Sizzling sales

Having no option but to socialise outdoors due to Covid-19, this is going to be a bumper year for barbecue products so make sure you are well stocked up with all the essentials at the start of the season. Fionnuala Carolan reports

Brand Central

25 June 2021

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Whatever the weather, every weekend will be a barbecue occasion this summer and people are having barbecues to celebrate all sorts of occasions from long awaited family reunions to birthdays and anniversaries meaning that the basic burger and bun with a squirt of ketchup is well outdated. Having the right condiments and selection of products from meat to salads to snacks makes a quality barbecue occasion. Food isn’t the only requirement with charcoal and odourless fuel, also important for the perfect night in, outside!

All needs covered!

The Zip summer campaign focuses on its seasonal barbecue offering, including the new Zip Odourless Firelighters, and can be heard on radio, in conjunction with Hector Ó hEochagáin

As lockdown measures ease and life slowly starts to return to a new normal, we expect outdoor dining to become an important part of family life and as barbecues play a huge part in this, Zip has made sure it has all your barbecue needs covered. Zip offers its customers sustainably produced coconut charcoal in 3kg bags and disposable instant light BBQs, alongside the original and best Zip High Performance Firelighters, and this year it has introduced an Odourless Firelighter specifically for BBQs. Most customers associate bbq-ing with burgers and sausages, but Zip has created a plethora of unique recipe videos to cook on a barbeque, especially for our social media platforms to show our customers that you really can cook everything on a barbecue. It has also included some handy tips and hints to help both the beginners and the seasoned professionals.

Zip encourages responsible grilling and care to the environment. As a result, it has launched a Responsible Grilling campaign to promote barbecuing with care and safety. You’ll find its new logo on all its summer seasonal products and social media platforms will be playing a responsible grilling safety video and a dedicated web page on its Zip fires website is coming soon. For retailers, Zip has a range of eye-catching point of sale materials to help drive footfall and sales, with examples shown here.

Q&A with… Frank Cahalan, trading controller, Zip Ireland

Frank Cahalan

Q: With barbecue season set to kick off in earnest, how can Zip’s product range help make lighting up the barbecue quick and easy for all consumers, no matter their level of barbecue expertise?

A: We have worked hard to ensure that all our products are easy to use. We make sure that our products have been tested to ensure they meet the premium nature of Zip but also light first time without any fuss. We don’t just stop there we have also filmed a range of videos which demonstrate clearly how to best use the products ensuring that anyone can get their BBQ going in minutes whether they’re first timers or veterans.

Q: How have you expanded and innovated within your range in recent times to fulfil consumers’ needs? Specifically, what are the advantages of Zip’s new Odourless 28 Block?

A: We have expanded our range this year to include our new Zip High Performance Odourless Firelighters. The Zip Odourless Firelighters offer all the power and reliability of our patented “Energy” block firelighters with the added benefit of no unpleasant smell of kerosene. Zip odourless is specially formulated for barbecues however it can also be used for any fire-lighting occasion. With the addition of the odourless firelighter we now offer a complete summer range for all barbecue needs.

Q: How important is sustainability for Zip as a company? What sustainability initiatives have you introduced in recent times and are you now providing more sustainable alternatives?

A: Sustainability has become an integral part of our plan for the future. Over the past number of years we have developed our sustainability plan. This plan is made up of a wide range of initiatives and aims to capture all elements of the business. Initiatives in this plan range from small projects such as reducing paper use to large scale projects such as installing energy efficient equipment and replacing raw materials with sustainable alternatives.

Some of the key areas in manufacturing we focused on are reducing waste, water and energy, whilst looking at sustainable product options for our range. Positive results from these projects have shown significant water and energy savings along with becoming a zero waste to landfill site.

Along with these projects standard brands offset a percentage of carbon emissions in conjunction with our carbon offsetting partner. The projects we support are categorised as community projects which focus on the good health and wellbeing of poorer communities so along with generating ‘carbon credit’, additional benefits also include gender equality, education and creating jobs.

