To mark National Burger Day on Thursday 21 August, we’ve rounded up some of the juiciest options from the CRAB roster – spanning new openings, countryside pubs, and cult city favourites.
FOWL’s Nashville Hot Burger (£16)
From the trio behind critically acclaimed Fallow and Roe, FOWL is the bold beak-to-feet restaurant in St James’s that champions every part of the bird – and their new burger is something to see! The Nashville Hot Burger layers Triple crisp chicken with a fiery Nashville hot sauce, Ranch, Dill pickles and Lettuce in a soft bun. Crunchy, spicy, and unapologetically indulgent – a fried chicken lover’s dream.
Canal’s Table Cheeseburger (£12)
Westbourne Park’s new waterside opening from the team behind Crispin and Bistro Freddie, Canal blends relaxed design with considered cooking. Their Table Cheeseburger is a rich blend of grass-fed Galician blonde and ex-dairy cattle, reared over 300 days before being dry-aged for up to 48 days. The patty – mixed with Beef tallow fat is seared to perfection, then topped with classic melted American cheese, Hay-smoked pickled cucumbers, and a bun that offers just the right amount of bite. Cut into four and made for the middle of the table, it’s best enjoyed with a Manhattan Oil Negroni from the team behind A Bar with Shapes for a Name.
Wrap your chops around The Blacklock Burger! A deluxe double cheeseburger smothered in Ogleshield and Montgomery cheddar cheese and topped with onions caramelised in vermouth, sliced gherkins and a tangy burger sauce. Patties are from Cornish butchers and farmers Philip Warren who still dry age and mature their meat the traditional way. Oh, and don’t forget a side of Beef Dripping Chips dipped in Blacklock Gravy. Available at all Blacklock restaurants – Soho, Shoreditch, The City, Covent Garden, Canary Wharf, and now Manchester – with Birmingham opening later this year. Priced at £14 – what’s not to love?
The Abbey Inn’s Byland Burger (£26)
Set in the heart of Byland, Yorkshire, The Abbey Inn is a relaxed pub from Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks. In true Oldstead style, all ingredients are either foraged or sourced from the family farm and The Byland Burger is no exception. Featuring a flavour-packed Oldstead Dexter Beef patty, topped with Baron Bigod cheese, a sticky-sweet Bacon and chicory root jam, served with Pork fat fries. It’s refined but hearty – best enjoyed in the garden overlooking the ruins of the abbey, with a pint of Tommy’s favourite, Timothy Taylor’s. Furthermore, if you can’t get up to Yorkshire, the Made in Oldstead Burger Box (£55) brings Tommy’s burger to your doorstep.
Overlooking the Camel Estuary in Rock, The Mariners is a modern Cornish pub from Paul Ainsworth, known for elevating the familiar. Their namesake burger stars a grilled aged Beef patty, Smoked bacon, and oozy Cornish Brie, topped with Pickles, Lettuce, Tomato, and a tangy-sweet Tomato & Nigella seed relish. Served in a soft clotted cream bun with Skinny fries, The Mariners Burger is a comforting classic. For something a bit different, try The ‘Next Level’ Burger from Paul’s debut cookbook For the Love of Food (Pavilion Books), a zingy crab, prawn and ginger burger, best grilled over hot coals on the beach.
