TORONTO – Butterball, Canada’s leading turkey brand, released data from its 2023 Thanksgiving outlook report which revealed that although half of young Canadians celebrating Thanksgiving this year are sticking to a classic menu, 35% are planning to combine both traditional and unique recipes into their Thanksgiving menus. Among the 90% of young Canadians planning to celebrate this year, 67% say that turkey will be on the menu.
For years, parents and grandparents have been responsible for keeping Thanksgiving traditions alive by owning the hosting responsibilities of most holiday dinners, but as these generations get older, they are looking to their adult children to step up to the stove and take the torch. Almost half of (44%) Canadians between 20-40 have cooked a whole turkey for Thanksgiving, and 68% said they enjoy doing it because it’s a special occasion and they enjoy people coming together.
“If you’re new to hosting, or have never celebrated Thanksgiving, butterball.ca has tons of helpful resources, such as its Turkey Calculator, which tells you exactly what size of turkey you’ll need to feed your guests, along with all the steps to cooking it,” says Chef Shahir. “My key to hosting a successful Thanksgiving all comes down to the turkey. All you need is a good quality turkey like Butterball, a meat thermometer, a roasting pan, and then sit back and let the turkey do the work for you. And when in doubt, call the Turkey Talk Line, whose experts have been helping home cooks for 40 years.”
Additional survey findings:
- Those aged 31-40 are slightly more likely to opt for a traditional Thanksgiving menu (50%) than those aged 20-30 (39%) who are more likely to eat unique recipes, or to blend classic and unique dishes
- Inflation is having an impact on menus this year. 55% of Canadians between 20-40 planning their Thanksgiving menus indicate they will be looking to save money by either cutting back on grocery spending or opting to host a potluck
- 45% of first-time hosts plan to have a traditional Thanksgiving meal like the family has always had with family favourite recipes
For more Thanksgiving resources, visit Butterball.ca for how-to videos, hosting tips, product information, recipes and the Turkey Calculator. To get answers to turkey questions live, call the Turkey Talk Line on September 30-1 and from October 6-9, at 1-800-Butterball or text 1-844-877-3456.
About the Study
Exceldor Cooperative commissioned an omnibus online survey among a nationally representative sample of 1,120 Canadian adults aged 20-40. The survey was fielded by Angus Reid Group from August 19-24, 2023.
About the Butterball Turkey Talk Line™
One of the first national, toll-free consumer help lines, the Turkey Talk Line has helped almost 50 million consumers since its first season in November 1981. Each October and December, professionally trained turkey experts assist more than 4 million cooks through the Turkey Talk Line, Butterball.ca, Facebook, Instagram, live chat and emails in the United States and Canada. With more than 50 staff members, the Turkey Talk Line has the resources to answer questions from English speaking callers and respond to questions via email.
Butterball
Butterball is the most recognized turkey brand in Canada and has been a part of Canadian family celebrations for over 50 years, in addition to providing foodservice and retail products to customers and consumers. As an industry leader in quality, food safety and animal well-being, Butterball products are safely raised and proudly prepared in Canada. The brand is dedicated to delivering high quality turkey that brings people together and inspires joyful experiences.
Exceldor Cooperative
Exceldor Cooperative, owned by some 400 member producers in Canada, has its head office in Lévis and its production is split between its plants in Saint-Anselme, Saint-Damase, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, and Saint-Agapit in Quebec, and Hanover, Ontario, and Blumenort, Manitoba. Quebec. The cooperative markets products under several brands including Exceldor, Butterball, Granny’s and Lacroix. It has more than 3,450 employees and sales amount to $1 billion.
