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The 10th Annual National Burger Awards

20 Feb 2024

This week I was lucky enough to be invited to the 10th Annual National Burger Awards, at the Big Penny Social – any excuse to snag a burger!

This year was the 10th National Burger Awards, and was set to be the biggest to date. 16 finalists from all around the country were invited to take part in 3 challenges.
These were:-

– Technical (creating the ultimate burger with ingredients provided by the sponsors)
– Signature (their own burgers, created with their own ingredients and sauces)
– Plant Based (again using ingredients provided)

Winners were announced for the National Burger of the Year, Burger Chef of the Year, Plant-Based Burger of the Year, Bloggers Choice Award and Freakshake of the Year.

Arriving in good time, having left nice and early to avoid the worst of the rush hour traffic I found a reasonably priced car park and dumped the car. A short walk through Walthamstow and in to a small trade estate and there was the brewery – The Big Penny Social.

The warm glow of promise of banging burgers…..

Stepping inside and the place really opened up. Initially I was thinking that this looked like a small-ish venue so we might be packed in a little. My fears were quickly assuaged as The Big Penny Social really did live up to its name. The main hall was large, well lit, and more importantly filled with the smells of the finalists cooking up a storm. The large bar with tables and traders were all setting up (I was an hour early after all!) ready for the rest of the guests to arrive. Having taken a couple of snaps I went in search of a drink and somewhere to perch to wait for the main event – and to get from under the feet of the organisers. I was then shown through to a second, equally large bar that was already full of fellow burger enthusiasts…

Fears of rubbing shoulders suitably put to bed…. easily enough room for any desired cat swinging.

After a short wait at a bar that was serving free drinks, we were invited back in to the main hall to enjoy the trade stands that were being set up as I arrived. With almost everything represented that you could need to start your own burger business there was a great selection of stands. Talking to a few of the traders present it was clear that they were passionate about the products that they are selling. From the easily overlooked packaging and preparation equipment through to the condiments and sides that really round off a great burger everyone was excited to talk about what they were there for. And as is always the way, with great passion comes great products – and most importantly great flavours!

Soon the smells that first met me at the door materialised in to a more tangible and delicious snack samples that were bussed around the room by the traders and sponsors. I imagine that this was what it felt like to be at a rockstar party, but instead of canapés there was street food – from french fries to tater-tots, breaded pimento peppers and the all important burgers were on trays and ready to eat. Simply see what you want to take a slice (or 2)

Alongside the food that were drinks provided by event sponsors – Pepsi and Horlicks. The Pepsi stand offered a number of cola-based cocktails. As I was planing on driving back West that evening I sought out some zero alcohol options, and was pleasantly surprised to find more than the standard ‘Pepsi inna glass’. The cocktail of choice (for me at least) was a ‘Fixr’. A cold shot of espresso, a teaspoon of marmalade topped up with Pepsi and garnished with a twist of orange peel. Utterly delicious, very different and highly recommended!

Across the hall was the Horlicks stand – and you could be forgiven for wondering why you’d want a Horlicks with a burger?! Interestingly, Horlicks and burgers have a long history together. Originally created by William Horlick in 1882 as a dietary additive it was in the 1930’s that Ivar ‘Pop’ Coulson decided to add a couple of scoops of icrecream to the mix and created the first modern milkshake. This caught on and was very quickly a staple of Diners, Drive-In’s and Burger joints all across the states. Horlicks was there to demonstrate the original recipe.

Soon it was time for the winners announcements and the crowd gathered around the stage. As with previous years there were judges made up of industry professionals, previous winners and bloggers who had the arguably amazing job of selecting the winners for each category.

With a full belly, and a long drive I left shortly after the winners were announced – overall a great evening out – and highly recommended if like me you love all things burger!

if you want to know who took the crown, head to www.nationalburgerawards.co.uk and check it out!

Almost Famous – completely fantastic!

The Almost Famous neon sign – taken on a bright and sunny day (I’m an eater, not a photographer!)

The Almost Famous has been on the blog before – you may have recognised the name from a lockdown special that we did where we looked at the Almost Famous Homie, a cook at home burger kit. This isn’t a follow up to that, more getting to the source – this is the tale of a slightly boring road trip, culminating in excellent food……

The Almost Famous can be found in a few of locations in the North of the UK, and so is a fair distance from my usual West Country stomping grounds. I’ve been looking for an excuse to make the journey for a little while, ever since I procured and cooked one of their excellent home kits a couple of years ago. Luckily for me, I needed to go to get a part for my motorbike, that happened to be very close by their Great Northern location – what an incredible coincidence!

