There seems to be no stopping the rise of the once-humble burger. No longer relegated to the staple of the ‘greasy spoon’ takeaway, today burgers have hit gourmet status and become a must-have on menus across the spectrum of foodservice. And the innovation is set to continue as chefs get more and more creative with their burger builds and choice of toppings. We spoke to several to get a taste of the latest trends.
“Burgers are like blue jeans – they never go out of fashion!” That’s how Gary Johnson, National Executive Chef for ALH Group, sums up the perennial appeal of this now-ubiquitous menu item. “The style and cut might change from time to time, but the essentials stay the same.”
They’re an ideal takeaway and home-delivery item, so it’s no wonder burgers were a go-to product for many businesses even during lockdowns. Now that the public are dining out again, they’re more of a menu mainstay than ever.
We asked several of our consultant chefs and one special guest to provide a burger recipe of their creation to share with readers – with an emphasis on quality ingredients and where possible something a little out of the ordinary. The results speak for themselves.
“There’s more competition in burgers than we’ve ever had before,” says Delaware North Australia’s National Executive Chef Markus Werner. “You can’t keep up with all the new burger chains hitting the market – either from New York, the UK or Asia – it’s really become a massive trend and everyone’s trying to compete.”
