Speciality Food April 2024

42 now they seem to be treating them with respect. They have so much flavour. You can bat them out until they’re thin so the skin goes crispy. They’re muchmore versatile than a breast.” When it comes to sausages, Greg says he’s finding customers want greater meat content and, crucially, they don’t want to be fobbed off with higher prices just because it’s ‘barbecue season’. “A lot of places keep the prices the same, but drop the meat content for barbecue sausages. We’ve gone the other way to keep the meat content high. I’d rather pay 50pmore for great sausages.” Taking it a step further, Greg has developed a range of frankfurters for his counter as demand for gourmet hot dogs grows, and consumers look for better quality and less additives in these types of products. They appeal to children and adults alike and “they really do fly all- year-round”. What’s in flavour with customers? In addition to American smokehouse- style cooking taking off in a big way, Asian barbecue is having its day. In fact, in 2023 Chinese barbecue became so popular that TikTok accounts putting a spotlight on the city of Zibo and its outdoor grilling techniques, led to it gaining the moniker ‘the holy land of barbecue’. Officials began to lay on special barbecue trains to deal with the influx of visitors that ensued, and new food courts sprung up to meet the unexpected demand. Most andmore often for bespoke cuts – many of themusually seen as the ‘butcher’s treat’ - such as the ‘rump heart’ (a fillet cut from the rump), and the ‘spider steak’ which is “super tender and perfect for asado tacos. That Mexican style is getting more popular. I don’t think you can beat beef neck either for the flavour.” The ‘bread and butter’ of the barbecue In addition to steak, sausages, burgers and chicken will always be the “bread and butter of the barbecue,” says Alistair. “We rarely have an order that doesn’t include them. But we’ve noticed, whereas it was all burgers and sausages 10 years ago and it was hard to get people to buy kebabs, they are shopping differently now. They are trying new things.” Alistair has seen a noticeable steer towards marinated products that are easy to cook, such as thin pork steaks and flavoured chicken breasts. “Those are our biggest sellers. Also pork belly strips that have beenmarinated. Anything that’s easy, taking out a bit of the thought process, works really well.” The shop has a rotation of around 25 to 30 different marinades, from spicy to sweet, to herbal, so there’s always something for everyone. And Alistair sees this as the direction of travel going forward. Simple-to-cookmeal solutions. Over at Hollow Trees, James says the team get through an enormous amount of their best pork sausages and best burgers, made with the farm’s ownmeat, but “another product which always sells well during the barbecue season is our lavender pork ribeye. It’s a unique cut and flavour combination. Charring from the hot grill brings a smoky depth to the flavour, complimenting the fragrant herby marinade which has made its way into the meat. It’s a real showstopper.” Cheaper cuts of chicken also remain popular, says Greg – particularly wings. “I think people have a bit more appreciation for them now,” he explains, putting this down to, like steaks, consumers seeking out more fat in their meat to maximise on flavour and allow for traditional lower, slower cooking techniques. “People have also become better cooks,” Greg adds. “With chicken thighs, they used to put them in the oven forever and they’d go dry, but @specialityfood For more information contact: louise.barnes@artichokehq.com 01206 508629 ON THE SAUCE No barbecue or al fresco eating occasion is complete without sauces, relishes and pickles. As a good all-rounder, Alistair recommends Stokes Bloody Mary Ketchup. “It’s got vodka and Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce in it. That combined with ketchup is amazing. I’m also noticing loads of people buying into rubs. That’s definitely something we’re looking to get more of in the lead up to summer.” Selina Talbot at Cottage Delight says retailers with their own cafe or restaurant are in a unique position to showcase the versatility of sauces, chutneys and relishes as the warmer weather comes around. Having an onsite eatery means customers can sample and experience key lines, which could clinch those sales. Maybe offer a hot sauce or barbecue sauce at the breakfast table alongside a full English, or try something different in your