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- State of the 'Que Address, Part I
by Larry Gerber
May is National Barbecue Month and it is time for our Fiery Foods State of the Barbecue Union Address.
While it is certainly no secret that barbecue is a multi-billion dollar industry, it sure doesn't feel that way when I'm cooking in my yard or choosing a brisket or some spare ribs at the meat market. However, if you take a gander down the ever-growing barbecue aisle at the grocery store, or peruse the displays of barbecue books, sauces, and gadgets at speciality stores, gourmet stores, hot shops, and even Wal-Mart or Target chain stores, it's pretty obvious that our industry is growing, with the potential to continue well into the new millennium. Accordingly, this year I will cover a spectrum of issues, from grills and woods to restaurants and trends.
Barbecue as an Institution
Consumers and hobbyists are discovering a type of sub-culture that pertains to barbecue, that those-in-the-know have known for years. There are numerous organizations and associations for people who want to become involved in the art of barbecue. The New England Barbecue Society, International Barbecue Cookers Association, National Barbecue Association and the Kansas City Barbecue Society are just a few examples of these fun and informative clubs.
However, there are those people who view barbecue not as a hobby, but as a convenience, and this aspect is one of the main reasons for barbecue's continuing popularity. A natural extension of this phenomenon is that many restaurants are adding or developing their menus to feature more and more barbecued and grilled foods, for those times when consumers are too busy even to grill out on their own. For example, Chili's Bar & Grill, TGI Fridays, and Applebee's all regularly feature barbecued cuisine in their commercials and on their menus. Medium and small sized operations are opening new barbecue joints or are expanding into larger facilities with more convenient locations, and more and more catering companies are offering their clients and customers food cooked outside on the grill.
Grills, Grills, Grills
Unlike many electronic products, barbecue equipment has remained easy to use while continuing to become more technologically advanced. Both purists and non-purists agree that ease is one of the most important ingredients in outdoor cooking, whether preparing signature dishes or old family favorites.
"What we are seeing is a segment of the barbecue market that is being driven to upscale professional quality equipment that can be used in the consumer's backyard," said Elizabeth Karmel, spokesperson for Weber- Stephen of Palatine, Illinois. For those of you who are not aware, Weber developed a line of professional gas grills titled the Platinum II and the Summit Series. Karmel says that the grills have grown in sales and development for the last three years running, and should continue to sell well with consumer demand for quality and convenience. "It allows the consumer to cook many different types of food with more finesse," she said.
One new interesting grill on the market that has been developed and marketed by the Thermal Engineering Corporation, is an infrared gas-fueled grill that cooks food in much the same way that the sun heats the earth, according to TEC representative, Gary Freeland. "The difference between the TEC infrared gas grill and other gas models," he said, "is that the TEC unit gets much hotter in a shorter period of time."
Even with all the new technology, there continues to be much dissention in the charcoal (slow smoked taste) vs. gas (convenience) debate. Retailers report that many outdoor chefs are purchasing both fuel options instead of choosing one over the other.
In my opinion, nothing beats slow-smoked barbecued brisket or pork butt. Because of that great taste, a charcoal smoker is a must-have for many consumers. A uniquely designed unit happens to be the Big Green Egg. The Big Green Egg Company in Atlanta, Georgia manufactures a smoker, cooker grill that is modeled after the Ancient Kamado Oriental cooker. "The unique ceramic design holds the cooking temperature constant to allow you to cook every type of barbecued food imaginable, as well as pizza and breads, and it is self-cleaning too," said President Ed Fisher. Consumers obviously like what this product has to offer, as business, according to Fisher, has increased every year for the last six years.
Even the more conventional kinds of grills are making improvements. "We manufacture charcoal-only type grills that are appealing to the upscale market," said Paula Bertloff, national accounts manager for Porcelain Metals Corporation, the makers of upscale Kingsford grills, as well as their own brand of grills. "This year we have introduced a new Thermo-Plastic shelf which is easier to clean and is very attractive compared to the wood shelves of yesterday. The consumers are demanding these changes and we hear them," states Bertloff. "Our Patio Classics models are new in 1998 and have been very well received thus far. It is a new line we think will fit everybody's busy lifestyle," she says.
But if charcoal isn't your style, there are other ways of achieving traditional barbecue taste without compromising convenience. Broilmaster, a division of Martin Industries now has a gas roaster/smoker grill on the market. Farrell Wilson, Advertising Manager of Broilmaster, points out that the SR3 Smoker Grill has a patented burner system that allows consumers to smoke and roast foods as effectively as a charcoal smoker. "It comes complete with a slide out tray for adding wood chips or chunks and adding water to the pan if necessary," Wilson said.
