It was National Burger Day on Wednesday and we helped Laura Forsyth at STV Glasgow judge the best burger at Burger Wars!
There was a party atmosphere at Ketchup West End in Ashton Lane with balloons, face painting and cakes.
With Ketchup’s venues in the South Side, West End and Hummingbird each hoping of being crowned as Ketchup’s Best Burger 2014, there was tension in the air.
STV Glasgow city reporter Laura Forsyth and Emma (yay) judged the contest based on the bribes er no, taste, appearance and texture of the offers.
First up was Ketchup West End with The Smokin Hot Bandit. A steak burger with potato waffles and homemade Jack Daniel’s sauce.
They also added harissa hollandaise sauce and topped it with a smoked sausage and a potato waffle.
The judges agreed that although the concoction contained a very exciting variety of flavour, the patty itself was a tad under-seasoned and the overall burger slightly awkward to eat.
Ketchup South Side put forward the Haggis Supper burger which used beef and haggis with melting cheese inside.
This was deep fried with ‘chippy sauce’ on top (red and brown sauce mixed together) within a brioche bun.
We both agreed that the texture of the burger was delish, moist inside, crispy outside.
However, there was a bit too much tomato which overpowered the burger 🙁
Lastly, Hummingbird gave us – Wham Bam Thank You Lamb.
A lamb patty served with bacon jam, dill and lemon mayo, on a flat bread with home pickled deep fried courgettes and char grilled halloumi. Very Mediterranean.
This ‘burger’ came as a surprise as it was a unique twist on a standard bun. Although the patty was very thin, it locked in a lot of moisture and the mayonnaise added a kick to the lighter option.
With some lovely tunes in the background, the judges discussed the options and awarded Hummingbird the trophy. An excellent burger; not your typical burger with lots of taste.
Hummingbird chef Lauren Gray accepted the award on behalf of Hummingbird’s head chef Colin Mooney.
We hope to see their burger next year, pressure on guys and girls!