The season for grilling
WEBER, the brand of American grills that changed the way the West grills, has been in the Philippines before, and now it’s back. During a barbecue on April 3 at The Henry Hotel Manila, they announced ACE Hardware as their new main retailer in the Philippines.
A cooking demo by Weber taught guests some tips about making a proper burger patty (buy the meat whole and mince it yourself; pre-ground meat might have more bacteria, which means you’ll have to eat it well-done if you want to avoid falling ill). More importantly, it showed what Weber can do — because the Weber grill was designed with a lid, it can have multiple functions. Cake baked in the grill was passed around during the barbecue.
The Weber story starts in the American Midwest: George Stephen built an open-top brick fireplace barbecue for himself. He invited his friends over for steak — and burned their dinner. At the time Mr. Stephen was working at the Weber Brothers Metal Works, which made buoys. He modified the design of the buoy and made that into a grill. Since then, the grills have become a fixture in many homes.
Michael McDonald, managing director at Weber Asia Pacific, told BusinessWorld why they think the grills are a fit here, despite the distinct design of the Filipino grill. “I think what we understand about the Philippines is the love of bringing people together for a great meal. That’s what Weber’s been built of. All around the world, this idea that getting together for great food and good times with people that you love and care about can be a really important part of people’s lives.”
Grill enthusiasts can now explore a range of Weber grills at Ace Hardware, including the classic Weber charcoal kettles, the compact and convenient Q Series, and the advanced Genesis gas grills. Weber products range in price from P7,499 for the portable Smokey Joe Charcoal Grill (perfect for camping and balconies) to the three-burner Genesis Gas Grill at P117,499.
When you really think about it, there isn’t much to grilling: it’s one of the oldest ways to cook because it’s simply putting food on a grill over a heat source. Still, Mr. McDonald talks about the ways they’ve innovated, and con-tinue to innovate. “The innovations that we continue to work on today are centered around different fuel types, so recognizing that there’s a need for us to be able to grill at the same quality as we can on charcoal, with gas, with electricity, eventually,” he said.
For a full catalog of Weber Grills products, visit ACE Hardware’s website, Shopee, and Lazada. — JL Garcia
