Too hot to BBQ? How consumers adapted to a scorching summer 2026

Hot weather changed BBQ habits, not demand

Cooking-from-scratch BBQs remained an important part of summer eating, reaching 69.5 million occasions in the 16 weeks to 6 September 2026.

While this was lower than in 2025, driven by declines during the hottest periods, BBQs continued to deliver value for retailers.

The average spend on a BBQ main meal was £5.10, compared with £2.71 for the average main meal. BBQs also became more social, with the share of occasions involving four or more people increasing from 32.3% in 2025 to 38.1% in 2026.

Extreme heat changed when people chose to eat outdoors. During heatwave periods, 46.1% of BBQ consumption took place after 7:00pm, compared with 28.3% across the summer overall, suggesting that for many consumers, it simply became too hot to barbecue during these peak sunlight hours. While familiar summer foods remained popular, warmer evenings may have encouraged more consumers to choose quick and easy options for outdoor dining.¹

Convenience helped drive summer growth

Summer MFP volumes – defined as beef, lamb, pork and chicken cuts, including sausages, burgers, steaks, rubs, marinades and wing/legs/thighs – grew over the 16 weeks ending 6 September 2026. This shows the continued importance of summer eating occasions.

Growth came from shoppers buying more per trip (+1.6%), shopping slightly more often (+0.3%) and making greater use of promotions (+13.3%).¹

Results varied by protein

Beef leads summer growth

Beef summer cuts were the strongest-performing protein in summer 2026, with volumes up 11.5% compared with the previous year. This increase was due to more households buying beef and existing shoppers buying it more often.

Total MFP burgers performed well this year, with volumes up 9.7% year-on-year, driven largely by beef burgers. Beef burgers gained shoppers from other popular summer products, helping them strengthen their position as a classic favourite.

Pig meat sees mixed results

Pig meat summer cuts remained the largest red meat protein by volume, but sales fell by −2.5% year-on-year.

Results varied across the category. Sausages saw lower sales, while added-value products such as steaks and marinades performed better due to increased promotional activity.

Lamb faces challenges but kebabs stand out

Lamb volumes fell 3.9%, mainly because fewer households bought into the category. However, lamb kebabs showed strong growth, with volumes up 27.5% year-on-year. While not included in the core summer MFP category, their growth highlights demand for easy-to-cook lamb products that work well for BBQs and outdoor meals.

Chicken remains a summer staple

Chicken volumes increased by 1.9% year-on-year. While growth was slower than beef, chicken continued to perform well, with wings, legs and thighs up 2.1%.

While standard tier holds the majority of summer MFP sales, demand for both value and premium grew much faster.

The value tier grew by 13.4%, while premium grew by 5.9%, compared with 1.4% growth for standard products. This shows that shoppers continued to balance affordability with a willingness to spend more on some products for social and seasonal occasions.

Premium sausages were a strong example of this, with volumes up 6% year-on-year, suggesting shoppers were willing to pay more for higher quality or different flavours.

Opportunities for summer 2027

As summers become hotter and shopping habits continue to change, several opportunities are emerging for the MFP category:

• Build on demand for convenience: Added-value products performed strongly in 2026. Continued new product development (NPD) and in-store support can help drive growth, particularly for products such as marinated pork and lamb kebabs
• Invest in premium summer favourites: Strong growth for premium sausages suggests shoppers are willing to spend more on products that offer good quality and flavour when eating with family and friends
• Extend activity beyond the main summer months: BBQ demand is no longer limited to June, July and August. Warm weather in May and September creates opportunities to encourage BBQ-style eating outside the peak season
• Maintain promotional support: Promotions played a big part in driving growth across summer MFP, especially burgers and steaks. With consumer confidence under pressure, summer 2027 would benefit from continued promotional support

¹ Worldpanel by Numerator UK, 16 w/e 6 September 2026

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