TABASCO® CANADA’S 2020 BRUNCH REPORT
National survey reveals the ideal brunch solution to fit Canadian taste buds
The weekend is a time to lounge, relax and enjoy the activities that our regular 9 – 5 prevents us from partaking in during the week. While some may not want to think about leaving their beds, others don’t hesitate to queue at their favourite brunch spot to enjoy a meal. And it shows — brunch has seen a meteoric rise with 2019 data showing that the late-morning meal accounts for 186,700,000 of all restaurant occasions. Overall expenditure is up more than $230 million year over year with people from coast to coast spending an average of 35% of their food budget on eating out or on the go — that’s a lot of hollandaise and bottomless mimosas!
CANADIANS WANT IT ALL
On a quest to find the perfect brunch solution to fit all taste buds, TABASCO® surveyed the population and found that 58% of Canadians typically choose traditional food items for brunch (such as eggs, bacon and baked beans). But when asked to pick a preferred morning indulgence, people nationwide couldn’t make-up their minds and were almost evenly split between sweets (pancakes and waffles), carnivorous fare (anything with meat including sausage, bacon and ham), and more gourmet offerings (such as eggs Benedict, poached eggs, or lox). Surprisingly, only 11% of brunchers opt for vegan or vegetarian options.
Interestingly, those under 55 years of age are significantly more adventurous when it comes to food, having a penchant for a wide variety of breakfast items. Those with a love for the burn and who eat hot sauce with their breakfast are more likely to choose gourmet offerings as well as vegetarian/vegan options. Fewer than 15% of Canadians admitted to eating carbs like bagels, croissants, donuts and sandwiches, when brunching.
GOODBYE CHARCUTERIE BOARDS, HELLO BREAKFAST BOARDS
After analyzing the results of the 2020 brunch report, TABASCO®, the 150-year-old iconic hot sauce brand, proposes to overhaul Canadians’ hosting habits by creating breakfast boards tailored to please everyone at your kitchen table. Inspired by last year’s trendy cheese and charcuterie boards, the world’s highest selling hot sauce brand is on a mission to simplify entertaining by focusing on the easiest meal to make at home. Serving brunch up on a board makes it a fun-fuss-free way for hosts to impress their guests while offering something for everyone’s unique taste.
Based on the survey results the team at Tabasco® has created three inspiration boards in line with the diverse taste buds of Canadians.
In a country as large and as rich as Canada, it only makes sense to eat local. With more than peameal bacon, breakfast can definitely include a wide selection of fare from coast to coast. From meats to fruits, cheeses to grains, each province has quality ingredients and unique recipes that can elevate your brunch boards.
QUEBEC
- Cretons: a Quebecois signature pâté, cretons are made of ground pork and spices and are best when spread on thick crusty bread.
- Oka Cheese: Named after the small village of Oka, the nutty and fruity cheese is made by monks as an income for the monastery.
- Maple syrup: Quebec produced 175 million pounds of maple syrup in 2020. That is 72% of the world’s supply.
MARITIMES
- Cloudberry jam: Also known as bakeapple, the small berries are popular for jams and pies.
- Lobster and seafood: pourquoi pas! Lobster rolls are a great treat when in season, as are oysters.
- Blueberry jam: Canada is the world’s largest producer and exporter of wild blueberries. They are mostly grown in the Atlantic provinces and in Quebec.
ONTARIO
- Peameal bacon: Peameal bacon is unique to Ontario. Did you know that the city of Toronto was nicknamed ‘Hogtown’?
- Cheese: They make darn good cheese in Ontario so it’s hard to pick a favourite.
PRAIRIES
- Kielbasa: the polish sausage common in Central Europe was brought to the prairies by Ukrainians.
- Saskatoon Berry jam: popular among indigenous groups in the prairies, the berries also have great health properties.
- Honey: Canada is the sixth largest producer of honey with ¾ of the nation’s output produced in the prairies.
- Bannock: a traditional First Nations food, bannock is a fried or baked bread that is as old as Canada itself!
BC
- Pork belly Cured bacon: The traditional Chinese bacon is a nod to Vancouver’s large Asian population and food culture.
- Lamb sausage: BC is being recognized for its exceptional lamb.
- Smoked salmon: British Columbia’s seafood sector produces more than 100 different species of wild and farmed fish including salmon.