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Flogas Personalising the Alfresco Experience

Despite the changeable weather often associated with the typical British summer, outdoor leisure is a growing industry in the UK. Henry Cubbon, managing director of Flogas and its specialist barbecue division HeavenChef, explains why the market is expanding and how this provides opportunities for the lpg industry.

From barbecues and alfresco dining to lazy summer evenings in the garden, outdoor leisure activities are becoming increasingly popular in the UK. As a result, we are seeing growing numbers of consumers investing heavily in creating the right environment for their outdoor space and the products that they select to do this. In turn, this has created a stronger marketplace for lp gas fuelled leisure products.

Whether it’s barbecues, patio heaters or lighting, dull, one-size-fits-all designs no longer cut it with consumers. Instead, we are seeing homeowners demand products that offer a careful balance of stylish aesthetics and performance, and can be tailored to meet their personal needs, and lpg gas designed goods provide the perfect route to accomplishing this.

For example, when it comes to barbecues, consumers don’t automatically opt for a simple charcoal box as they may have done a few years ago. Instead, they are looking for technologically advanced products that not only help them to show off their outdoor cooking prowess, but are also versatile enough to meet their requirements.

This is just one of the reasons why we have seen a significant increase in purchases of lpg powered barbecues in recent years. Portable, lightweight lp gas barbecues, such as HeavenChef’s MarcO-Grill 1000 endorsed by Marco Pierre White, are proving increasingly popular with homeowners, camping enthusiasts, caravanners and festivalgoers alike. The reason being that technological advancements, such as built in regulators, which allow the barbecue to be instantly connected to portable gas canisters or full-sized leisure cylinders, mean it can be used with ease both at home and away.

For others, however, the barbecue is seen as an extension of the kitchen and a tool for flaunting their barbecuing expertise. The increasing popularity of television cookery shows has seen more and more people striving to hone their culinary skills, and an lpg gas barbecue provides them with the perfect tool to showcase their talents thanks to the level of fuel control some products offer. This has opened up the market for grander barbecues, such as HeavenChef’s Olympic or Titan models, which incorporate everything the keen barbecuer requires, from moisture bays that prevent food from drying out to glass viewing panels built into the hood.

This quest by consumers to find personalised products to suit their needs does not end with barbecues. Lpg powered patio heaters have also experienced a similar trend. Again, today’s energy and cost conscious consumer will look for a product that has been tailored to suit their needs. For example, we are seeing a rising popularity of eco-friendly patio heaters, such as the Enders Eco heater, which provides 83 per cent less CO2 emissions than some other standard heaters, as consumers strive to go green and spend less.

With a wider selection of outdoor leisure products to choose from and the launch of an extensive range of price points, the concept of outdoor living has become accessible and, more significantly, appealing to the mass market. As major DIY retailers offer a whole host of lp gas appliances as standard, increasing numbers of people are being introduced to the outdoor leisure market, and there can be no doubt that this marketplace will continue to grow.

Contact Flogas UK Ltd on 0116 264 9089 www.flogas.co.uk

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