Lantmännen Unibake UK’s Americana brand and Christian Stevenson, aka DJ BBQ, have quizzed the nation on their biggest burger challenges and created an exclusive new range of operator-led solutions designed to help positively influence burger sales across the country.

From trading up to gourmet burger buns to embracing the latest global taste trends. The top five cost-effective, and quick to implement, expert tips address the biggest challenges operators report when it comes to taking their burger menus to “the upper echelons of tasty town” and boosting their burger sales:

Top Tip #1: Go “Animal Style”. It’s a becoming a mega-trend in America, “Animal Style” burgers feature a quality burger as its base and then elevate it to the king of dirty burgers with all the extra fixings and sauces. They are going to be big in the UK this summer and operators can capitalise on this by pairing a toasted Americana Brioche Bun with a patty grilled in a mustard glaze, adding a secret burger sauce, upgrading to fried pickle chips and swapping sliced onions for finely chopped caramelised onions. Using these pro tips will make your burger dishes sing, especially when served with a quality gourmet bun.

Top Tip #2: Choose the right burger bun. 70% of consumers consider a gourmet bun a key characteristic of a burger^[1]. Choosing a quality, gourmet bun not only makes a burger look better, but it also makes it taste better. Going gourmet is therefore the number one requirement to take burger menus to the next level. What’s more, its profit potential is bigger, with consumers willing to pay up to £1.35 more for their burger to feature a gourmet bun.

Top Tip #3: The Customer is king. The main drivers for a customer to choose a burger on a menu is flavour, variety and indulgence. Feed these need states and capitalise on the opportunity to upsell by offering customers a customisable menu of flavours, ingredients and toppings.

Operators can ensure the customer gets exactly what they want by offering additional and premiumised fillings. For example, upgrade from a pickle to a frickle, add a special house sauce, and even offer a range of quick and easy bun toppings, like crispy onions, nuts or even popcorn to stick to. With minimal extra effort for the kitchen and increased opportunity for outlets to grow their margin and increase visitation frequency from satisfied customers.

Top Tip #4: Buy the best meat you can afford. Cuts with a higher fat content – 20% minimum – will enhance the flavour and ensure the burger remains juicy throughout the cooking process. Go for a medium-size patty. When it comes to the seasoning, operators can create a little burst of umami by combining onion or garlic powder with salt and pepper and adding a pinch of cayenne for real out-of-this-world flavour.

Top Tip #5: Embrace plant based. Beanie burgers with dirty onions and grilled corn mashed into a patty are all the rage. Operators can pop them on a plancha grill and they will hold together nicely. Grilled halloumi and smashed avocado burgers go down a treat. Vegan and vegetarian options are increasingly becoming a consumer favourite and are starting to be considered ‘proper’ burgers. A burger place with a great plant-based offering is important – veggie options can be the mark of a truly gourmet establishment.

Christian Stevenson aka DJ BBQ says: “Burgers are easy to get right as long as you use the right quality ingredients, cooking methods and of course ensure they are housed in a gourmet bun. The beauty of burgers is that they can easily move from classic to gourmet with just a few ingredients or carrier tweaks, making them the perfect dish to focus on when looking to enhance profits this season.”

Samantha Winsor, Brand Manager, Lantmännen Unibake’s Americana brand, comments: “Burgers remain a firm consumer favourite with 77% order a burger ins pub or restaurant at least once a month[2]. We teamed up with DJ BBQ to support operators with their burger challenges and to keep their burger offering on-trend this summer in a way that will boost their bottom line.

“Our research shows there is an opportunity for operators to make more out of their burger sales. The the simplest and most cost-effective way to elevate a burger menu and in turn to enhance profitability is to stay ahead of the latest flavour trends and trade up to gourmet. This can be easily achieved through small menu tweaks and offering quality ingredients and premium buns like our Americana Gourmet Bun range.

For more insight from Americana and DJ BBQ visit https://www.americana.co.uk/inspiration/insights/ask-dj-bbq/or follow us on social media

[1] Opeepl 12/02/2021 on behalf of Americana

[2] Opeepl – Americana Gourmet Burger Survey – August 2021