The journey up to Manchester is a laborious affair – from my Cheltenham starting point it’s all the way up the M5, joining the M6 just after Brum and keep on going for a while. It’s dull, start/stop all the way with nothing really going for the journey at all. Luckily for me I was armed with a bag of granny herbals and an audiobook to keep me company along the way, and unusually the weather was sunny! The destination was going to be worth the journey!

Arriving at my first destination (The Kickback Custom Bike Show) at the Manchester Central Center (previously known as GMEX) I spent the first couple of hours wandering around the show oogling the custom metal on display there. As usual the standard of engineering on show was exceptional – lots to see and ponder, I found myself usually trying to work out just how the builder achieved this or that, and in some cases wondered *why* they had done this or that! If you ever feel that the ingenuity of the ‘Man in a Shed’ is dying away, go to a custom bike show – I promise you’ll come away with faith restored and possibly some inspiration to go find yourself a donor bike to get cutting on….

My motorbike engineering mission achieved (I needed a new controller module for my classically butchered BMW) and my inspiration topped up (my eBay search history is now again full of clapped out old motorbikes) my thoughts turned to lunch. Luckily for me, the Almost Famous was a 5 minute walk from the centre, and as the day was sunny and pleasant it was no decision at all to take a little stroll along!

The Great Northern location is situated in a lovely open space in the heart of the city – set above a play area and walkway that was bustling with visitors all enjoying the early spring sunshine – eating, drinking and generally having a really nice time. The sounds of playing children mixed with the muted ‘thump thump’ of bar music adding to the general ambience of wellbeing – that all was right with the world and life was good. I was especially taken by the feeling of wellness, as I was heading to somewhere that I have wanted to visit for a long time. I really hoped it would live up to expectations!

Luckily for me, as it was early lunchtime and so was able to be seated quickly. I found myself in a little nook overlooking the bar, which I can imagine would be fairly busy, but still nicely separated from the hustle and bustle when the place fills up. The decor is bright, cool and definitely interesting to be in. Every wall is covered in pop-culture references, Americana branding imagery and lit with neon.

I was quickly attended to, and drinks ordered whilst I pondered the menu – I had a choice to make. With a long journey back home ahead of me, do I play it safe and have a sensibly sized meal, or do I take advantage of being here bearing in mind that I wasn’t likely to be coming back in the near future. The choice seems obvious to me know, writing a couple of weeks later….

As you can see – I went for the ‘eat it all whilst you can’ option…..

I made a decision, which the image above will speak for. I decided on a ‘Kids in America’ burger ( double cheeseburger, nacho cheese fries, pepperoni, bacon rain, jalapeños and onion) with a side of mixed sweet potato and standard fries and Hot Wings. I figured that there are always service stations along the way home, so what the hell!

Melted cheese, pepperoni, more melted cheese and fries – what a combo!

The Kids in America was delicious, as you’d expect. The melted cheese and pepperoni was reminiscent of a classic pizza, and added a little spicy kick that was subtle and pleasant. The beef burger itself was perfectly cooked, juicy and tasty. The team at Almost Famous have clearly spent some time working on their beef blend, which is paying dividends. The grind was spot on – course enough to provide bite and retain juice but not so course to be ‘bouncy’ on the teeth. Overall, it was very good – it made the trip worthwhile on its own!

The Kids in America – it was very quickly in my belly.

Next up was the hot wings – I’ve only recently started to fully appreciate these as a side for a burger, and they were very good. I’d chosen for the ‘Hot AF’ option as I’m a fan of the spicier foods, and I wasn’t disappointed. They were well sauced, and the meat came away from the bone with no effort at all. My only complaint, if there is one, is that they don’t come with a wet wipe of some description – I was nearly covered head to toe by the time that I had finished them up. A small price to pay for such delicious food.

The verdict?

The Almost Famous is absolutely worth seeking out – the ambience, service and food are all top notch. The pricing is as you’d expect for the quality that is served and although I didn’t partake in any of the drinks (afternoon drinking is not my game!) the cocktail menu was very impressive. Would I take another 200+ mile round trip to go get another one? Quite possibly…..

For more details of their locations, visit the website at www.almostfamousburgers.com to book a table, brows the menu and see what they are all about!

Daniel Berry

Danny’s Burgers – The Masterclass

When an opportunity arose to spend a sunny afternoon in the company of Danny himself with a group of like-minded burgerados learning how the 2022 National Burger Champion does it – I was straight on to it……

Danny Hawkes is the man – the man behind the name, the man behind the burger, and now the man with the National Burger award. All from a lockdown start-up serving burgers to his local community, his reputation has grown bringing with it more than just a gong, but wide spread recognition.

