People have discovered a new-found appreciation for at home events with friends and family following the last few years, which has resulted in an extended barbecue season.
The coming of spring sends people out into their gardens and, as long as the weather stays dry, can carry through until the autumn.
This is something that has been reflected in St Pierre’s rolls sales, which went from strength to strength last summer, continuing until the last of the warm weather in late September.
Josh Corrigan, Senior National Account Manager at St Pierre Groupe, comments: “Wholesalers can profit from this development in the 2023 barbecue season by stocking St Pierre’s burger buns and hot dog rolls.
With the pandemic giving people the opportunity to rethink their eating habits, followed by the cost-of-living crisis focusing their minds on affordable treats, consumers are now routinely trading up on bakery staples to something more premium. Those hosting barbecues this summer want to impress and offering an upgrade to standard bakery – such as St Pierre brioche – is one way to ensure they do so.”
Indulgence is another trend gaining traction, as many embrace the little pick-me-ups that we all need from time to time.
Wholesalers can help the convenience stores to easily cater to these trends by providing ranges that allow their shoppers to ‘upgrade’ from traditional staples for their barbecue offering. St Pierre’s brioche range is an ideal base for enhancing burger and hot dog recipes.
The bakery formats that are most suited to the barbecue occasion are those that impress and offer an upgrade to standard bakery. St Pierre’s Brioche Burger Buns and Brioche Hot Dog Rolls offer consumers an affordable way to do this. At the same time, St Pierre’s range benefits from a longer shelf life, which safeguards shoppers from watching food going to waste due to the uncertainties of the British summer weather.
Sharing packs are all-important for the barbecue occasion and for burger buns and rolls, this means four packs and six packs. St Pierre Brioche Burger Buns (6s), St Pierre Seeded Brioche Burger Bun (4s), St Pierre Brioche Burger Buns (4s) and St Pierre Brioche Hot Dog Rolls (4s) are perfect for barbecues and also for informal entertaining indoors, to keep the party going when the rain comes down.
Sales of St Pierre’s brioche products in the convenience channel soared over the summer, further driven by heightened brand awareness following distribution gains in the multiple grocers, and promotional activity, including free standing display units, in their convenience format stores.
“In the wholesale channel, St Pierre Brioche and Seeded Brioche Burger Buns are our best-selling products, offering consumers a simple way to elevate the everyday at-home – be it for breakfast, lunch or dinner, adds Corrigan. “St Pierre is the UK’s fastest growing bakery brand, up 75 per cent annually (Nielsen Value Sales – L52 & 12 Weeks Oct 22nd, 2022), a large part of which is down to our products’ versatility.”
St Pierre Brioche Hot Dog Rolls are also in triple digit growth, up 132 per cent versus last year (Nielsen Value Sales – L52 Weeks Oct 22nd, 2022). The brand is maintaining sales year-round, and beyond the ‘traditional’ peak season.
The St Pierre brand, which is designed to help elevate the everyday, is a simple yet effective way for consumers to upgrade their bread carrier. The St Pierre Brioche Burger Buns – Plain and Seeded – and Hot Dog Rolls are performing incredibly well, and their combined value sales have grown 88 per cent in the last year (Nielsen Value Sales – L52 Weeks Oct 22nd, 2022.) The St Pierre brand now has its 4-pack brioche burger bun and hot dog roll products featuring in the Top 12 value rankings. All pre-sliced for convenience and benefiting from an extended shelf life to help reduce in and out of home wastage, the range caters to the current consumer trends.
“As a brand, St Pierre is up 75 per cent year on year. That’s because we are offering products that meet consumer demand,” says Corrigan. “St Pierre is the fastest growing bakery brand and we are catering to a growing appetite for authentic, quality brioche with a stream of innovations. A recent introduction, which is also relevant for the barbecue opportunity, is the launch of our Mini Brioche Buns. Driven by the trend in foodservice for sharing platters, this exciting product offers something eye catching and different to help wholesalers increase basket spend.”
