New Study Reveals Australia's BBQ Preferences, Behaviours & Rituals
BeefEater has released the results of Australia’s first in-depth study to explore the what, when, where, why and how Australians cook outdoors.
1,000 participants took part in an objective, third party study commissioned by BeefEater Barbecues and conducted by Pure Profile.
BARBECUE OWNERSHIP
The barbie is an essential part of Australian cuisine for most respondents, with 97% reporting they own a barbecue grill. 53% own a natural gas barbecue and 40% have a barbecue powered by propane (LPG).
85% of Australians prefer cooking outdoors on a barbecue over a kitchen indoors. 86% of respondents cited ‘taste of the food’ as a major reason they enjoy cooking on a barbecue.
Other reasons include: 68% spending time outdoors 61% bringing friends together 59% easy to prepare 57% easy to clean up
LADY GRILLERS
Barbecuing is becoming increasingly popular amongst Australian women with 80% saying they prefer cooking outdoors to indoors even though 71% believe grilling outdoors is a more masculine way of cooking than in the kitchen.
33% of female respondents said they liked being in charge of the barbie, however, only 11% said they operated the barbecue in their household. 97% of men said they handle the cooking outdoors.
Despite an eagerness to spend more time behind the grill, 62% of females said they’ve received resistance from a male or been ushered away when trying to operate the barbecue.
42% of women say their partner underestimates their barbecue knowledge and skill.
WHEN WE BARBECUE
68% of Australians plan to fire up their barbie 1-3 times a week this Summer and 19% say they’ll cook outdoors 4-6 times per week.
Barbecue is synonymous with summer for Aussies, with 50% naming the aroma of barbecue as their favourite summer smell.
Australia Day is the most popular day of the year for throwing a barbie with 86% saying they intend to celebrate the nation’s birthday by cooking outdoors.
Barbecues are central to many Australians’ holiday plans. Popular holidays that will be celebrated with a barbecue include Boxing Day (68%), Christmas (56%), Father’s Day (52%)and Easter (48%).
Australians are willing to barbecue rain or shine with 65% saying they’ve barbecued in extreme weather conditions, from freezing temperatures to thunderstorms.
BARBECUE AS STATUS SYMBOL
33% of Aussie males said being able to show off their cooking skills is the most enjoyable aspect of entertaining outdoors. 35% said they invite others around to show off their barbecue grill.
46% of Australians say they’ve had ‘Grill Envy’ and been jealous of a neighbour or mate’s barbecue. 15% say impressing their friends or neighbours factored into their decision when buying a barbie.
The outdoor living trend will continue to grow in Australia with 66% of people saying they believe their barbecue and outdoor living space says something about their personality.
68% of Australians are considering upgrading to a higher quality barbecue within the next year.
SKILL AT THE GRILL
Over half of all Australians, 53%, rely on their instincts when it comes to cooking a barbecue. 26% said they learned the craft from dad and 8% from watching their mates.
54% of respondents believe men are instinctively better at barbecuing than women.
When asked to rate their barbecuing skills on a scale of 1 to 5, 38% of Australians gave themselves a “4 – Very Good” and 41% said “3 – Decent”. 11% of Aussie males proclaimed themselves to be barbecue experts.
HOME ENTERTAINING
Men and women have very different views when it comes to who does most of the work when
entertaining guests at home. 58% of women said they do more work at a barbecue than their
partner. Only 14% of men said they work harder but 64% said the workload was shared
equally.
However results of the study reveal the only task clearly handled by the man was cooking the
meat at a massive 97%.
81% of women invite the guests.
79% do the shopping.
71% host the guests.
93% prepare salads & sides.
65% do the cleaning up.
Despite the apparent disparity in workload, 44% of female participants said their partner
usually receives all the recognition.