“And you, my little one, what do you think about it? You shouldn’t stay there.” : an influencer speaks to a wild goose crossing a lawn in the Parc floral (Paris 12e). A few meters further on, a cloud of smoke rises from the hall of the Pinède, where the third edition of the high mass of outdoor grilling was held for three days (March 22, 23 and 24). , Barbecue Expo. This year, 20,000 visitors made the trip, compared to 15,000 in 2023.
Under a spring sun, this March 22, manufacturers lure visitors. Beef ribs, skirt and pineapple flambé on imposing appliances of all shapes. TNTby the Australian group AC/DC, resonates on the speakers. “It feels like Hellfest », declares Corinne Juillet, amused, fashion executive.
A group of curious people, equipped with wooden spades, rushes to a stand. Steaming red meat is placed on a board. A man in a lumberjack shirt bites off a few pieces of zucchini, carrot and pepper. “I put myself in vegetarian mode “, he says happily, before branching his fork towards a piece of rare rib-eye steak, covered in spicy chimichurri sauce.
A few vegetables to relieve your guilt? The charcoal barbecue, the most popular, is also the most polluting. According to a study published in the scientific journal Environmental Impact Assessment Review in 2010, it emits three times more carbon than gas barbecues. Meat consumption – which increased by 0.8% per capita in France between 2021 and 2022 – also weighs on greenhouse gas emissions. To limit this environmental cost, the manufacturers present at the show market less polluting devices (gas or electric) and include vegetables in their demonstrations.
“Cooler than we thought”
Having an outdoor space is a prerequisite for having a barbecue. However, this has not discouraged some Parisians living in apartments. The demonstration also piqued the curiosity of Alice and Simon Freeman, 25 and 23 years old, both residents of the capital. “We expected to see people burning photos of Sandrine Rousseau on their “BBQ” [députée écologiste de Paris]. But the world of barbecue is cooler than we thought “, notes Alice Freeman, public affairs consultant.
Away from the performances and demonstrations, all the barbecue professions are gathered in a hall: sauce sellers, knife makers or leather apron makers. Napoleon and Weber, the market behemoths, are prominently displayed in the exhibition spaces.
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