National Burger Day tips

Burger fans rejoice, as Thursday 25 August is National Burger Day. In the Refectory Kitchen & Terrace, we serve a delicious dry-aged beef burger from local butchers R&J, with treacle-cured bacon and Swaledale Cheddar in a pretzel-style bun.

This annual event is also the perfect time to make your own burgers at home, so we’ve asked Group Development Chef Adam Bateman to share his top tips.

Adam Bateman’s top burger tips

So for my perfect burger you have to break it down to five stages – combining these together means you’ll get the ultimate burger.

The bread
For me it has to soft and sweet and not doughy or heavy like a breakfast roll I prefer a brioche bun lightly toasted

The burger (or more importantly, the meat)
For me there’s just one basic rule of thumb: go for ground beef with a high fat content – this is the bit that makes it juicy. The best cuts for this are either chuck or short rib – ask your local butcher to mince them for you. Make sure you season your burger with some good quality salt when cooking.

The cheese
We all like different cheeses and eating a burger is personal – who wants to share?! Top it with whatever you prefer, but I recommend one with a sharp edge like a strong cheddar or blue.

The fillings
I love to use a great smoked streaky bacon, as again the fat helps to keep it juicy and adds a bit of salt. The same principal with pickles – it’s like the salt and vinegar on your fish and chips.

The eating
The best bit… Squash it down and pick it up with two hands. Take a massive bite making sure you get every layer of flavour you can, and most importantly enjoy it!

The Refectory burger is available in the restaurant all day and you can also order it in Chapter House bar.