Summer is in full swing, barbecue grills are heating up across the nation and food and beverage companies are rolling out new products for cooking in the great outdoors.
Condiments and cookout fixings aren’t the only game in town when it comes to barbecue season. CPG brands are bringing the flavors of the barbecue season to snacks and other non-grill dishes, offering consumers a taste of summer at every venue.
Bring on the meat
Backyard cookouts begin and end with encased meats, and Smithfield’s portfolio of grilling favorites expanded through its Eckrich, Nathan’s and namesake Smithfield brands.
In May, the Eckrich brand launched a line of Andouille Smoked Sausage Links, which the company claims “delivers a smoky, slightly spicy kick that’s perfect for Memorial Day gatherings, backyard [barbecues] and easy entertaining all summer long.”
The Smithfield brand concurrently released a lineup of new bratwurst products through a branding partnership with Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer that includes Jalapeño & Cheddar and Chipotle & Cheddar varieties.
Meanwhile, Nathan’s added 100% Grass-Fed Beef Franks to its encased-meat arsenal. The better-for-you move “brings the bold flavor fans love into a more intentional, ingredient-forward era,” according to Smithfield.
“Whether served straight off the grill, paired with your favorite fixings or sliced into skewers with veggies, these grilling staples are an easy way to elevate classic cookout favorites with a little extra flavor,” Smithfield said.
Kansas City vs. Texas Barbecue
Nissin Foods is continuing the barbecue bragging rights battle between Kansas City and Texas with two new releases on its flagship Cup Noodles brand.
The limited-edition flavors “deliver all the bold, smoky, regional flavor of a great cookout in just four minutes.” The brand cheekily notes that no grill is required.
The lineup is available exclusively at Walmart, and joins a line of limited-time flavors in the Cup Noodles brand, including Dill Pickle, Wings Trio and a collab with Top Ramen and Bachan’s.
Cup Noodles positions the barbecue-flavored noodle classic as a plan B for grilling mishaps and cookouts that missed the mark on flavor. The brand said its own research reveals that more than two-thirds (68%) of grilling enthusiasts have had a disastrous cookout.
“Backyard barbecue is responsible for some of summer’s biggest disasters: the failed smokes, the stalled briskets, the ribs that looked right but weren’t and the 2 am pork shoulder check-in. Turns out, it’s not just you,” the brand noted in its launch announcement.
Tia Lupita brings the flavor
National Mexican brand Tia Lupita, which reached new heights from its 2023 appearance on the reality TV show Shark Tank (show star Kevin O’Leary became an investor), launched two barbecue-flavored condiments in early June.
The new condiments, Chipotle Tinga and Smoky Pineapple, are positioned by the better-for-you Mexican food brand as “pantry upgrades” for consumers. The launch also includes two new dairy-free creamy hot sauces: Piquin Lime and Chile Peanut.
The brand said its new barbecue sauces are a “total upgrade from standard backyard barbecue basics that entirely bypass high-fructose corn syrup, artificial thickeners and excessive sugars.”
They are available on the company’s website and Amazon.
Beans with some flavor
Cookout season and beans go hand in hand, and Bush Brothers & Company is leaning in on bold flavors this summer.
“Building on more than 100 years of flavor obsession, Bush’s is giving its Secret Family Recipe a bold summer spin with unexpected new flavors: Dill Pickle, Apple Pie and Rocket Pop,” the bean brand said.
Dill-pickle-flavored products are all the rage these days, and apple pie-flavored snacks and foods chase the nostalgia-motivated consumer, but Rocket Pop-flavored beans is a food-product mashup that’s likely to grab the attention of bean lovers.
The limited-edition releases are available on the Bush’s online store and Walmart, the company said.
“Nothing screams summer more than baked beans, and this year, we’re dialing that flavor up a notch,” said Dena vonWerssowetz, Bush’s vice president of marketing. “With these new Baked Bean flavors, we want to surprise people and bring a new energy to the barbecue spread, because the best dishes aren’t just the ones you love, they’re the ones you can’t stop talking about.”
Minions and mustard
The day of all things red, white and blue is getting a little greener this year with the limited-edition release of French’s Groomi’s Green Mustard in bright green.
The must-have backyard barbecue spread is inspired by the new film Minions & Monsters, which premieres on July 1.
The McCormick & Company-owned mustard brand noted that the bright-green color is made with spirulina, “a natural plant-based colorant.”
“Available now, the collaboration brings together two summer favorites – blockbuster movie premieres and backyard grilling,” the company said. “Whether topping hot dogs at a 4th of July cookout or celebrating the love of Minions with a fun condiment, the limited-edition mustard offers fans a playful way to celebrate both occasions.”