Danny’s Burger can be found at Fierce and Noble, Mina Street in Bristol – its a tough building to miss!

Danny’s Burgers is set up in the rear of Fierce and Noble, an achingly cool independent brewer set on the outskirts of Bristol. The building itself is unusual, in that it is the most vivid of colours in blue and purple, so difficult to miss – although, down a side street that is not immediately obvious in how to access, so visible but at the same time slightly hidden. It has a vibe that suggests that you might have just found a little jewel.

Waiting outside for the doors to nirvana to open, I was soon joined by people – lots of people. It would appear that I was not going to be alone on this most special of adventures. And interestingly, I wasn’t the only one that had traveled a little way to get there – one couple had travelled there from East London, a couple of mates from Wales had also made the pilgrimage to see how the man himself does what he does.

As it says on the board – give them a follow!

Soon, the doors opened and we were ushered in to a small, but perfectly formed tap room – complete with barman taking orders for your first free pint/ drink of your choice (the course comes with 2 free drinks from Fierce and Noble). Drink in hand we wandered through to the yard through the brewery itself. Now, I’m sure I’m not alone, but I am partial to a nice bit of welded metal, and brewing gear always seems to have the best. Maybe its a combination of the high shine, the size of the tanks or the smell of alcohol in the air, but I’m always impressed by these set ups. Unfortunately there was no brewery tour as part of the day (maybe something for the future!?).

The yard at Fierce and Noble is a compact affair, being city-bound as you might expect – but they have still managed to squeeze in an impressive amount of seating under a big-tip style marquee, all facing the main event – the infamous Danny’s Burger van, a hot plate already heating up and several prep tables. Having found a seat (close to the front, I like to be close to the action where food is involved!) I was all set to soak up the atmosphere and burger knowledge alike.

If someone is doing a food demo, it pays to be close to them for when the tasters come out. Get in the front row!

Very soon, Danny came to greet us having set up the last few items and making the last checks on his prep. My personal impressions of Danny are of a man that is not only knowledgeable about what makes great food (he was a quality and developmental chef for another local establishment) he has a view that greatness doesn’t mean complication.

His oration style is very conversational and easy to listen to, and as he told his story about how he came to be the UKs No.1 in a few short years you come to realise that he talks a lot of sense – and more importantly with no airs and graces. Danny is as down to earth as it gets and tells it like it is.

My own takeaway from my time listening to Danny’s story is that sometimes, simplicity is king and more importantly you need to think about repeatability and how you can pair down your ingredients to be as interchangeable as possible. Interestingly, his 3 ‘core’ burgers all us the same ingredients, with just the addition of bacon, change in preparation/ cooking technique and a choice of sauce to make 3 unique burgers. This allows a simplified and speeded up preparation cycle before each trade-day, and more importantly still means that each burger can be repeated for the same great tasting result each time.

When asked about salad in a burger, Danny’s take was a clear one, and one that I personally agree with – salad should be minimal and very thinly sliced if needed, but better still is to leave it out. How many time have we as the faithful burgerati taken a bite from a juicy looking morsel, just for half of it to squeegee out due to a thick sliced tomato adding to the pattern on the front of your shirt…and worse still wasting precious food? The message is clear – salad should be on the side, not in the bun!

Next on the agenda for the day was a brief conversation around the tools that you actually need to cook a professional quality burger, and some of the techniques that the pros have developed – most of which is you will have seen already.

The tool list is surprisingly short, you need a good, hot flat surface for your smashing, something to smash them with (in this case a heavy lump of chromed steel, but a spatula and baking paper will suffice), a spatula for flipping (if using a different item for smashing), a cover and a squirty bottle with water is all you need to get going. Sure, you can spend huge amounts of money on all the latest gear, but the lesson here is simplicity.

The sun shone down on this saucy lot – whilst making their own sauces….

Next up was a talk around sauces – the good, the bad and the ugly. As we all know, the sauce on a burger can make or break a burger, acting as a flavour modifier for the burger as a whole. Get it wrong and no matter how finely tuned your beef blend is, your burger flavours will be washed away in a sea of slimy mayo. Get it right and the additional opportunity to add differing flavours can elevate even the dullest of patties to burger perfection. Luckily, Danny has also spent a good amount of time working through this dilemma. The secret to a good sauce is good quality ingredients (unsurprisingly) which adds not only to flavour but to the feel of the sauce as well. Cheaper ingredients can sometimes taste flat, and ruin any crispy or contrasting textures that have been carefully crafted in to the end product.

