The barbecue season is still in full swing. However, barbecuing is slightly different this year than the previous year. Reason enough for online butchery The Butchery to map these changing traditions. The barbecue survey was conducted among 1,200 barbecue enthusiasts. This showed, among other things, that it is still mainly the men who take the place at the grill.
Still a man thing
This BBQ research confirms once again that barbecuing is still seen as a 'man thing'. No less than 88.3% of the men indicate that they prefer to take the place at the grill themselves. Among married men who took part in the survey, 90.3% even indicated that they prefer to be in control of the barbecue. Yet these male chefs increasingly have to give up their place; almost half of the women (49.7%) indicate that they also sometimes take out the barbecue tools. The research has shown that singles see themselves as the ultimate grill masters. It is mainly the single ladies (18.5%) who prefer to see themselves appearing at the grill, but the men (13.2%) also indicate that they see themselves as very good grill masters. Apparently barbecuing without having to take anyone else into account also has its advantages.
Welcome alternative "Barbecuing is normally a real Dutch tradition, but it has become even more popular due to the corona period. Due to the disappearance of restaurants and terraces, the men have had to remove the barbecue from the shed much more often. We saw that almost all participants in the study lit the barbecue just as often or even more often,” says Bert-Jan Lantinga, founder and owner of The Butchery. “The results show that it is especially beneficial for cohabiting and married couples or families to light the grill more often during this period. It is therefore a safe activity to do with your family; you can have fun together, but at a distance.” Yet the singles also indicate that they have barbecued just as often (53.9%) or more often (16.3%) during the corona time. Apparently, despite corona, they have also been able to find barbecue partners.
Men remain meat eaters
As was to be expected, men prefer to put a piece of meat on the barbecue. Although women also prefer this, the research shows that they have a greater need to alternate it with fish (46.7%) or vegetables (47.6%). When it comes to meat, the research shows that people still prefer skewers, spare ribs and steaks, but that a large part of the participants also enjoy experimenting with luxury meat varieties such as Wagyu, Ibérico and Black Angus. A striking result is also that singles are the biggest fish eaters. They do, however, eat the fewest vegetarian dishes while barbecuing; here the cohabiting couples come first.
Low &Slow or Hot &Fast?
“The ladies are increasingly able to convince their partners to experiment a bit more when it comes to barbecuing. Although traditional Hot &Fast barbecues are still popular, people are increasingly taking the time to prepare their meats during a barbecue evening," said Lantinga. Almost half of cohabitants (48.9%) prefer Low &Slow barbecuing. It is clear, however, that this initiative most often comes from women; For example, 62% of married men indicate that they do not experiment while barbecuing, compared to 46% of married women.