St Pierre is the biggest Burger Bun brand in the UK and is up 75 per cent (Nielsen Value Sales – L52 & 12 Weeks Oct 22nd, 2022.) It is the UK’s favourite burger bun brand and its growth is showing no signs of slowing down with value sales more than double last year in the last 12 and 4 weeks (Nielsen Value Sales – L52 & 12 Weeks Oct 22nd, 2022).
A raft of campaigns is running for St Pierre in 2023, highlighting the versatility of the products across all meal occasions, including barbecues. This is helping inspire and educate existing and new customers about ways they can use brioche to ‘trade up’ and elevate their favourite dishes. All the marketing campaigns are designed to support a strong promotional calendar with the brand’s wholesale and retail partners.
Consistent brand building in trade spaces plays a key role as retailers want to offer trusted brands. St Pierre is building awareness and loyalty with increased marketing spend in 2023, with a raft of campaigns in planning. These are designed to highlight the versatility of its products across all meal occasions, including barbecues. St Pierre also provides stand-out branded casing that helps to further brand awareness in wholesale depots. An increase in brand awareness in store helps to drive margins for retailers, whilst its longer shelf life protects them from wastage, which is all important in the current climate.
Mark Frossell, Commercial Manager at St Pierre Groupe, comments on behalf of Baker Street: “Our key product formats for the barbecue occasion are Baker Street’s Drive Thru range of Burger Buns and Hot Dog Rolls. The cost-of-living crisis is leading to consumers staying in rather than going out, and when the warm weather comes, that means making the most of their gardens. The barbecue category stands to benefit in 2023 from the increasing popularity of more substantial barbeque foods, such as burgers and hot dogs, including vegetarian and plant-based options – driven, in part, by the rise in ‘Americana-style’ dishes on menus across the UK.”
Shoppers are also looking for quick and easy ways to create ‘fakeaway’ favourites. Baker Street’s Drive Thru range of Burger Buns and Hot Dog Rolls are ideal for those looking to recreate classic burgers and hot dogs, served with a variety of toppings. Baker Street’s recipes have been specifically developed for this purpose – with burger buns ‘built for burgers’ and hot dog rolls ‘ready to handle’ the load.
The past few years have taught us how to make the most of at-home events and as the difficult economic situation continues, it’s all about ‘levelling up,’ taking hosting to new levels, which wholesalers can capitalise on.
“Food waste also remains a big topic,” adds Frossell. “We have seen that people are looking to buy more longer-life food and drink products to help combat this. Baker Street is cleverly packed to stay fresher for longer and guarantees a minimum life of 35 days from delivery to depot, helping the convenience retailers that wholesalers supply to ensure on-shelf availability and reducing the risk of wastage. This is a benefit for consumers who are looking for food items with a generous shelf-life to help cater to impromptu entertaining occasions such as barbecues.”
The brand’s best-selling products for the barbecue season are Baker Street Burger Buns and Hot Dog Rolls, which give both wholesalers and retailers alike extended-life options that allow for variety. Both the Original Burger Buns and Classic Hot Dog Rolls can be used for a host of tasty barbecue meals, including traditional ‘American style’ burgers and loaded hot dogs.
In the latest 12 week figures, the Baker Street brand is in 7 per cent growth (Nielsen Value Sales – L52 & 12 Weeks Oct 22nd, 2022). The resulting increase in consumer awareness spills over into brand awareness in independent retailers, and in turn wholesalers, making the Baker Street brand a must-stock for the barbecue season. Sales of Baker Street’s range of Burger Buns and Hot Dog Rolls has grown 10 per cent in the latest 12 weeks in comparison to last year (Nielsen Value Sales – L52 Weeks Oct 22nd, 2022) and the brand is clearly on an upwards trajectory.
