Hand on heart, we believe Bristol has some of the best burgers in Britain. Don’t believe us? Well, three local restaurants have made the shortlist for the National Burger Awards 2024 – they will now face off against 15 other finalists from across the UK to be crowned the winner. (This means 18.75% of the best burgers in the UK are in Bristol.)
Mollie’s Motel & Diner – created by Soho House founder Nick Jones MBE – up by Cribbs Causeway is inspired by the classic roadside motels and drive-in diners you’ll find in the States. It’s got everything you would expect from those American icons – red neon signs, big milkshakes, chrome booths, pancake stacks, an open kitchen, and somewhere to rest your head after a long drive. Oh, of course, and burgers.
Mollie’s Double Cheeseburger booked the diner’s place in the finals at the National Burger Awards. It might sound simple enough (aged double patty, American cheese, burger sauce, house relish, pickles), but the classics are classic for a reason. It’s not the only Bristol burger joint to feature either. Fattso – the award-winning smash burger vendor in Old Market – was picked for its Chimmy Chimmy Ya burger. While Fat Dads Kitchen got picked up for The Triple Beef.
All three will face some tough competition, however, when they head to the cook-off in London on February 20. This year’s line-up includes London-based burger chain and 2020 champion Bleecker, and Black Bear Burger, another of the capital’s burger-specialist institutions. They are joined by the likes of Loungers, Cosy Club and Brightside brands, as well as Stonegate, the nation’s largest pub and bar operator. Several up-and-coming indies also feature, including Bun & Sum from London and Newquay’s Herd Burger.
The competition will see chefs go head-to-head in a live cooking showdown to see whose signature burger creation will be named best in the UK. As well as showing off their burgers, chefs will participate in a technical challenge to see who can create a burger from a specific selection of ingredients in a bid to be crowned Burger Chef of the Year. They will also take part in a meat-free burger round. Winners of every round will be chosen by a hand-picked panel of esteemed industry judges, including former victors of the competition.
“A decade into this respected event and we are beyond proud to reveal our most exciting line-up yet,” says Genna Ash-Brown, editor of Dine Out Magazine, which organises and runs the awards. “What better way to mark 10 years in the game than with our biggest competition to date? Expect top-notch banter from our host DJ BBQ, cheerful camaraderie from champion chefs and, of course, a bounty of burgers so good you’ll be salivating more than Pavlov’s dogs!”
The 2024 National Burger Awards Finalists:
Black Bear Burger: Black Bear Burger
Bleecker: Bacon Double
Bun & Sum: Bow Dip
Burger Shop: Double Bacon Cheese
Burgervore: Basic Instinct
Fat Dads Kitchen: The Triple Beef
Fattso: Chimmy Chimmy Ya
Herd Burger: The Herd Burger
Libertine Burger: Libertine #044
Loungers: Dirty Brisket Burger
MeatCastles: Royal Flush
Mollie’s Motel & Diner: Mollie’s Double Cheeseburger
Stonegate Pub Company: MVB
That Burger Place: Golden Gate Smash
The Barley Mow: The Secret Burger
Whole Beast: Aged Cheeseburger