We provide a range of FSC certified charcoal and natural products and in 2019 launched a sustainable ‘Forest Friendly’ coconut charcoal range, meaning no trees are felled to produce this product. Most recently in 2021 we added a bamboo charcoal to this range.

Q: How is Zip helping to educate consumers on the importance of grilling responsibly and safely throughout a summer when staycations and camping trips will be to the fore throughout the country? Do your products have enhanced safety features?

Zip has launched a responsible grilling campaign this year

A: Grill safety is one of our top priorities and that’s why this year we have launched our Responsible Grilling campaign. The aim is to educate the consumer on safe barbeque practise such as ensuring the barbecue is extinguished after use.

We have launched the campaign on our social media pages as well as included a new logo on-pack. In addition to this we ensure our Zip products include safety features to help reduce the risk of fires, one example of this is the stand we include with our disposable BBQ tray which keeps the hot tray from touching the ground therefore reducing the risk of unwanted fire.

Q: What investment have you made in marketing your range throughout 2021 and what activity does this entail?

A: Our summer campaign focuses on our seasonal barbeque offering, including the new Zip Odourless Firelighters, and can be heard on radio, in conjunction with Hector Ó hEochagáin, and outdoors at bus shelters, on bus sides and in shopping centres, around key coastal and rural areas. This activity will be heavily supported via our social media platforms which will re-emphasise our Responsible Grilling campaign. You can find us on Facebook @zipfiresireland and Instagram @zipfiresireland.

Relish the taste

YR Sauce has developed a new YR Relish range; YR Original Tomato Relish, YR Balsamic Red Onion and YR Habanero Spicy Relish

YR, Ireland’s original spicy sauce since 1837, has been in the heart of Irish families for generations adding an unbeatable burst of flavour to favourite recipes. The Irish heritage brand has advanced with ethical and sustainable ingredient sourcing, technology, customer trends and preferences to bring a new range of relish products to the market in June 2021.

YR Sauce is renowned for its sweet, blended date recipe and through the expertise of its tasting and product development team, the innovative brand has developed a new YR Relish range guaranteed to delight consumers’ taste buds.

The relish category is well established and in strong growth and shopped by the majority of Irish consumers. YR Relish has the opportunity to enter the relish category with three flavours in a 390g jar: YR Original Tomato Relish, YR Balsamic Red Onion and YR Habanero Spicy Relish. The products are gluten free, vegan and vegetarian friendly and have no added artificial colourings, flavours or preservatives and guaranteed to invigorate the category. The YR team have been mindful to create the relishes at the lower end of the sugar spectrum and focus on high quality natural ingredients.

YR is produced in Ireland in a world class manufacturing environment, which services the entire retail and foodservice landscape, and lends itself to continuous development of top-class new products and range extensions in the future.

The YR team has also revitalised its sauce brand essence and packaging for a new modern feel, this will hit shelves late in the summer. The sauce is now a gluten free recipe, through premium quality ingredients and quality testing, as well as vegan and vegetarian friendly.

The YR relish will initially launch with Musgrave this month and will quickly progress into all other retailers. There is a 360-degree marketing plan to build awareness and engagement with the customer base and attract new customers to the category with the “YR Archives” campaign.

YR is proudly owned and distributed by Primeline Sales & Marketing, one of the largest independent distribution sales and marketing companies in Ireland. According to Paul Mc Inerney, brand and marketing director in Primeline Sales & Marketing, the key focus and vision behind the launch of the YR relish range, was exciting the consumer and presenting top quality products to enhance any meal occasion, whether it’s Balsamic Red Onion Relish with cheese or a burger, Habanero Spicy Relish with a barbeque or sharing snacks or the Original Tomato Relish which adds extra flavour to any salad, sandwich or on the go snack, made locally in a health and category enhancing way.

Meat feast

Sliced cooked meats is a staple category for retailers all year round, but particularly during barbeque season, as Irish consumers enjoy dining al fresco. Carroll’s of Tullamore is a leading brand within the cooked meats category, with a wide range of products which appeal to a broad range of consumers.

