21 September 2023

2 minute read

By: Global Ag Media

North America

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 (44%) of 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,” said Butterball chef Shahir Massoud. "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 include:

• 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