The research was conducted to celebrate Circle K’s summer food offering, which includes three new limited-edition burgers, refreshing K-Freeze iced drinks to quench the summer thirst and Circle K’s premium ice cream selection which is now available at even more locations nationwide. Circle K’s summer food offering is now in-store at select sites across Ireland, excluding Circle K Express.

While 16% of the nation will staycation this summer, over a tenth (11%) will do the double and holiday both at home and abroad. Dublin tops the polls as the favourite place to visit in Ireland during the summer (24%), followed by Galway (13%) and Carlow (6%).

When it comes to planning summer activities, going to the beach (41%), having a picnic (37%), day trips to the zoo or theme parks (29%) and sea swimming (26%) are the most popular choices. After two long years of Covid-19 restrictions, festivals make their grand return this summer and 19% are looking forward to attending food festivals such as The Big Grill, while 17% gear up to attend some of the summer’s biggest outdoor concerts and music festivals.

For those taking to the Irish roads, over half (51%) say they will stop at a forecourt to satisfy their food and beverage needs along their journey. Hungry road users looking for delectable dishes will rejoice at the news that Circle K has just launched three exciting new burgers to its in-store deli range.

The mouth-watering limited-edition burgers joining the existing deli range are a Beef Burger with Beer Battered Onion Rings, Streaky Bacon and Cheese, a Korean BBQ Chicken Fillet Burger, and a Beef Burger with Streaky Bacon and Cheese. The burgers are now available at all Circle K stores with a deli offering nationwide, excluding Circle K Express.

Customers who enjoy the delicious, limited-edition burgers can vote for their local Circle K to be crowned the best burger in Ireland in National Burger Day, sponsored by Kepak. Customers can vote on www.nationalburgerday.ie/vote-now/ and everyone who places a vote on the National Burger Day website is in with a chance to win tickets to Westlife in the Aviva Stadium. Voting for National Burger Day closes at midnight on 21^st June.

In celebration of National Burger Day, 23^rd June, Circle K customers who purchase one of the sizzling, new burgers will get a free bottle of water or can of Coca Cola. The offer is for 23^rd June 2022 only, while stocks last.

Cold as Ice

While the Irish public await to see if a long, hot summer is in store, when thinking about heat quenching cures, over a quarter (28%) admit nothing beats a refreshing iced beverage to cool down, while 18% opt for going for a swim and 16% opt to sit in the shade. An ice-cold soft drink (31%) is the nation’s beverage of choice in the summer, followed by water (24%), iced coffee (11%) and a frozen beverage (9%) like Circle K’s K-Freeze.

Circle K’s K-Freeze range is available in all stores nationwide, excluding Circle K Express, and comes in delicious flavours such as Coca-Cola, Sour Apple, Fanta Blue Raspberry and Fanta Strawberry.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream

The research shows that we are a nation of ice cream lovers, as a whopping 74% admit to enjoying the ice-cold, sweet treat at least once a week during summer. The classic 99 cone tops the poll as the nation’s favourite (32%), followed by a Magnum (15%), an ice cream sundae (9%) and a Cornetto (8%).

This summer, Circle K has answered customers’ prayers and extended its premium ice cream range to even more locations nationwide, excluding Circle K Express. Customers will find a huge amount of choice available including soft serve ice cream, sundaes, 99s and scoop ice cream. Circle K’s scoop ice cream flavours include Bourbon Vanilla, Salted Caramel and Bubblegum and toppings include Mini Marshmallows, Oreo, Shortcake Biscuit Crumble, and Cadbury Crunchie, with enough options to satisfy any sweet tooth!

BBQ SOS

With almost two thirds (63%) planning to host a barbecue for family and friends over the summer months, over half (59%) will be making improvements to their home or outdoor space in preparation for visitors. While well prepped in presentation, 7 in 10 admit they have had a last-minute dining disaster when hosting guests over the summer months. Burning food on the barbecue (31%) tops the list of culinary catastrophes, followed by forgetting to buy a vital ingredient (25%) and serving food that does not cater to everyone’s dietary preferences (21%).

