April 27, 2016
May is National Barbecue Month: Discover Your Barbecue IQ and 10 Trends About Barbecuing Today
Arlington, Va. – May is National Barbecue Month, marking the official beginning of peak barbecuing season, when the vast majority of North Americans take to their backyards to light up their grills and smokers for delicious weeknight dinners and slow and low weekend feasts.
How proficient are you at taking part in our favorite patio pastime? Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) this month is launching the “What’s Your Barbecue IQ?” online quiz: http://www.hpba.org/Barbecue-IQ. Participants who take the quiz will put their barbecue knowledge to the test to automatically discover their true barbecue IQ, while receiving helpful tips to up their barbecue game this season and beyond.
If you’re feeling fired up for barbecuing this National Barbecue Month, you’re not alone. Consider these 10 trends – from the most recent HPBA barbecue lifestyle, usage & attitude study* – about the state of barbecuing today:
1. 75% of U.S. adults own a grill or smoker.
2. 62% of households that own a grill own a gas grill, followed by charcoal (53%), and electric (12%).
3. Two percent own a wood pellet grill and 8% are thinking of purchasing one this year. The most popular days to barbecue are: Fourth of July (76%), Labor Day (62%), Memorial Day (62%), Father’s Day (49%), Mother’s Day (34%).
4. The top reasons for cooking out? 71% of grill owners say it’s to improve flavor, 54% for personal enjoyment, and 42% for entertaining family and friends.
5. The majority of grill owners (63%) enjoy using their grill or smoker year-round. In fact, 43% cook at least once a month in the winter months.
6. Half of all grill owners have the most basic grilling accessories (cleaning brush, tongs, glove/mitts). The most popular new accessories owners plan to buy include pizza stones, broiling baskets, and cooking planks.
7. Ten percent of all grill owners have a backyard kitchen (featuring premium furniture and lighting).
8. Barbecuing isn’t just an evening activity. 11% of grill owners prepared breakfast on a grill in the past year.
9. Nearly one third of grill owners (31%) grilled someplace other than their homes in the past year, including 24% who grilled while camping.
10. More than one third (45%) of U.S. adults surveyed plan to purchase a new grill or smoker in 2016, while nearly a third (30%) of current owners plan to grill with greater frequency.
*HPBA’s most recent barbecue lifestyle, usage & attitude study was conducted online via Rockbridge Associates Inc. in July and August 2015. Rockbridge conducted a 20-minute online survey with 1,145 grillers in the United States who were at least 18 and the primary griller or shared grilling responsibilities. The margin of sampling error for aggregate results is +/- 3 percentage points. Use of the HPBA State of the Barbecue Industry Report findings should be credited to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association. Visit www.hpba.org for additional information.
About HPBA
The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA), based in Arlington, Va., is the North American industry association for manufacturers, retailers, distributors, representatives, service firms and allied associates for all types of barbecue, patio and hearth appliances, fuels and accessories. The association provides professional member services and industry support in education, statistics, government relations, marketing, advertising, and consumer education.
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