Business News: Conclusion on FIRE&FOOD BBQ WEEK
After a successful premiere in 2025, the FIRE&FOOD BBQ WEEK was once again launched as a BBQ trade fair this year. To increasingly appeal to end consumers, a Plancha European Championship was organized in cooperation with the WBQA. The aim was to give the plancha, as a versatile grilling and cooking device, more public attention. At the suggestion of several companies, Monday was also offered as an additional trade day for the first time.
Following the significant decline in exhibitor and visitor numbers at spoga in Cologne, FIRE&FOOD was asked to organize a trade fair at the earlier spoga date. The September date seemed more suitable for both retailers and some grill brands. For FIRE&FOOD, this request also had a special significance: 25 years ago, we were represented at spoga in Cologne for the first time.
Much has changed since then. The barbecue trade evolved, sales in the barbecue segment continuously increased, and grilling and BBQ experienced a sustained boom that peaked during the Corona pandemic. With a broad product range generated from the offerings of numerous barbecue brands, the barbecue specialist trade is an important link between manufacturers and consumers. Manufacturers largely agree on this point: the offering of high-quality barbecue equipment requires an efficient barbecue specialist trade. However, this is increasingly shrinking. Price-aggressive online retail and consumers' continued reluctance to buy mean that many barbecue specialty stores are no longer able to operate profitably. Some give up their business, others are taken over.
FIRE&FOOD is ready to counteract this development. With the InterGrill network, currently in the process of being established, we aim to build a common purchasing and marketing platform for the BBQ specialist trade. The challenges associated with this became clear during the FIRE&FOOD BBQ WEEK. Although the trade urgently needs such a network, and other industries show how successful cooperation can work, the BBQ specialist trade has so far only been conditionally cooperative. If the current downward trend in specialist retail continues, there will only be a manageable number of BBQ specialist stores in Germany in a few years. A large part of the BBQ industry and its brands are also observing this development with concern. It is all the more regrettable that, despite great efforts, only a few companies were willing to engage in an exchange at the FIRE&FOOD BBQ WEEK. The special commitment of BBQ brands such as Kamado Joe, Rösle, BSTRD, LotusGrill, and Santos is particularly noteworthy.
Consistently into the future
Looking back at the FIRE&FOOD BBQ WEEK, we must conclude: hoping for the sole support of the BBQ specialist trade is not enough. Therefore, we will make a clear offer to the specialist trade to participate with InterGrill. At the same time, FIRE&FOOD Magazine will reposition itself after 25 years, as will the FIRE&FOOD BBQ WEEK. We will further develop the concept and align it more closely with the requirements and wishes of the BBQ market.
