), and by those who earn more than $100,000 annually (83%). Hamburger has been dropping steadily in this category for a number of years, starting in 2004, and currently ranks third (8%) behind chicken pieces (10%). The lonely hot dog ranks well down the list of all-time favourites (1%).

Saucy Stats: One in five (20%) Canadian grillers make their own homemade barbecue sauce; 62% prefer to use a national brand such as Kraft or President's Choice.

Rub On Your Grub: Over three-quarters of Canadians (77%) like to use dry rubs to season their meats on the grill. This is most likely with people age 25 to 34 (83%), higher income earners (83%), and Quebecers (91%) where herbs and spices are a natural part of their cuisine.

Adventure at the Grill: One in four respondents admit they want to expand their grilling repertoire to include big foods such as roast beef or whole chickens and turkeys. According to survey responses, the most unusual meat item that appeared on Canadian grills last year was ostrich, and the most challenging to grill is cake.

By the Sea: Salmon is the most popular seafood item being grilled by Canadians (48%), handily beating shrimp (30%) and trout (19%), and well ahead of tuna (7%).

Good for You Grilling: The healthy eating trend continues, with 44% of survey respondents claiming they are grilling more vegetables. Popular choices include: potatoes, onions, mushrooms, peppers, squash/zucchini and corn. Quebec and Ontario barbecuers rank highest in this area (48% and 46%, respectively), and women are still more likely than men to grill vegetables (47%).

BBQ Bits & Bites

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- 75% of respondents own one grill

- Most Canadians grill either in the summer (46%) or year-round (52%)

- Men are the primary grillers in Canadian households (55%). This is especially true in Ontario (61%)

- Over half of grillers prefer the taste of charcoal but like the convenience of gas (52%)

- The most popular occasion for turning on the burners is to celebrate a birthday (72%), beating out Canada Day (65%) for the first time, and Father's Day (55%)

- Top three reasons why people barbecue: flavour (53%), no pots and pans to clean (11%), keeps the house cool (11%) >>