Danny is first to admit that he started to produce his own sauces using very careful ratios – but quickly realised that the colour and taste was all that really mattered. He know makes it in large quantities, adjusting as he goes to ensure each batch is as good as the last.

Once the sauce talk was done, and following a quick demo, it was smashing time…..

Once we had all had a chance to make our own sauces, to our own taste (and a short pit-stop for refreshed beers) it was time to get down to the main event.

Danny took us through his set up, what he preps before the cooking even begins and how he lays it out to maximise the effectiveness and speed at which he can move through the process. Buns are pre-toasted, then dressed and laid out in the packing awaiting the cooked element, cheese is pre-sorted into little piles of 2, and in a way that makes them easy to grab, the onions and patties are all to hand ready to go – and then it’s off to the races!

Very simply put, prior prep makes the process work. That’s the real secret here – think about what you want to achieve, what you can do before you need to start the time crucial bits and how simply you can put it together.

Once the bun is prepped, a ball of the burger mix is placed on the hot plate and immediately seasoned with salt. It doesn’t need any more seasoning – let the meat speak for itself! Press the whole thing in to the hotplate, and then feather out the edge – this is a new technique to me, but as Danny describes, it gives the burger some texture in that the frilly edge crisps beatifully, and also caramelises to add a deeper, richer flavour – give the whole ting a flip, add cheese and the top of the bun and you’re nearly there.

The final step is to add a squirt of water directly on to the hot plat next to (but not on top of!) the burger and quickly cover the lost to trap the steam in. This does a couple of things – firstly the steam is super hot, so it helps the cheese to melt quickly. It’s also really wet, so it infuses and softens the bun lid. It also helps to transfer some additional flavour throughout, so you end up with a soft, warm bun with additional burgery goodness…….add to your pre-prepared bun bottom and devour….

The result – simply stunning

All in all, the 3 hours that we got to spend with Danny and the team was very enjoyable. I know that for some people the idea of spending that time talking solely about one type of food is a little bonkers, but to the initiated buregerati it was a real treat. Danny has plans to continue his masterclass, and I can thoroughly recommend it!

If this sounds like the kind of thing that you would like to take part in, DM them on their Instagram page (@dannys_burgers_uk) or check out their website at http://www.dannysburgers.co.uk.

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Daniel Berry

One response to “Danny’s Burgers – The Masterclass”

  1. S Hurst avatar
    S Hurst

    wow that was amazing, we all can’t wait for tomorrow , send me list of what i need to get love xx

    Sent from my iPhone

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Smiths of Bourton

In the heart of the Cotswolds sits the super quaint town of Bourton on the Water. This little gem of a place is possibly one of the most picturesque towns in the UK, with a slow river dividing the High street, yellow cotswold stone buildings and more history than you can shake a pike at, this is a town that wouldn’t immediately scream ‘BURGERS!’……

Incredibly beautiful scenery hides a secret Burger bonanza!

It’s easy to believe that all of the best food can be found in places with a larger population. It is usually the smarter business choice, to base yourself in an area where people congregate in larger numbers, and in the winter when we visited Smiths you could be forgiven for thinking that they may have made a tactical error in choosing this location, hidden away from immediate sight as they have. The town has a permanent population of approximately 3,500 – but they are soon outnumbered by the 300,000 visitors that come flocking each year from around the world, meaning there are a lot of hungry people to delight.

Smiths of Bourton is located just off of the High St, next to a traditional sweet shop.

Smiths of Bourton was a traditional tea room before brothers Seb and Theo brought it kicking and screaming in to modernity, with a menu dedicated to the finest of foods, the burger – as well as serving fantastic cocktails. They preserved the traditional feel of the building, maintaining the traditional fireplace and slightly wonky flooring that you can commonly find in very old cotswold abodes. This is a place that you might have once expected to find country gentlemen quaffing drinks following a successful day shooting, which is to say cozy and comfortable, if a little low-ceilinged for those of the taller persuasion.

Cozy fires and flagged flooring is a staple of old buildings, and conjure images of quaffing beer and card games in the warmth

Having been seated and selecting one of their finest creations, it was not long before the food was delivered. Having decided on a Smiths Classic (which handily already comes doubled up!) and a side of fries, the food was quick to be delivered to the table which we took whilst sat close the fire for warmth.

