News
2011
December GOBBLE GOBBLE, DECEMBER 1ST—31ST
That’s right, it’s that time of year again. Seasoned veterans of Byron will know that Christmas can mean only one thing: the return of the Gobble Gobble burger. Our (now) traditional Christmas burger is a marinated turkey breast, dressed in a knockout cranberry sauce with dry cure bacon, baby spinach and aioli.
There have been some great boxing trilogies in the history of the sweet science: Ali-Frazier, Barrera-Morales and Gatti-Ward to name just three. But for our money the epic third clash between Cow and Turkey looks set to eclipse all others.
Gobble Gobble is available at all our restaurants, including our new central London sites at Central St Giles and the soon to be opened Rathbone Place, from December 1st to 31st.
Gobble Gobble – marinated turkey breast, dry cure bacon, cranberry sauce, baby spinach and aioli. £8.75
November To Our Rare Hamburger Lovers
We believe hamburgers taste best when cooked medium, but have also been happy to cook them however our customers want upon request. However, following the intervention of one local authority, we’re now going to have to say ‘no’ to the small number of you who want your hamburger rare.
As you would expect, since opening nearly 4 years ago, our quality and safety processes have been at the heart of what we do. Science, even in cooking, isn’t black and white, so while we’re confident our rare burgers are safe to eat, in today’s highly regulated world we’ve decided to err on the side of caution and not offer less than medium rare.
It’s a shame - but there it is. If you’d like to share any of your views on this, please feel free to contact Tom at tomb@byronhamburgers.com
September UNCLE SAM, SEPTEMBER 6TH—30TH
The idea for a special can often take weeks to develop, but this one emerged effortlessly on a Tuesday morning in June. Our baker Marcus had dropped off some glazed buns he had been experimenting with. This kind of bun is popular in the US - so what better way to proceed than to test them straightaway as part of a typical American cheeseburger combo: 60z patty, American cheese, sliced pickle, French’s mustard and ketchup. We sat quietly, savouring the juicy mouthfuls. Moments later we unanimously agreed this hamburger deserved a wider audience. The name followed. By lunch time “Uncle Sam” had been baptised by way of a single-service-special at our Soho restaurant, using the remaining buns. We sold out within half an hour.
For those of a certain age, Uncle Sam will rekindle fond memories of their youth – for everyone else, it’s just a kick-ass cheeseburger. Welcome to the family, Sam.
Uncle Sam – 60z hamburger, American cheese, sliced pickle, French’s mustard, ketchup £7.50
July Proper hamburgers in a field
Let’s face it, it’s July, so time for us Brits to wake up and smell the proverbial. Summer is here. Last week at Glastonbury, as we braced ourselves against the wind and rain, it was hard to accept, but this week, there can be no argument. If Wimbledon is on the telly, it’s definitely summer.
Which means it’s time for our Shack to venture forth bravely on its mission to bring proper hamburgers to the fields of England. The objective is simple - to turn out exactly the same quality of hamburgers at festivals as in our restaurants, so you have nothing to worry about (except the weather). We ship fresh hamburgers to the shack on a daily basis and cook them medium on our special chargrills under a reinforced roof (it melted the first time). The menu is simple - 3 hamburgers (Classic, with cheese, or the signature Byron with cheese, dry cure bacon and Byron sauce) and some french fries too if you fancy.
With Glastonbury already successfully completed, the Shack will be appearing at Port Eliot Literary Festival, Rewind, Camp Bestival and Harvest with Alex James over the summer months. To find us, look out for the life-size cows grazing on the roof.
If you’re staying in London, we also have some new restaurants for you to visit in Haymarket, Hoxton and Putney, all designed individually in the Byron tradition - and all weather-proof.
May CRAFT BEER, SUMMER 2011
Everyone loves a beer with a hamburger, so this summer we’ve put together a list from our favourite craft brewers, all of whom share our commitment to doing things properly. We have selected 10 beers from the UK, the US and Australia, including Camden Wheat Beer and Camden Hells Lager from our friends at Camden Brewery, BrewDog IPA from those irreverent shock jocks at BrewDog and the scary sounding Flying Dog Snake Dog with a hoppy 7% ABV. They are available at all our restaurants from May 31st and throughout the summer. So kick back and enjoy a cold one (or two)
April Royale with Cheese April 15th - May 2nd
Byron is proud to celebrate the forthcoming wedding of Wills and Kate by running a Royale with Cheese special from April 15th to May 2nd inclusive. The Royale with Cheese is a double cheeseburger made with Montgomery Cheddar, the highly regarded traditional cheese produced by the Montgomery family in Somerset since 1911.
We believe the Royale with Cheese to be a hamburger of impeccable class and distinction - fit for Royalty, no less. It also pays homage to John Travolta's famous conversation with Samuel L. Jackson in Quentin Tarantino's cult classic "Pulp Fiction", one of our favourite movies.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLtwFugudZE
The Royale with Cheese will be available at all our restaurants, including our new site at 11 Haymarket SW1, which opens on April 15th.
Royale with Cheese, served with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle and mayonnaise. £10.75
March National Butchers’ Week — 13th to 20th March
National Butchers’ Week exists to promote independent butchers, whose knowledge and passion for properly sourced meat matches our own. One of my favourite butchers is HG Walter www.hgwalter.com.
I first started buying meat from Peter Heanen when I moved in close to his shop in Baron’s Court, W14. His meat is first rate, his premises pristine and his knowledge and friendliness unsurpassed. Like many independent retailers, he provides excellent service. I’d once paid for a chicken but stupidly left it behind at his shop. On arriving back home I found one of his team had already delivered it for me, free of charge. It made a lasting impression on me. I now live much further away, but religiously make the trip to HG Walter every weekend, often for good reason but frequently for no reason.
So to celebrate National Butchers’ Week, we’ve asked Peter to develop a special 6oz lamb burger for us, which is available on our menu for this week only. The lamb is sourced from Court Lodge farm in Kent and is seasoned with rosemary and mint. It’s rather delicious, we think.
Lamb Burger, served with lettuce, tomato, red onion,
pickle and mayonnaise £6.50
February Big D
Big D is a guest special hamburger which appears on the Byron menu once a year from February 1st to 28th. It’s a bigger hamburger for those with a bit more time on their hands who prefer a more challenging meat hit than that of our 6oz burger. And it’s made for us by our friend Darragh O’Shea out of juicy chuck from Perthshire, Scotland. Each patty has been freshly ground and hand-pressed in Darragh’s shop in Knightsbridge (osheasbutchers.com). We simply stick it on the grill with a little seasoning, place it in the bun and let you do the rest. But hurry, because on March 1st Big D will be gone for another year.
Big D, served with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle and mayonnaise. £10.50