National Burger Day: What Are the Biggest Burger Trends of 2017?
Every year, burger trends get bigger, tastier, and even more creative, and to mark National Burger Day on August 24th, we’ll take a look at what’s on our plate for 2017.
Below are the exciting, innovative or even just plain wacky 2017 burger trends from around the world that are already hitting our menus in the UK, or that we could soon be seeing more of. Which of these trends have you already tried? Let us know by sending us a tweet @BunzlLockhart!
Chocolate Flavoured Burgers
If you read our previous blog post on why you should add chocolate to your breakfast menu, you’ll know that we’re a big fan of adding chocolate to every meal – but we bet you’ve never thought to combine chocolate with burgers. Hull-based burger company KerbEdge created a chocolate burger to be premiered at the local Yum! Festival of Food and Drink in August, and we’ve a feeling that it could be here to stay.
KerbEdge creates new chocolate-flavoured burger for food festivalhttps://t.co/VDIIYRBTBg
— Hull Daily Mail (@hulldailymail) July 25, 2017
KerbEdge’s chocolate burger comprises of blue cheese mayo, pineapple and coconut chutney, smashed avocado, and meat marinated in cocoa and chilli powder – the perfect burger for those who just can’t wait for dessert!
Plant-Based ‘Meat’ Burgers
Every burger restaurant worth its buns has at least one vegetarian burger on its menu now, and it’s not unusual for that option to be vegan-friendly too. However, we could soon be seeing meatless burgers that even lifelong meat eaters would mistake for the real thing, as ‘clean meat’, and advanced types of plant-based ‘meat’ are growing in popularity in the USA, and look set to take hold on our shores.
‘Clean meat’ is the name given to meat that has not come from an animal – instead, being grown in a laboratory through cell-based replication. The first lab-grown burger was eaten in London in 2013, but the process is becoming more advanced and American company Memphis Meats is currently leading the way in bringing clean meat, including chicken and beef to market, so it may well be on our plates within the next few years.
In the meantime however, protein-rich, plant-based ‘meat’ alternatives have also been revolutionised. American companies such as Beyond Meat (which is backed by Bill Gates) and Impossible Foods have launched plant-based burgers that are made from meat alternatives that are so convincing they even ‘bleed’, and have been tricking meat eaters into thinking they’re the real deal. The ‘Beyond Burger’ is set to be sold in restaurants across the USA, and Beyond Meat have plans to bring it to the UK very soon.
Hamburger Straws
You can always rely on Japan to start a crazy food trend – and the ‘hamburger straws’ trend is no exception. We’re not sure whether this is more of a burger trend or a drink trend, but the premise is simple: take a fast-food burger and a soft drink, shove your straw through the burger so that it penetrates the whole thing, and then drink your soda through the straw normally.
Pioneered by young Japanese fast-food lovers, the hamburger straws are now appearing around the world. No, we’re not sure whether it adds anything in terms of flavour, but it certainly makes for an interesting Instagram photo!
Vegetable Buns
The avocado burger bun trend popped up all over our Instagram feeds in 2016, but this year’s burger bun trend from Australia is decidedly more user-friendly. Burger restaurants in Melbourne are offering burgers with brightly coloured bread buns that are made from over 50% vegetable, such as kale and spinach, beetroot and pumpkin, and are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to keep the healthy-eating crowd happy.
These colourful buns are also very social-media friendly, so no doubt it’s only a matter of time until they hit the UK – and unlike the avocado bun trend, they actually could be here to stay.
So with National Burger Day on the horizon, will you be trying out any of these burger trends, or are you looking to start one of your own? We’ve got everything you need in our Kitchen Equipment range, including burger turners and tongs, plus in our Serving & Display range you’ll find stylish wooden serving boards that are perfect for artfully presenting your burger creations.
Or, if it’s time to upgrade your restaurant kitchen to cope with the burger demand, take a look at our range of commercial Cooking Equipment including chargrills and barbecues.
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