A Smiths Classic – classically beautiful, classically delicious too…

You can probably guess from the image above that the brothers have really excelled at bringing burgers to Bourton, in a big way. The meat is a Smiths blend, sourced locally from the surrounding countryside and was moist and delicious, cooked in the smash style the crust added to the flavour. This meant that whilst meat is cooking it creates a barrier helping to retaining the juices that make this such a popular and efficient method of grilling.

The brothers have also sourced their buns from a local bakery, making this a truly local delight helping to support the local economy and keep the work where the people are – so not only delicious but environmentally friendlier, and just massively better than mass produced fayre.

A perfect bun tops and bottoms the meaty delight. This is no heavy weight, its a light and fluffy conveyance of the highest order

So, to conclude…… If you are of the mind that you want your next burger fix set in a stunning location, and that you want your food to be a proper cut above the rest then I highly recommend Smiths of Bourton as a place to seek out.

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The Almost Famous Homie

With all of the ‘open/closed/open again’ lockdown decisions made to attempt to limit the spread of the Coronavirus, entrepreneurial Burgerologists have been looking for ways to get thier awesome product out there, which doesn’t involve a chap on a bicycle. Last weekend we tried the Almost Famous Homie burger kit…. This is how we got on…..

The ‘Miracle on 2020 Street’ from Almost Famous – all of your festive treats in one bun (nearly!)

Having looked at the issues with burger home delivery, it is not surprising to see that the real burger lovers can be left a little disappointed with what is delivered to your door. No matter how clever the packaging, how quick the delivery or the thought that has gone in to the burger construct, invariably the main event will turn up slightly soggy. Unfortunately, there is little that can be done to combat the steam that hot food invariably produces when its contained in a box…… One solution is the Home Kit… and we thoroughly approve!

Having yet again been sent a delicious image from the ‘gram (see above) plans were made, menus selected and dosh handed over (electronically, obviously). Our very first foray into the home brew kit was going to be coming from the guys over at Almost Famous. The guys over there know their shit, creating some of the best looking burgers out there, and with catchy sounding ingredients such as ‘wonder dust’ and ‘bitch juice’ they exhibit a joyful approach to the serious and dark art of Burgerology that I like. I imagine that asking a server for ‘extra bitch juice’ in any other establishment could be construed as an invitation to tamper with your meal in varied and nefarious ways.

The Almost Famous Homie site is separate from the main restaurant one (although linked to from the menu drop down) and is typically only available when the kits are being offered. This means that if you want one, you need to be quick off the mark and keep checking back. Getting hold of the kit you want feels akin to scoring tickets to your favored band. Excitement abounds, and you find yourself counting down the days to when that special delivery drops…… typically order to dispatch will take a couple of days, and delivery will be a day or 2 after that. Kits are offered on a limited basis, so when it’s gone, it’s gone – don’t hang about if you see something that takes your fancy!

D-Day (or should that be B-Day?) Burger Ahoy!

I had chosen a festive themed ‘Miracle on 2020 Street’ Christmas burger (candy canes and all). This towering inferno is a master of layered deliciousness. A sausage patty is placed on a toasted and burger buttered bun, before a sausage patty is topped by a Famous beef patty with cheese (obvs) then that is topped with crispy bacon and xmas crack (an incredible blend of crispy pork products, fried onions and magic fairy dust) before the whole lot is lidded with additional sauce and another toasted bun.

This little lot is then given a little top-hat of a BBQ pork slider, with peppered mayo and pickles that is as cute as it is delicious. Think burger with a side of burger, and you’ve got it!

Finally, the day of delivery came, and my box of goodies arrived safe and sound. The packaging wasn’t lying either – hopes and dreams are most certainly contained within. Opening the beast and laying out the ingredients you can appreciate the effort that goes in to a well crafted burger. I think that sometimes its easy to forget the skill and dedication that does in to creating these seemingly innocuous of food items. The burger is gloriously flexible in the way that it can deliver a satisfying meal stripped back to it’s most basic ‘meat in a bun’ ala most BBQ situations, or can be transformed in to something that makes you groan in delight with every bite. This was the latter, well and truly a masterpiece of deconstructed perfection.

Writing this, seeing these ingredients, I’m struck by equal parts nostalgia and hunger…. gimme more!

Now, if you see all of these bits and bobs and wonder how on earth it all goes together, and how on earth does it all fit in a bun – then you’re in good company. The ingredients all come handily labelled (cheese, obvs) so even a novice would be able to understand what was going in to their construct.