“The Burger Buns and Hot Dog Rolls are performing well as they meet consumer needs around creating impromptu take away classics which can be easily handled around the barbecue, whilst helping to reduce food waste,” says Frossell. “They also cater for the whole family and multiple meal occasions – a very attractive proposition for those wanting to make their food go further.”
Baker Street is supported with a calendar of promotional activity and above the line campaigns throughout the year. The brand focus in 2023 is on further pushing brand awareness, driving trial and extending distribution. The brand offers long-life bakery products and attitudes towards extended life products are changing. All of its marketing and advertising activity is designed to communicate the benefits of its long-life proposition for retailers, wholesalers and consumers, for whom food waste is a growing concern.
Rachel Wells, UK Sales Director, St Pierre Groupe, comments: “Looking at the data from last year, it’s clear to see there is enormous opportunity in the barbecue season and the rolls category really comes into its own. Rolls were the only bakery subcategory reporting volume and value growth in the year to August 2022 (Nielsen Value Sales – L52 Weeks July 30th, 2022). The summer months saw a major increase in rolls’ importance to the total bakery category, with share peaking at 18 per cent in the 4 weeks to the end of July (Nielsen Value Sales – L52 Weeks July 30th, 2022).”
Over the 12 weeks to August 2022, total sales of branded burger buns and hot dog rolls increased 40 per cent on the year before (Nielsen Value Sales – L52 Weeks July 30th, 2022). This incremental growth accounted for 52 per cent of overall rolls growth in this period with St Pierre and Baker Street brands delivering 92 per cent of this total growth (Nielsen Value Sales – L52 Weeks July 30th, 2022). With the Met Office predicting 2023 to be the hottest on record (Met Office, 20 December 2022), being prepared for another bumper barbecue season will be the key to success this summer for neighbourhood retailers and the wholesalers who supply them.
The past few years have enhanced the barbecue season in the UK. It’s starting earlier and lasting longer, with circumstances during the pandemic driving al fresco dining, and last year’s glorious summer reinforcing the habit. This shift in consumer habits is here to stay, and the summer ahead has a series of bumper opportunities for wholesalers, as celebratory events, such as King Charles’ Coronation in May and the existing Bank Holidays during the same month, will see people flocking to barbecues and street parties all summer long. On top of this, as we all know, hot weather can lead to a further increase in impulse, last-minute eating outdoor opportunities and wholesalers should be equipped for this.
“We recommend offering a variety of complementary products, that allow shoppers to ‘elevate’ their regular offering to something a little more special for their barbecue,” adds Wells. “Bakery products that provide long-life, multi-pack formats, like those from St Pierre and Baker Street, can also help to reduce food waste, which is key for retailers and operators alike.”
The St Pierre Groupe brand portfolio includes number one brioche brand, St Pierre, long life bakery name, Baker Street and part-baked category leader, Paul Hollywood. Its brands all benefit from extended life which has boosted success in the wholesale sector, allowing retailers and operators to navigate unpredictable shopping and dining habits – guaranteeing availability and reducing wastage.
“Wholesalers should look to be strategic with their in-depot merchandising when it comes to the barbecue occasion, as this will encourage retailers to upsell,” says Wells. “Wholesalers can do this by giving SKUs that are performing well more space and grouping products together to inspire retailers to buy across the category.”
Savvy wholesalers will look at where the growth is – and continues to come from – and pay close attention to those sectors. The rolls subcategory has seen volume sales hold steady in difficult conditions in 2022 but is now in 3 per cent unit growth in the last 12 weeks (Nielsen Value Sales – L52 Weeks Oct 22nd, 2022), as consumers adjust to life in the current climate, enjoying affordable treats like bakery products. Rolls’ further growth will be accelerated by occasions like BBQ season helping to generate sales. Highlighting these areas will set wholesalers apart from the competition by providing merchandising solutions driven by insight.