sandwich range. Seeing growth in the table sauce category, the brand has just launched its Smoky Chipotle Barbecue Sauce. “It’s smoky, with a bit of spice, and is really geared up to go in burgers and hot dogs, or could be used as a glaze on ribs or wings,” Selina says. It sits alongside Cottage Delight’s big barbecue sellers – the Hickory Smoked Barbecue Sauce, Peppered Steak Sauce, and Gourmet Burger and Gourmet Hot Dog Sauce, which are a huge hit with customers. “The Gourmet Burger Sauce is a bit like a Big Mac sauce. The same sort of consistency, texture and flavour, but obviously much more premium,” adds Selina. “We’ve been speaking to our customers, and they say our sauces are really strong, and they haven’t found anyone else that has the quality we do.” This year she says consumers are looking for something a bit different for the barbecue table and confirms hot sauces and chilli sauces (which can also be used to pep-up braises, chilli con carne and other slow-cooked dishes) perform consistently well for the brand. Dressings are another consideration for your ambient aisles – something to bring life to the salads that prop up barbecue food. Brits’ top five favourites are, apparently, potato salad, coleslaw, pasta salad, green salad with French dressing, and Caesar salad. Though many home cooks delight in making their own dressings, there are equally enormous numbers who prefer the convenience of something pre-made. And if they’ve gone to the effort of selecting prime cuts for the grill, only the best will do when it comes to the salad bowl. Philip Marx of RH Amar, suggests Cardini’s Caesar Dressing could prove popular this year – especially as it’s the 100th anniversary of the Caesar salad. As legend has it, he says, “Caesar Cardini was an Italian immigrant who had a restaurant in San Diego just before prohibition was enacted in America. When that happened, he moved the restaurant over the border to Tijuana so he could serve drinks with the meals and Hollywood A listers, amongst others, would visit his restaurant. One Independence Day he got a big influx of people, more than he expected, and used what ingredients he had to create a salad. And there, in front of everyone, he made the first Caesar salad.” Cardini’s Caesar Dressing is made to the authentic recipe (no anchovies in sight), and contains no artificial additives or preservatives. The product has seen significant growth in the last few years, being up 27% in 2023 against 2021 at RH Amar, which is creating a buzz of activity around this dressing for 2024, including in-store promotional plans. popularised are the city’s shawarma- style charcoal-cookedmeats (usually pork belly) served with wraps, crushed peanuts, spring onions, salad and various dips and dressings on the side for dunking – all of which feed into the kind of sharing, experiential dining moments consumers seem to be craving. “Oriental flavours were really big last year,” Greg agrees, saying Chinese and Thai marinades were popular with his customers. “Shortribs and Jacob’s ladders take Oriental flavours really well. And chicken wings can be braised in a punchy Korean or Chinese-flavoured broth, cooled overnight in the stock, dried off and put on the barbecue to get some smoke through.” “We sell a lot of Chinese-style pork ribs, pork steaks and kebabs,” says Alistair. “I think ‘Chinese’ as a flavour in butchery, was invented in the 70s. And it’s a really good flavour. Another one worth trying is sticky maple. That caters for everyone and is a real crowd pleaser.” Christian is seeing more prevalence of Middle Eastern and North African spicing coming through on the grill. “I think, a few years ago, it was all about the classic American spice rub. But now people are starting to find spices and varieties that weren’t so widely available. They want to try those North African vibes of coriander and cumin, and earthier flavours. And there’s so muchmore choice in chillies – I’m always buying dried chillies. Britain is now just such a melting point of all these different countries and cultures which is what makes the barbecue scene here so vibrant and exciting.” Make it smoky As you’ve already read, charcoal is ruling the barbecue market in the UK, and one of Christian’s biggest pieces of advice for garden centres, food halls and farm shops is to make space to sell charcoal barbecues and their associated kit if you have room. Or at the least choose the highest quality charcoal and Pork steaks and pork on the bone are taking off GREG LEWIS