The instructional booklet that comes in the kit is well written, and even comes with a Spotify playlist to cook to, recreating a little bit of the Almost Famous vibe. It’s also honest in it’s appraisal of the skill that you’ll need to pull this off. In their own words, this kit isn’t ‘un-fuckable’ and it is very easy to mess up your timings. As with most things that require instructions, its very tempting to ignore them and go your own way, and that’s entirely fine. You do you – but for me, I wanted as close to the Famous experience as I could get it, so I heeded the masters instructions.

Read through the booklet (just this will make your mouth water!) and make sure you have all of your ingredients laid out, that you know what you need to do with them and approximately when. I’m not kidding when I say that the actual cooking time of this gear is very short, you don’t have a lot of time to pause and read the nest step, so know your stuff before you start!

A joy to behold, as it’s the key to burger heaven….

As the cooking goes by very quickly, and frankly there is so much going on I didn’t have time to think about it, I neglected to shoot any pictures of me cooking – which was probably a good thing. Incredibly, even though this was a super well laid out plan and the instructions were super clear I still managed to make the kitchen look like a bomb had gone off in it, and incredibly only one pan was used! The results however were anything but the chaos that the kitchen suggested was born there.

The burger was utterly divine. The meat was juicy and moist, the sauce was fantastic. As a little bonus, the guys include an additional 2 slider buns and enough BBQ pork for you to have a little pre burger, burger snackaroo. A good job it was too, as there is ample temptation to dip in to the BBQ pork.

Incredibly, it comes together and looks nearly the same as the insta post – a testament to my awesome skills, or the well thought out instructions? (its the latter)

As a little Brucie-bonus, the thoughtful chaps at Famous understand that its a rare thing that you eat a burger without chips (or fries for my US friends) and have put a little something in there for you.

Amongst the ingredients is a little packet of ‘wonder dust’ which is used to season the pork patty. They include enough to allow you to also season bog standard oven chips too, with simple instructions on how to use it – and it’s utterly transformative. You will NEVER want to cook chips at home without this stuff again. Simply sprinkle on before you stick them in, and them add a little more on the way out to the plate, squirt some of the included bacon mayo on them and voila!

These chips man. OOFT.

Overall, I can say hand on heart that this is an incredible experience. \the box prices vary from kit to kit, but you definitely get what you pay for. This particular kit was very well thought out, great instructions and the result was worth every penny.

Check out http://www.almostfamousburgers.com to see what they are up to, and check out the ‘Famous at Home’ section if you want to give them a go. I highly recommend it!

Holee Cow

Coming from my home town of Cheltenham, in the heart of the Cotswolds comes a delightful little place……

The delicious Smokey Bacon and Cheese burger – classically tasty!

Sometimes it’s easy to overlook places of interest on your doorstep (Holst was born in my home town, there’s a museum to him that I’ve never been to) and instead to look further afield to find those special little places.

Fortunately for me, where I am situated I seem to be surrounded by people with a genuine passion for great food, and Holee Cow is no exception.

Located in the middle of town, in a store that still emblazons the olde worlde signage from its original inhabitants this burger place keeps things simple. Now, don’t mistake simplicity with basic. These guys know their patties.

As I was a hungry, hungry hippo when I ordered, I plummed for a double stacked Smokey Bacon and Cheese to sate my almighty appetite, with a side portion of cheese and bacon fries (see the theme of the evening?) and a vegetarian Jackie Bean Bag for my partner.

As restrictions still apply, we opted for delivery to the Burger Blog HQ to enjoy our meal. Arriving within 45 minutes of paying for our selection, the food arrived well packaged and ready to rock and roll.

In my personal opinion, burgers are always best eaten fresh, on premise or as close to as possible. They don’t tend to travel well, the bun continues to steam and so ends up too soft, and the patties dry.

This wasn’t overly noticeable in this case. The bun was slightly soft, but still held its form well, and the patties were still juicy and delicious.

The Jackie Bean Bag was a satisfying affair, well flavoured and not lacking in texture as some vegetarian option can occasionally be, although due to the transit the bun was a little wetter than was ideal. This isn’t a reflection on the quality, more a consequence of my delivery selection!

Overall, these guys are worth checking out – take a trip into town and seek them out!

#burgerati #Cheeseburger #eatlocal #fastfood #goodfood #takeaway #vegan burger Burgers delicious Food foodies instagram localfood recipes supportlocal travel

The vegan revolution

People all over the world are actively cutting meat out from their diets, to both be less ecologically impactful, and more healthy. Gousto is definitely helping…..

The Gousto ultimate festive vegan burger, with seasoned chips.