“The bakery category is fast-moving and ever-changing. We invest a huge amount in research and insight so that we can be helpful to wholesalers, and we take notes on what the competition is doing,” Wells continues. “As a sector, it’s dynamic and we are leading the way, trying new things and working in partnership with our customers to get the best results.”
St Pierre also offers promotions to help enhance sales during certain times of the year, including barbecue season, as well as liaising with customers on case sizes, so the brand can remain agile to meet their needs. This also enables St Pierre to ensure that the formats work across multiple sectors, including retail and foodservice.
“The industry continues to face challenges, but we work closely with our retail, wholesale and foodservice partners to alleviate concerns around supply chain volatility, availability and demand – despite the turbulence caused by the current climate – amongst other things,” adds Wells. “Since the beginning of 2021, we have focused on supporting the wholesale sector with our core ranges. This approach has not only improved the overall performance of our brands, but more importantly, it’s ensured that our wholesale partners have a reliable supply of quality bakery products.”
Tom Smith, Marketing Director – Europe, at Accolade Wines, comments: “Accolade Wines can be depended on to continue driving wine sales as consumers are looking for brands they can trust, and as at-home occasions may continue into the year ahead, stores should ensure they are stocking a full range to suit every need.”
Now in its second decade as the UK’s number one wine brand, Hardys is now worth £295m (Nielsen).
Jam Shed witnessed phenomenal success on the launch of its first Shiraz SKU in 2017. The brand is now worth £57.5m (Nielsen) and is one of the fastest growing brands in convenience (Nielsen).
Last year, Mud House unveiled its new ‘Taste the Adventure’ marketing campaign as it looked to increase its share of the market.
Echo Falls, the UK’s number one fruits wine brand (Nielsen), launched a fresh summer flavour to its popular Fruit Fusions portfolio – Echo Falls Orchard Fruits.
Calli O’Brien, Head of Marketing at Aston Manor Cider, comments: “Many consumers continue to value convenience and focus on their drink experience at home. We expect consumers to continue this focus on convenience and, for many, this means buying chilled cider straight from the fridge to enjoy at home, so wholesalers can stock options to support them in this. Larger multi-packs are also important and ensure retailers can help consumers keep their supply stocked up to enjoy with friends and family during BBQ season.”
Product packs such as the pint cans in Crumpton Oak‘s four-pack, are a popular option to enable consumers to keep their supply stocked up with hygienic single-serve options.
“When it comes to their drink experience at home, we can see this continuing as a focus for summer get-togethers and BBQs,” adds O’Brien. “From trying new flavours of loved cider such as Crumpton Oaks through to branching out from wine into perry with our ‘new look’ Chardolini, consumers welcome the chance to try something new.”
Crumpton Oaks, launched a four-pack pint can to broaden the brand’s consumer base, attract new shoppers to the category, and reinforce its quality and value proposition.
“Cider is the impulse drink of choice during summer months so wholesalers can support retailers to have a 100% chilled range, by stocking a wide range of options in cans and bottles,” suggests O’Brien. “If a store has limited chiller space, then it’s worth retailers at least ensuring there are a good selection of flavoured ciders available chilled alongside top selling ciders. When a shopper buys cider on impulse, having it chilled and ready to drink is often more important than price, however promotions still play an important role in communicating value-for-money that will help to win longer term customer loyalty.”
Customers like to be experimental with their drinks and many are open to trying new things as they are introduced to new seasonal flavours. One of the reasons why consumers opt for flavoured ciders is because there are many different accessible flavours to choose from. Consumers of flavoured ciders tend to traditionally be a younger audience who like to know the ingredients of what they’re drinking and see flavoured cider as an easy to drink beverage.
“It is therefore important that wholesalers offer retailers a range of formats and flavours to make the most of these opportunities,” says O’Brien.
