Sober campaign to sell Welsh lamb to Swedes
The world’s first breathalyser barbecue has been produced in Wales to stop boozy Swedes burning their meat – or worse.
Everyone enjoys a cold drink with a BBQ on a hot summer’s day, but the Swedes are notorious for downing alcohol while grilling their meat.
More than a third of Swedish men, and a fifth of woman, say they always reach for a tipple when grilling.
But as well as charring the meat, BBQ-related fires in the country are relatively commonplace.
In a tongue-in-cheek solution, Welsh red meat agency Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) has developed the “Promillegrillen”.
This is a gas grill fitted with an “alcolock”, which shuts down the BBQ if the user fails a sobriety test.
The Promillegrillen forms the centrepiece of a marketing campaign for Welsh lamb in Sweden this year.
A quirky promotional video featuring Anglesey actor Julian Lewis Jones – star of the Clint Eastwood film Invictus – has already received more than 415,000 views.
In the video, he says: “Hey, Sweden, we must talk. I have some deep concerns I must share with you.
“Welsh lamb is considered one of the finest-quality lambs in the world, but I have a feeling that you Swedes are missing out on all this.
“For any kind of alcohol will seriously distract you when preparing our lovely Welsh lamb .”
To start the Promillegrillen, the user must blow into the breathalyser. The device will only start if a low level of alcohol is detected. Periodically, it then cuts off, forcing the user to blow into the breathalyser again to prove they are still sober and focused on the cooking process.
HCC’s marketing message is that the process creates the ideal conditions for perfectly lamb.
Rhys Llywelyn, HCC’s market development manager, said: “The aim of this playful campaign was to appeal to the Swedes with humour and light-hearted entertainment.
“The number of views the video has received and the reaction to the campaign in Sweden strongly suggests that we hit the nail on the head and are on course to raising awareness of PGI Welsh lamb.”
Sweden is a small but growing market for Welsh lamb and online promotion is a cost-effective way to reach new customers.
Only one Promillegrillen was commissioned, badged with HCC’s Welsh Lamb logo. It has since been sold in an online auction to a Swedish buyer.
Mr Llywelyn added: “Welsh lamb’s distribution in Sweden is limited to selected stores. As a country with a high GDP and high consumption of grilled Welsh red meat, there is potential for this market to be profitable for red meat processors from Wales.
“It is hoped that the campaign will increase interest and demand for the product over the coming months.”
A survey among Swedes about alcohol habits during the summer showed they believe a barbeque and an alcoholic drink belong together.
The results indicated that 30% of Swedes drink more alcohol when they grill compared to using other cooking methods and 30% drink alcohol more often during the grilling season. More than a third (36%) of men always, or almost always, drink alcohol when grilling, whereas 22% of women confirmed this was also the case.
Grilling is the cause of many fires and injuries reported to the fire protection authority in Sweden every year. The risk of something going wrong is obviously increased when alcohol is involved.