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We experienced a taste of the Toon with a trip around the best burger joints in Newcastle! We visited 3 locations in 1 day, with the aim to develop our understanding of how we can translate restaurant quality beef products back in our NPD kitchen.

Brack Burger – Jesmond

Starting off strong, Brack Burger were finalists at the Uber Eats Restaurant of the Year 2023, having only been in the burger business just over 3 years! Brack Burger now have 4 different concessions across Newcastle showcasing their smash burger creations.

THE O.G. – Double patty with a Brack sauce & shredded lettuce base topped with cheddar cheese, chopped onion & pickled gherkins

You can’t go wrong with a classic! At each venue we ordered a ‘control’ burger to benchmark against each speciality burger. The O.G. did not disappoint, offering a succulent beef patty rich in flavour.

PB & Perry – Double patty with a chilli jam base topped with cheddar cheese, crispy bacon & smooth peanut butter

The peanut butter spread was thick and coated the mouth. A combination of sweet and saltiness – this burger combination was pure indulgence!

The V.G. – Plant – based 4oz patty with a Brack sauce & shredded lettuce base topped with cheddar cheese in a toasted brioche bun

The V.G. burger offered a great meatless alternative, mimicking a similar style to the O.G. burger.

Brack Fries – Seasoned skin on fries with a smashed-up beef patty seasoned with Brack sauce

Lunchador – Cajun spiced house skin on fries, spiced cheese sauce, jalapenos, chopped chorizo and drizzled with sticky buffalo sauce

Next up is loaded fries and Brack burger take this to a whole new level! Both portions were oozing with flavour and delivered visually!

Lola Jeans – City Centre

When it comes to burgers, Lola Jeans know what they are doing! These guys have been crowned the winner of the Battle of The Burger five consecutive years running! All burgers are made in house using the finest cut of beef knuckle, alongside adding their own fat content to give them great texture. Not only are Lola Jeans known for their award-winning food and signature cocktails, but they also offer their customers a stylish dining experience with large chandeliers and painted murals by local artists in their restaurants.

Tickle the Pickle (Battle of The Burger 2022 Winner) – Two signature beef patties, American cheese, smoked streaky bacon, red onion jam, pickles, ranch dressing and pickled onion Monster Munch

Leslie Chow – Boneless buttermilk chicken breast tossed in Korean sauce. Kimchi mayo and crunchy Asian slaw

The first chicken burger of the food safari offered us an Asian Fusion delight. Followed by ‘Tickle the Pickle’, a loaded burger with a unique pickle twist… Monster Munch crips!

40 Year Old Vegan – Homemade vegan patty, Dorito crumbed oyster mushroom, vegan cheese, shredded iceberg, and Sriracha mayo

The first vegan burger of the tour- this one did not rate as highly as the others but was worth a taste due to the unique Dorito crumbed mushroom.

Loaded Tater Tots – Topped with Mac and cheese, beef chilli, crispy pepperoni, jalapeño, crispy onions and Lola’s sauce

This dish quite literally had it all! Named as an ‘ultimate side’, this portion of tater tots did not disappoint. The dish offered so many flavours and added an extra taste of indulgence to our burger experience.

Fat Hippo – City Centre

Fat Hippo established itself in Newcastle upon Tyne in 2010 and has been recognised as the most reputable independent burger joint in town ever since! These guys are renowned for their quality ingredients and quirky flavours promoted across their social media platforms, boasting a whopping 135k followers on Instagram alone! Fat Hippo now have restaurants and concessions within every major city in the UK and continue to be the talk of the burger community.

PB+JJ – A double patty, American cheese, chunky peanut butter, bacon jam + smoked chilli jello

Five Lies – Single plant based patty, vegan cheese, pickles, ketchup, American mustard + Cajun onion strings

American – Double patty, American cheese, pickles, ketchup + American mustard.

Our Fat Hippo experience left us feeling stuffed, but it was great to experience a classic restaurant that has won the hearts of burger lovers! We took advantage of the free sides that came with our burgers and ordered a wedge salad, tater tots and purple slaw. We also tried the Fat Hippo sauce and hot honey sauce… not nearly hot enough for our team!

For media enquiries, please email: jessica.kane@dalziel.co.uk