One third of Aussies would use their BBQ to cook all meals if they could

Australians love a good barbecue, so much so they’re even using them to cook breakfast, according to hardware giant Bunnings.

New research from Bunnings, obtained by news.com.au, found one third of Aussies would use their barbecue to cook all three meals if they could.

According to the publication, nearly one third of respondents in the Pureprofile survey of 1000 people are planning to host a barbecue this festive season for family and friends, while three quarters plan to use theirs fortnightly or more this summer.

It’s safe to say a barbecue is a quintessential part of Australian culture. As far as Aussie phrases go, few come to mind more readily than Paul Hogan’s “put another shrimp on the barbie”.

Read more: The iconic Bunnings sausage is undergoing a change for safety reasons

It comes after the hardware store caused quite the stir across the country last month after announcing it would now put onions underneath the sausage instead of on top due to safety concerns. 

As reported by 3AW last week, those serving sausages must now place onions underneath the sausage, not on top as most people usually do.

Bunnings chief operating officer Debbie Poole said in a statement that the tweak would ensure the onion doesn’t fall out and create “a slipping hazard”, and was confident it wouldn’t change how good they taste.

“Safety is always our number one priority and we recently introduced a suggestion that onion be placed underneath sausages to help prevent the onion from falling out and creating a slipping hazard,” she said.

Read more: A laughing stock: World reacts to Bunnings sausage scandal

News of the sausage scandal made headlines around the globe, with American newspaper The New York Times poking fun at the crisis crisis and the over-the-top reactions from Australians and how Aussies look to the rest of the world.

“Bunnings, a chain of hardware stores, upended tradition and suggested people put onions on the bottom and not the top of their sausages. Australians were not impressed,” the publication wrote.

“Australians, who take pride in their sausage sizzles, immediately responded with outrage. For many, the guidance was nothing short of an attack on their personal freedom. Yet again.”

 The New York Times added: “The discussion got so fevered that Prime Minister Scott Morrison found himself fielding a reporter’s question on Wednesday about whether Bunnings’s guidance was “un-Australian”. He delicately weighed into the fray.”

Talkback radio hosts, news readers, and even politicians have weighed in on the controversial policy.

Do you cook with your BBQ often?