‘I have an announcement to make…’ is never a good way to start a conversation with your better half. I took and deep breath, and braced myself for a bombshell – but I couldn’t have been prepared for what came next.
‘I’ve decided to become a vegetarian’ are words that a burger lover never wants to hear. These days however, it no longer means cardboard patties with melted rubber cheese. Now it means flavourful burgers with tasty sauces and great buns. The cheese, however, is getting there slowly.

Beef burger, gravy soaked ciabatta and melted cheese? Looks good and no animals were harmed here!

Being as busy as we all are, recently we have been looking at the box meal solution to help ease that eternal ‘what shall we have for dinner’ conversation, which nearly always ends up standing in line for a takeaway.

Gousto, a UK based box company offered a great solution at a price point that works for us. This week we had the pleasure of sampling their limited edition ‘Ultimate Vegan burger, with seasonal fries’ and it’s utterly delicious.

The soy protein and beetroot burger patties sounds are purple straight out of the box, which took us slightly be surprise and honestly have a texture that I can only describe as ‘pastey’. No way these are going to be good, right?

Wrong! What a revelation! Cooked in the oven at 220° for 25 minutes these odd little purple patties browned off a treat, firmed up and expressed a juice that I’m genuinely struggling to describe as anything other than meaty and delicious.

Browned to perfection…..

The rest of the burger was familiar but different. The plant based brioche buns look, taste and feel as good as their buttery counterparts. Side by side you’ll struggle to tell them apart. The middle slice is a gravy soaked ciabatta to add an extra layer of moist goodness. Both bread components toasted and ready to rock were slathered in a mayonnaise and cranberry sauce to add to the seasonal flair. The sweet and savoury mixing to bring out the best in the burger.

To bandy the word ‘ultimate’ around, you’d better bring your A game, and Gousto have smashed this out of the park. Definitely worth a try whilst they’re still available.

This is one meatless, plant based burger that I’d be happy to munch!

As a self professed meat lover, even I have to concede that a healthy diet should be balanced, and that means that less meat and more plant based is the order of the day. Also with increasing evidence that farming animals for meat is a contributor to changing climates it makes sense to make different choices when selecting what to have for dinner.

That is where vegetarian meat substitutes are really come into their own, and with the leaps being made in the flavour and texture of what is on offer it makes the choice to eat less meat much more palatable.

It wasn’t so long ago that your choices for a meat free burger was either a grilled field mushroom, or a Quorn burger. The latter being the first pioneering step towards where we are today, which is a high tech multi billion dollar industry that is growing year on year. These days your vegan plant based burger is juicy, has a similar texture to beef and is just as tasty.

More and more we see these incredible creations popping up alongside our beefy favourites, and they are increasingly tempting. Gone is the cardboard, and here is the juicy, tasty goodness.

So, next time you’re looking for a new experience, why not take a walk on the wild side, and try something with less beef……

Hanbao 2 – The return

A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to have Hanbao in Worcester brought to our attention, and took a trip to see what they were about. This week we returned to sample their Halloween special, and more of those amazing fries….

The image above may seem to be a little familiar. Those of you with an eagle eye for detail may remember that this was the image that kicked off our initial pilgrimage to Hanbao, the Worcester based burger aficionados, in the first place. You may also have noticed that we then didn’t mention this towering best again – and that was because this was a Halloween special that had not yet been released…… so we had to return!

The ‘Second Coming’ as we are going to call it was arranged in the midst of announcements for the second national lockdown, which put us under a little pressure to get our chops around La Calavera Catrina before the limited run was over and before the restaurant had to close in line with national restrictions. Initial investigations didn’t look good, as Hanbao is normally only opens on a Weds- Sun schedule so there were very little in table spaces. It was going to be mission.

Luckily for us, Hanbao made the wise decision to open on a different schedule this week as they wouldn’t be able to operate their normal table service over the weekend, and we were able to swoop in and grab one of their very sought after tables meaning that the trip was on!

La Calavera Catrina in all her glory – watch out for bones!

Having made the short journey up the M5 in the dark of winters night, we were lucky to find a parking spot not far from the eatery and rushed through the biting winds to take our place at this most hallowed of burger joints. As usual we scanned in to the venue and had our temperatures taken at the door, which were more than likely much cooler than usual due to said winds. It feels like this winter is going to be especially dark and foreboding. Less of that though – It can’t be bad when there are still burgers to eat!