Aditi Hilgers, Head of Meals UK, General Mills, comments: “It’s clear to see consumer concern about the rising cost of living is starting to impact the way they spend their money. Communicating value to shoppers will be more important than ever and anything outside of everyday essentials will need to be ‘worth the money’. Staying in for intimate dinners, games nights or watching sport from the sofa will be the mainstay of peoples’ social calendars moving forwards. As we enter the warmer months, this will include picnics in the park and BBQs in their back garden.”
Over lockdown many families transformed their outdoor spaces to enable them to stay outside for longer, from the installation of heaters and firepits to a shed or sun house for shelter from the weather whilst remaining ‘outdoors’. This means that there is an increased opportunity for BBQ occasions.
The Old El Paso Tortilla Pockets range and newer Smoky BBQ variant is the perfect addition to any barbecue. The product combines innovative, first-to-market sealed bottom wraps with classic and best-selling smoky BBQ flavour profile, the number one in Mexican (Nielsen).
“Our tortillas make a fantastic alternative for holding barbecued meats and veggies,” adds Hilgers. “We also have our Old El Paso Tortilla Pockets which are very versatile in use – it’s one of the key reasons why they’re 60% incremental to the category (Nielsen).”
As a platform Old El Paso Tortilla Pockets has seen outstanding success to date, hitting £8.8m RSV sales in its first 18 months year (Nielsen). In fact, the brand’s standalone eight-pack of Tortilla Pockets was the fastest growing part of its portfolio during the height of the pandemic, demonstrating that shoppers were expanding its usage beyond dinners.
“We fully expected to see this trend emerge, following conversations with more than 2,000 consumers during development of the product,” says Hilgers.
Jonathan Nixon, commercial director, Thatchers Cider, comments: “BBQs are perfect for enjoying a crisp refreshing cider and sales of cider are seen to rise as the warmer weather appears. Must stocks are our ten pack cans of best selling Thatchers Gold and Thatchers Haze, with our pick up and go 4-packs of Thatchers Blood Orange, Thatchers Rosé and Thatchers Cloudy Lemon. Sweeter, lighter ciders such as Thatchers Haze and our citrus flavours Cloudy Lemon and Blood Orange in four packs are ideal to keep in the chiller, ready for shoppers to add to their BBQ basket.”
10x440ml sees a spike when BBQ weather approaches. And Thatchers Gold 10x440ml is the perfect pack, being the most popular 10 pack of apple cider across the Mults and Convenience.
“We work closely with all our customers to establish great working relationships, where we share our market insights on the category, merchandising and best practice,” adds Nixon. “In fact we’ve expanded our category team to further enhance our relationship with customers. Collaborating with our customers to create the best purchasing experience, promotions and merchandising is vitally important to us.”
Martin Purdy Commercial and Marketing Director at Florette UK, comments: “Florette, the UK’s No.1 salad brand selling 33 million packs annually (Nielsen) is urging convenience retailers to enhance their offering to meet shopper demand this summer. As we step into summer, lighter eating with a fresh accompaniment becomes a staple for consumers, from which Florette and its retailers are perfectly placed to benefit.”
With over a third of consumers (39%) planning to eat out less frequently (58% in Scotland, TWC), the BBQ occasion is set to become a big opportunity for retailers this summer, thanks to the rising trend of eating and entertaining more at home.
Providing a ‘mix and match’ BBQ bundle in store with grill-ready options, fresh side dish accompaniments and drinks multipack creates an appealing value proposition for shoppers who would otherwise opt to buy cheaper products (31%), prepare fewer options (19%) or ask guests to bring a contribution to the meal (26%, IGD).
Florette offers a range of pre-prepared salad products which are ideally-suited to the BBQ occasion, including Florette Mixed salad (125g) and Florette Crispy (115g and 170g), the UK’s best-selling prepared salad.
Over 5.9 Million packs of these products are sold each year in the convenience channel (Nielsen), highlighting that retailers who look upon salads as a nice to stock, rather than a core offering, are missing out on a major sales opportunity. ‘
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