The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Canadians love outdoor grilling so much, they'll do it in sub-zero temperatures. According to the most recent Weber Canadian GrillWatch Survey completed in October 2004, (34%) of respondents think nothing of barbecuing when the temperature is 0 degrees C or lower! The annual online survey of 1,000 consumers nationwide aged 19 and over was conducted by Toronto-based Leger Marketing on behalf of the Weber-Stephen Products Co. This year's expanded survey probing barbecue likes, dislikes and trends reveals a number of new findings. First, the Facts. Nine out of ten Canadians own a gas grill. Summer remains the top grilling season. The main course is still the focus on the grill (94%), with almost half of respondents grilling side dishes and a quarter serving up appetizers. Hamburgers rule! Ñ (94%) reported they flipped burgers in 2004, up (3%) over last year. Steak continues its downward trend, dropping in popularity from (91%) in 2002 to (82%) this year. Grilling trends this year show that over one-third of Canadians are grilling more veggies (39%) and getting more adventurous (34%), while over one-quarter are grilling the entire meal. New Findings Running on empty. Four out of five respondents (82%) actually admit to running out of fuel while grilling. Tip: If you are in the market for a new gas grill, look for one with a tank scale to avoid potential embarrassing situations when grilling for guests. Filler Up! A new question on refills this year shows that almost two-thirds of Canadians who own a gas grill would go to a gas station to refill their tank (64%). One-third will go to a hardware or home center (32%) and over one-quarter will bring their tank to a propane refill center (28%). Grilling is a give and take relationship. Seventy percent of respondents report that they are happy to let their spouse do the grilling. Women are much more likely to express this sentiment (72%) compared to men (50%). Twenty-six per cent of those who reported they don't grill would actually like to but they simply can't pry the tongs away from their partner! Hold that dog! Hot dogs are Canadians' least favourite grilled food item. Women especially dislike grilling them. Perhaps we should keep hot dogs strictly as a ball park food item. Grilling with a mouse. Twenty-seven per cent of survey respondents clicked on Internet addresses to discover recipes and grilling information. Other sources include family and friends (44%), cookbooks (29%) and magazines (39%). However, almost one-third claim they don't use any recipes at all! Reserved Canadians. Over half of respondents (53%) claimed they never invite the neighbours over for a barbecue. This lukewarm image, however, is moving in the positive direction. Last year's figure was (57%). Celebrity guest list. Survey respondents were queried on which famous person they'd invite to dinner. TV personality Oprah Winfrey topped the list. Celebrities from sports and politics tied for second place in the persons of Wayne Gretzky and Prime Minister Paul Martin. Other famous people on the invitee list include Shania Twain, Celine Dion, Bill Clinton, Emeril Lagasse and Brad Pitt. Ethnic flavours. One in ten respondents report they are grilling more ethnic foods than in the past, with Greek (38%) and Mexican (33%) being the favourites.
