Backyard Ritzy Blitz
Tomatillo is just one of the fancy BBQ sauces from Williams-Sonoma.
Retailers putting on the ritz with fancy barbecue and related sauces.
Can a backyard barbecue become a class act? That’s what Williams-Sonoma, San Francisco, CA, seems to be aiming for with the launch of a whole line of pricey ($12.95 a bottle at a New Jersey outlet) BBQ sauces – and yes, they say BBQ, not barbecue or barbeque.
As if that weren’t enough, it has also introduced a BBQ ketchup: “Enlivened with the smoky spice of classic Kansas City barbecue sauce, our sweet and tangy tomato ketchup is the perfect partner for everything from burgers and fries to sandwiches and scrambled eggs.”
Ketchup is one of the oldest categories in private label, but whereas other retailers have gotten into organic versions and squeeze bottles, none seem to gave gotten into low sodium or other variations. Even so, store brand sales growth is outpacing overall growth at 6,3% to $108.8 million for the 52 weeks ended 5/16/2010, according to SymphonyIRI Group (IRI), Chicago, IL.
Barbecue sauces are showing far stronger growth in private label, up 20.8% to $36.5 million. That still represents only an 8.6% share however. Yet some store brands are getting foodies’ attention. Piet Levy, a blogger at walletpop.com, pronounced the Kansas City-style barbecue sauce at Trader Joe’s, Monrovia, CA, as “the sweetest, the smokiest, and the best tasting,” and recommended Great Value at Walmart, Bentonville, AR, as the best value. But Williams Sonoma is obviously out to top both.
“Our all-natural sauces add vibrant character to grilled pork, beef, chicken and seafood,” the specialty food-cookware retailer proclaims at its website. “They’re slow-simmered in small batches using the finest ingredients, from sweet peaches and tangy tomatillos to chilies that add just the right amount of spicy heat.” Here’s the chain’s rundown.
- Fire-roasted tomatillo is made by simmering bright, citrusy tomatillos with smoky chipotle, guajillo and cascabel chilies, fire-roasted tomatoes, onions and garlic, plus pineapple for a hint of sweetness.
- Jalapeño-peach features spicy jalapeño chilies and juicy, sweet peaches simmered with ketchup, brown sugar and mellow roasted garlic.
- Red chili peanut blends peanuts with fruity ancho and smoky chipotle chilies, fire-roasted tomatoes, ginger, onions and garlic.
- Maple Mesquite derives its rich, smoky-sweet character from pure maple syrup, natural mesquite smoke and classic barbecue spices.
- Bourbon Black Pepper is a smooth, Southern-style red sauce enriched with mellow Kentucky bourbon and a touch of smoky spice.
- Smoky Bacon showcases a spicy-sweet blend of wood-smoked bacon and tangy cider vinegar, balanced with a hint of peppery heat.
The 17-oz sauces also come in multipacks of three. A Fiery set one jar each of fire-roasted tomatillo, Jalapeno-peach and red chili peanut. The Classic set offers one jar each of maple mesquite, smoky bacon and bourbon and black pepper.
Williams-Sonoma may be taking it to extremes, but mainstream food retailers are also trying to outdo each other in barbecue and related sauces. Would you believe Wild Maine Blueberry? That’s one of the flavors under the Taste of Inspirations brand from Delhaize America, Salisbury, NC, marketed at Hannaford, Food Lion, Bloom and Sweet Bay outlets. Others include Spicy Mango and Maple Chipotle.
Hannaford promoted Taste of Inspirations spice rubs recently by applying them free to any customer meat order. The premium brand rubs come in four flavors including Sweet Southern BBQ, Northwood Garlic, Herb Crust Rosemary & Garlic and Chicago Steakhouse. The chain recently added Monterey Citrus Pepper, a sodium-free rub. All but that latest can be applied to steaks, roasts or poultry orders for free.
Sweet Rib & Chicken is the latest addition to the President’s Choice barbecue sauce line at Loblaw’s, Toronto, ON: “This delectable new barbecue sauce features a thick consistency and imparts a remarkably delicious and slightly sweet flavour to chicken and ribs.” How about Smokin’ Habanero? “Kick it up a notch with this smokin’ hot & spicy sauce, made with habanero and poblano peppers. What more could a barbecue-lover want? Tequila! (We’ve put some in there too!).” Other items in the line include Smokin’ Stampede Beer & Chipotle, Gourmet. Hickory Smoke, and plain Original.
Texas Tumbler is the latest addition to a line of Taste of Inspirations marinades from Delhaize that already included Teriyaki, Steakhouse, Lemon Pepper, Roasted Garlic, Lemon Garlic and Mesquite. In another related category, grill sauces, options under the same brand include Sweet Apple, Caribbean Mango, Chipotle and Honey Bourbon. And then there are the specialty mustards: Cranberry, Honey, Irish Stout, Maine Maple and Raspberry Honey.
Private label mustard sales are up nearly nine percent to $76.1 million, according to IRI, but most of the growth is probably in basic items like yellow and brown. Wakefern Foods, Keasbey, NJ, markets those and a few other variations under the Black Bear of the Black Forest brand. Relish, another store brand basic, showed a recent a sales increase of 5.6% to $42.9 million. Target, Minneapolis, MN, markets squeeze bottle versions under its secondary Market Pantry brand.
Hannaford also offers store-brand beef franks, natural casing franks and wieners. And for people who don’t like beef, even in hamburgers, there are all-natural turkey burgers under the Nature’s Place brand. Trader Joe’s, meanwhile, has paired some obvious essentials in a recent flyer: hamburgers and hamburger buns. Its burgers, retailing at $3.99 a pound, are billed as being well marbled, with an 85-15 lean to fat ratio. The buns are 100% stone-ground whole wheat, “generously sprinkled with sesame seeds.”
Going for the economy shopper are retailers like Aldi, Batavia, IL, which offers lemon pepper, teriyaki and herb & garlic marinades in 16 oz bottles at only 99 cents. One-minute marinades in 12.25 oz bottles positioned against Lawry’s are staples at many retailers, with some offering variations like Mild Buffalo at Giant Eagle, Pittsburgh, PA, and Chop House and Bourbon Peppercorn at Kroger, Cincinnati, OH.
