Forget sausages and burgers.
Calamari has wrapped its tentacles around our barbeques and is shaping up to be the BBQ treat, as sales of the chewy squid have tripled in recent months, according to recent research by Waitrose.
And apparently, it could be down to the growing popularity of the Dukan diet.
The supermarket claims that the ease of cooking the squid on a hot grill (it takes a few minutes to rustle up on the BBQ) alongside its rich protein content (something the Dukan diet advocates) – is the reason why it’s kicking bangers and burgers off our BBQ menus.
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A Waitrose spokesperson suggests that high-profile 'anti-carb' diets could be fueling the interest in protein-filled foods like squid and fish.
"Diets such as the The Only Way Is Essex ‘No Carbs before Marbs’ and the Dukan diet, have also helped the rise of this more unusual seafood, as dieters opt for high protein, tasty seafood."
Sales of calamari have risen by 228% within the last few months, with ‘squid tubes’ (squid body without the legs) selling just as quickly, with a reported 75% increase in sales.
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Waitrose currently sells an estimated 85 tonnes of squid a year, but this is expected to rise to 100 tonnes within the next year if Brits continue to develop a taste for the chewy fish.
“Brits are going mad for squid this year. It’s one of our fastest growing seafood lines at Waitrose and we expect to see it continue to rise,” Jeremy Ryland Langley from Waitrose, said in a statement.
“Traditionally very conservative when eating fish, we are becoming much more adventurous than we used to be and feel more confident in cooking with squid.”
The Dukan diet, created by Dr Pierre Dukan (and the alleged diet plan of slender Duchess of Cambridge), bans carbohydrates and limits dieter's eating regime down to a list of just 100 protein-rich foods.
Squid is one of the chosen foods.
The Dukan diet involves four (very strict) stages. The first phase, 'attack', involves eating only protein for one to 10 days. The next, 'cruise', introduces vegetables, alternating protein-only days with days where a list of vegetables can also be eaten.
The final 'Consolidation' stage comes next, with more foods (including wholemeal bread, cheese and fruit) added in controlled portions.
Originally the desired diet choice of the French, the Dukan Diet book has sold over 3m copies worldwide.
However, despite its celebrity following and almost immediate weight-loss success rate – the British Dietetic Association (BDA) slammed the diet deeming it, “ineffective and without scientific basis”.
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