This summer whether dining in, out, or on the road, Circle K has made it easier than ever for customers to fill up on delicious summer food and drink essentials.

Judy Glover, Senior Market Development Director, Circle K Ireland said: “The research shows that summer as we once knew it is very much back this year, and it’s great to see that so many people are planning to enjoy themselves by going on holiday, taking day trips, and seeing friends!

“Circle K is here for all our customers’ needs this summer, and we encourage visitors to our network of stores across Ireland to try our delicious new limited-edition burgers, refreshing K-Freeze, and delicious ice cream offering!”

Customers can vote for Circle K in National Burger Day on www.nationalburgerday.ie/vote-now/. Voting closes at midnight on Tuesday 21^st June 2022.

For more information on Circle K’s summer food offering, visit circlek.ie.

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Simon Communities in Ireland will receive one meal for every burger sold

The classic cheeseburger is Ireland’s favourite burger, according to new research

The hunt for Ireland’s best burger has begun thanks to National Burger Day. Kepak’s fourth annual National Burger Day is encouraging customers to get out and have their say by voting for their favourite burger, while also showing some much-needed support for local food outlets and operators as they emerge from recent pandemic related closures.

Following a jam-packed virtual celebration last year, National Burger Day is back on August 12^th and bigger than ever this year – with outlets across Ireland once again battling it out for the coveted title of Ireland’s favourite.

To top it off, for every burger purchased and a photo shared online with the hashtag #nationalburgerday, a meal will be donated to Simon Communities across the country, with over 14,000 meals donated in 2020 as part of the campaign.

Hundreds of Irish food businesses of all categories and sizes are set to take part in the search for Ireland’s best burger, from much-loved fast-food joints to forecourts.

Voting is already underway and customers across the country have just over three weeks to cast their important vote online through the dedicated website – www.nationalburgerday.ie.

Votes from all corners of the country will be gathered and counted and Ireland’s Best Burger will be announced on National Burger Day, August 12^th, 2021 – an event sponsored by Kepak, and supported by Flipdish, Blenders, Coughlans and Kilmeadan, with participating businesses all over the country marking the day by offering a Buy One Get One Free exclusive offer on selected burgers.

“We’re delighted that National Burger Day is returning even bigger and better this year,” said John Savage, Kepak Foodservice Solutions Commercial Director. “After what has been a challenging period for Irish foodservice operators, this campaign truly is the coming together of Ireland’s biggest and best food brands in support of the sector and the beloved burgers on their menus. National Burger Day is so much more than a competition – it is a celebration of a beloved national food staple and world class foodservice providers. After a difficult year for those operating in the sector, we are excited to host this nationwide battle of the burgers and put a positive spotlight on Irish food outlets.”

“We are delighted to once again come on board as a lead sponsor for National Burger Day in conjunction with our partner, Kepak. Over the last year Flipdish and Kepak have worked closely to help customers navigate through an extremely difficult period. By referring business to Flipdish, Kepak’s customers continue to pivot and grow using Flipdish’s solutions. Our relationship will continue to thrive as businesses reopen and technology such as Table Ordering becomes commonplace for many hospitality businesses,” added Simon Ward, Head of Partnerships, Flipdish.

Jennifer Kitson, National Partnerships Manager, Simon Communities, concluded: “On behalf of everyone at Simon Communities in Ireland, we would like to extend our thanks to National Burger Day, Kepak and all the supporters for their efforts on this campaign. Last year was a huge success and we received an incredible donation of 14,000 meals for people experiencing homelessness that are supported through our services. We are delighted to be a part of the campaign again this year. Good luck to all those who are participating!”

Meanwhile, it’s clear that Irish burger enthusiasts know their stuff when it comes to judging as, according to recent research* undertaken by Flipdish, the quintessential cheeseburger is by far the most popular burger order in Ireland, followed by classic and bacon burgers.

Flipdish conducted research which look looked at 30,000 burger orders from 200 Irish stores. The research showed that cheeseburgers were the most popular burger order. 

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