Beef burgers, pork sausages and fresh salad are poised to lead BBQ food sales this summer, as British shoppers prepare to stock up on classic barbecue staples.

Research commissioned by Calor found burgers and sausages remain the nation’s go-to BBQ picks, with chicken skewers and chicken burgers also ranking among the most popular choices. On the side, shoppers are expected to favour familiar accompaniments such as chips, coleslaw, potato salad, corn on the cob and jacket potatoes.

The study of 1,956 barbecue fans points to another strong seasonal opportunity for grocers across fresh meat, prepared salads and easy-to-serve side dishes, with traditional favourites continuing to dominate consumer preferences.

However, the research also suggests there is room for retailers to drive incremental sales through more adventurous lines. Nearly half of those surveyed said they would be willing to try mushroom ‘steaks’, while 44 per cent said they would consider options such as pineapple spears or halloumi slabs.

Less conventional BBQ foods including kofta kebabs, tuna steaks, grilled courgette and cauliflower steaks ranked among the least popular, indicating that while shoppers are open to experimentation, core lines are still likely to do the heavy lifting in volume terms.

Calor’s research also found consumers attended an average of 2.5 BBQs over the past year and hosted 1.9, underlining the continued popularity of the occasion. While a fifth said their first barbecue of the year would usually take place in June, 17 per cent said they expected to attend one before the end of April.

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