This time we were seating on the raised seating area in the center of the restaurant. It’s difficult to imagine how much busier they would be in pre-covid conditions. The tables are well spaced to allow for socially distanced dining, which doesn’t dampen the feeling of ‘bustle’ that you find in a busy establishment. Having settled in we had a cursory glance at the menu, and roundly pretended that we didn’t already know exactly what we wanted and weren’t in any way excited about the coming prospect of a burger with a whole beef short rib in it.

Tiger Fries – Sweet and Sour shredded chicken, sesame seed soy and spring onions. Not so stripy, but very delicious.

It being late on a Monday night, we decided that the most sensible option was to share a portion of their excellent Tiger Fries ( a decision that my cholesterol no doubt appreciated, but which I later regretted as they are a genuine delight).

The fries here cannot be understated. They are a marvel all of their own, delicious skin on fries that are packed with flavour in themselves, are then topped with shredded sweet and sour chicken, a smattering of sesame soy mayonnaise, spring onions and then a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds make for a side dish that leaves you wanting more. But – these are just the side show, the main event was something all together more special.

The Main Event

Left – La Calavera Catrina, and on right is the superb Odd Future

The choices that are on offer at Hanbao are all worth a mention, and I’m sure that over time we will more than likely cover most, if not all of the offerings that are here. Today though we chose a hot one and a sweet one. Lets start with the hot one…..

La Calavera Catrina is as much a work of art as it is a burger. Sure, there are elements that you would expect to see – oozing cheese, glistening beef patty and a subtly glazed brioche style burger bun, but what you might not expect to see if a whacking great big beef rib bone sprouting from the sides of it. This Halloween special is trying to conjure the fires from hell and serve them in a delicious package of smoked meat, spices and decadence. The beef short rib that is so prominent is more than just a decoration however, and this is not a half thought out addition to make the burger stand out although it most certainly does just that. This is an expertly smoked, tender and delicious bit of beef that falls off of the bone at the slightest touch. Glazed in a tequila and habanero spice mix, the flavours conveyed are those of smoky nights, with just enough fire to remind you that they are there, but not so powerful as to have you reaching for a glass of milk. Served on the excellent Hanbao dry aged, smashed beef patty which hides a layer of pickled jalapenos and caramelised red onion this was one burger that I was genuinely sad to finish.

La Calavera Catrina – A lovely bony beasty of a burger, with a little burny after.

Second burger of the second coming was The Odd Future – a burger from their usual menu and available as a take-out (so if you get peckish this lockdown, go seek it out!). This is not idly named either – much like La Calavera Catrina, this is a tour de force of bold flavours that on paper are opposing, but oddly work well when combined. Incorporating the ubiquitous burger flavours, dry aged patty, American cheese and maple streaky bacon, they have upped the anti by adding a generous portion of bourbon bacon jam adding to the sweet/savoury combo, fresh chilli for a slight kick and then capped the lot off with a fresh glazed ring doughnut that was toasted to add a smoky flavour and turned ‘upside down’ so that he glaze in in the mix with the rest of the bun occupants.

The result was a sweet and savoury burger, that we found to be slighty difficult to eat with our hands (a doughnut doesn’t hold quite as nicely as a brioche bun) but was no worse off for it. It was just as eagerly devoured with a knife and fork as it would have been in the mitts.

The Odd Future – Is it a dessert? Is it a Main? All we know is that it’s a sweet and savoury masterpiece

As previously mentioned, we had decided to forgo a portion of fries each in order to not feel overly guilty about ordering a dessert each (there’s logic in there somewhere!) as Hanbao also make their own ice-cream on site. The flavour choices are each as unique as the burgers and fries on offer, and of just as high a quality. I plummed for a scoop of Banana Fudge and scoop of Cereal Milk.

Hanbao also make their own ice-cream, because awesome burgers weren’t enough to temp some people, apparently…

The banana fudge as you can see is possibly glow in the dark the colour is so vibrant, and it has a flavour simliar to a popular instant milkshake brand that shall go nameless. Shot through with small lumps of fudge and chocolate drops, it was refreshingly different.

The Milk Cereal on the other hand was a whole other story. aptly named as it tastes like the milk that you get at the bottom of a bowl after you have eaten cereal, conveying a sugary sweet flavour that I have no idea how they have achieved. This was shot through with small marshmallow pieces ala lucky charms to add to the already sweet mixture. Not unpleasant, but I certainly wouldn’t be able to eat a lot of it.

Overall, our second trip to Hanbao was as successful as the first. The burgers have been constantly delicious on our trips there, and the restaurant feels safe to be in during these interesting times.

During the next period of lockdown, I understand that they are going to continue to offer a click and collect service, so if you are in the area I would highly recommend that you go and take a look for yourself!