Carroll’s Signature Roast Chicken Pieces are made from 100% chicken breast

Carroll’s Signature Roast Chicken Pieces are made from 100% chicken breast with no added water. Available in four flavours; Rotisserie Style, Honey & Chilli, Smokey Barbecue and Fajita Style, this range of chicken pieces unlike others are fully coated, ensuring the succulent chicken delivers on flavour in every bite. The chicken pieces are perfect for spicing up summer salads.

For consumers who are looking for something special for their charcuterie platter, Carroll’s has recently launched two new premium products. Carroll’s Off the Bone Delicatessen Ham is a superior quality product, carved off the bone and each slice is thick cut. It is made using 100% Bord Bia approved Irish pork and comes in two flavour variants – Traditional and Honey Roast (RRP: €5). For more information on these product ranges and to view recipes, visit carrollsoftullamore.ie.

Add some sizzle to summer

Moy Park’s BBQ product range takes core flavours and combines them with world cuisine influences

Ireland’s number one poultry brand, Moy Park, has launched its new added value and barbeque chicken products, which are now available to retailers just in time for the summer.

Moy Park’s barbecue product range takes core, tried and tested family flavours, and combines them with world cuisine influences, and includes Cajun Chicken Sizzlers and Coconut Chicken Mini Fillets. With its added value lines, Moy Park is showcasing different parts of the chicken, which have been paired with a selection of its chefs’ marinades, including Peri Peri and Sweet Chilli.

Commenting on the ranges, Moira Mills, Moy Park’s senior brand manager, said: “We have seen a growing awareness of global cuisine, flavours and regional authenticity fuelling a desire for new and exciting flavours. With travelling abroad out of the question for many during the past year, more consumers are exploring and experimenting with different herbs and spices at home. As we step outdoors and come together again, we want to show how Moy Park will be an integral part of that experience. Whether it’s bringing people together around a table, a barbeque, or a picnic basket, we would love to see Moy Park products playing a part in creating new memorable and meaningful moments.”

Moira explains that Moy Park will also embark on our community ‘Chicken Run’ initiative again this summer, which rolled out successfully in Northern Ireland and the East Midlands last year. “The brand will be expanding its campaign this time around, this time with a barbeque theme, and we are excited to reveal that Moy Park will be visiting households in the Republic of Ireland for the first time! We will be revealing more on our Facebook page in the weeks ahead, so watch this space!”

A taste of LA

The Cali Cali ketchups, which are made in Ireland, are very different from anything currently on the market such as the Kimchi ketchup using real Kimchi

Cali Cali Foods is delighted to announce the launch of the new Cali Cali Gold Edition of premium ketchups and sauces. Inspired by the fusion sauces the co-founders, Niall McGrath and Tom Gannon, experienced on a road trip through California in 2018, they have developed four unique products which are both delicious and better for you.

The ketchups, which are made in Ireland, are very different from anything currently on the market such as the Kimchi ketchup using real Kimchi with a mild yet spicy flavour with the tanginess of a traditional ketchup which combines to mouth-watering effect. The other flavours Chipotle ketchup, Tomato ketchup, and a Smokey BBQ sauce with all four flavours staying true to the values of the Cali Cali brand of being super tasty, only using real food ingredients, and having healthy benefits such as being 60% lower in sugar than traditional ketchups, had only 9 kcals per serving, has no artificial sweeteners and is gluten free.

Targeted online advertising, influencer marketing as well as premium in-store displays will support the brand. On top of this Cali Cali will be launching its own Cali Cali Food truck in July which will tour the country and will prominently feature the ketchups in its menu.

The Cali Cali Gold Edition sauces will be made with its uniquely sourced ingredients in small batches and will be priced at a premium to everyday ketchups and to the Cali Cali current sauce range at €3.99. Availability, as a result, will be limited to select stores to begin with and will be produced by Boyne Valley.

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