Charcoal and Wood
The subject of charcoal is as hot as the material itself. "Our business has seen an increase in sales in the 10-12 percent level since the beginning of the year," said Joe Knaack of Charcoal Supply Company, in Chicago, Illinois. "We supply restaurants, hobbyists and consumers. The restaurants want to get ahead of their competitors by cooking with a product that is natural and not artificial like propane. The consumers we service want a natural taste as well." I asked Knaack about the increased sales of gas fueled units for the third straight year. He stated that "The (gas) market will always be there to give the consumer an option. However, what we are seeing is an increase in the use of a natural type of fuel such as the natural briquettes and lump charcoal that we manufacture."
Peoples Woods/Nature's Own president and owner Don Hysko sells cooking woods and also works closely with leading chefs to expand the uses of charcoal, woods and herbs. In his seminars, he deals with the differences between grilling, smoking and barbecuing, while emphasizing fun, simplicity and creativity. His business has nearly doubled in one year, and Don thinks that the reason is two-fold: restaurants are smoking many types of foods on the premises, and consumers who visit those restaurants want to duplicate what they tasted there. Ten years ago, explained Don, people were grilling hot dogs, burgers and an occasional chicken. "Today they want leg of lamb, prime rib, and smoked turkey or duck. Simple not-too-complex recipes," Hysko passionately states. "With over fifteen varieties of woods and vines, and chips and chunks that we carry, the consumer can get that restaurant taste in their own backyards."
Spices and Sauces
Everywhere you turn, a new sauce or spice profile is hitting the market: spicy-sweet this, honey-Dijon that, creeper tongue kick something else. David Klose, owner of Barbecue Pits by Klose, in Houston, Texas, is also an avid griller and cook, and has studied regional flavors. "The trends in barbecue in the Southwestern states have been influenced in the past by Mexican spices such as cumin and oregano, he said. "The last five years seem to have brought a moderate change to Louisiana spices such as Tex-Joy, Cajun Season-All spices, etc." He also has seen a new trend in the Pacific Northwest which he calls the Al Dente effect, and describes as a more elevated palate effect from the spices, much like the three-wave-effect in champion chili cook-offs. "The first wave of flavor comes when your teeth first contact the product, with a three-second delay. The second wave of flavor is from the smoke, with another three-second delay, then the third wave comes from the cooked meats." Consumers seem to have acquired a sweet tooth lately, too, said David. Mustards, honeys, and bourbon glazes are all in high demand.
Tips From the Trenches
In my research for this column, I found that Barbecue folks are selling more by working smarter. But don't take my word for it. Here are comments from those who are up to their necks in sauce on a daily basis.
Make Yourself Known
Rick Doty from Big Rick's BBQ Sauce Company has elevated his market presence through old-fashioned hard work. "I have grown significantly over the past year," he said. "Our numbers are up four to five times, and I attribute that to a marketing plan that makes business sense." Rick also endeavors to make contacts and find out what other people in the Industry are doing. "I am sure that the my presence at the past National Fiery Foods Show will take me to the next level, and prepare me for a national distribution network by the year 2000." he said.
Work Hard
Baby Joe's Barbecue Sauce Company spokesman and partner Rick Dipper believes that over the past year, many local grocery 'giants' have transformed their stores from plain old grocery stores to more boutique-type "stores within a store." He thinks this trend could shove the smaller gourmet food stores to the brink of extinction. Already, two very well known Chicago area gourmet food stores have closed their doors in 1998 due to escalating lease costs, increased competition and low profit margins. This, he says, is making opportunities for small vendors more limited. To combat these problems, Rick and his partners have decided to go back to basics in their approach. "Taste testing, demos, and free samples, are what sell the sauce and hopefully the experience is good enough that a customer will make a return trip to a specialty store to buy another bottle versus buying a bottle of sauce at their regular grocery store." Rick said. "The sauce business is like any other: sales are proportional to the amount of marketing, sweat and advertising effort put forth."
Keep it Interesting
Stephan Mayo of DixieTrail Farms Sauce and Marinade Company asserts that after three and a half years of time, money, much effort and hard work, "we are where we need to be in this competitive marketplace." He believes that the edge lies in coming out with new tastes and interesting products, like his Garlic Mustard Barbecue Sauce--it's sweet, hot and really kicks butt. "Consumers are more willing to try new and interesting tastes than they were ten years ago," he said.
Have I whet your appetite for what's happening and piqued your curiosity for what's to come in 1998? Look for more observations on the State of the 'Que in the July/ August issue of Fiery Foods Magazine.
Larry Gerber is President and founder of Barbeque ManÔ, Inc., an Illinois based company. He is a food writer and columnist for the Northwest Herald Newspaper, an editorial contributor to On The Grill Magazine, Chicago area reporter for USA Smoke BBQ News, a radio talk show host of the Barbeque Man Hour on WEPS 88.9FM, as well as a commentator on other radio shows. Currently Larry is the producer/host of Culinary Adventures, a Chicago area television show. You can reach him by phone at (847) 289-4477 or via his Web site at http://www.novaplaza.com/bbqman
