Chris Norfolk has won the title for creating Britain’s Favourite Burger with his famous menu staple at The Elm Tree pub in Elmton. Following a cook-off that saw five competition finalists battle it out in the kitchen, Chris’s 31 Day Matured Steak Burger with Stilton & Jalapenos was the one that impressed judges, MasterChef winner Tim Anderson, and chefs from 3663 and Heinz, the most.
The competition to find Britain’s Favourite Burger, run by food giants 3663 and Heinz, came to a tantalising climax with 12 finalists waiting to see which burger recipe had tickled the taste buds of the voting public. Chris’s was among the five most popular burger dishes.
The competition came to a close at the pop-up Burger Kitchen in Hayes, where chefs Tim Anderson, Lucas Williams (3663) and Andy Bacon (Heinz) oversaw the cooking and presentation of each of the five burgers. After nearly an hour of tasting, scoring and discussing the attributes of each entry, the judging panel came to a decision. Guest judge and keen advocate of the burger, Tim Anderson, delivered the final verdict that Chris had scooped the title of Britain’s Best Burger.
Head Chef at The Elm Tree, Chris entered his burger creation into the nationwide competition run by food giants 3663 and Heinz, who began the hunt for Britain’s Favourite Burger in May. He was handed a gleaming trophy and will be treated to a luxury weekend break and £1,000 spending money.
First runner-up was Paul Robinson of Grimsby Institute & University Centre, who was presented with £200 cooking equipment vouchers and a Weber barbecue, and Stephen Thorp of The Idle Hour, Claire Seymour of The Starting Gate and Adam Duebel of The Master Builders House Hotel were all presented with £200 cooking equipment vouchers each.
Chris Norfolk said of his win:
“Is is absolutely fantastic to have won this award. We are a tiny little pub in a small village and this is really going to boost our profile around the local area. Our main point of difference is that we butcher all of our own meat right here at the pub. This recipe calls for the meat from a rack of ribs and we get through up to four a week. We will definitely be entering again next year and might even submit something a little more adventurous – pigeon, rabbit or pheasant burger anyone?”
For information about the competition or to download the winning recipe click here