BURGER King has launched the UK’s poshest fast food burger, in an industry-first.
The Wagyu burger, which is being launched today with a new ad campaign fronted by Gordon Ramsay, is the chain’s most premium burger yet.
Burger King’s Wagyu beef burger is a first for UK fast food[/caption]
The new dish has backing from celeb chef Gordon Ramsay[/caption]
Customers can pick up the burger for £11 or £13.50 as part of a meal[/caption]
Part of its “Gourmet Kings” range of posh menu items, Burger King‘s latest addition is made from 100% British wagyu beef, an upmarket meat that originates from Japan and is known for its tender, marbled texture.
The fast food giant, which has over 500 restaurants in the UK, says it wants to make posh wagyu beef burgers accessible to everyone.
The new burger features a seeded brioche bun topped with caramelised onion mayonnaise, pink pickled onions, caramelised onions, crispy onions and rocket.
It’s available in stores nationwide and on Deliveroo from today (September 9), but only for a limited time.
The new dish will cost diners £11 or £13.50 as part of a meal.
Celebrity chef Mr Ramsay has endorsed the burger in a new ad campaign.
Launching The Wagyu at an event in Burger King’s outlet in London‘s Strand last week, Mr Ramsay described it as “f***ing delicious”, adding he was “pissed off I didn’t actually make it”.
The Hell’s Kitchen star, who owns his own burger restaurants under the name Street Burger, said the “most exciting” thing about Burger King’s new offering was its price point.
He added that there was an appetite from consumers for more premium offerings from fast food restaurants.
He is starring in a series of TV adverts for the fast food chain, in which he pretends to be working in Burger King restaurants.
The Sun previously revealed how the 58-year-old celebrity chef had landed a six-figure deal to appear in the TV adverts.
He was spotted in his whites earlier this summer with a camera crew filming at one of his outlets in Reading, Berks, along with a small cast of actors.
The Sun got to go behind the scenes in Burger King’s kitchen last week to see how The Wagyu is made.
Burger King director of food development Christian Binney, who designed the product, said it took 12 to 18 months to create, before being presented to Mr Ramsay for his approval.
The patty is cooked on the flame grills for just over three minutes, before being left to sit for 30 seconds to render the fat and make it more tender.
Our reporter tries Burger King’s ‘The Wagyu’
THE Sun’s Senior Consumer Reporter Blathnaid Corless was one of the first to try Burger King’s all-new wagyu burger.
Here’s what she thought of it…
The first thing I noticed about The Wagyu is the attractive sleek black cardboard box it comes in, which has apparently been designed especially for this burger.
I have to say, £11 for a fast food burger does seem expensive at first, but you can tell that it’s a bit more high-end than a Whopper or any of Burger King’s standard menu items.
When you open the box, the burger is half-wrapped in parchment paper, so it looks more appealing and doesn’t fall apart when you try to eat it.
I was sceptical when I heard this burger contains three different types of onions – as well as a caramelised onion mayo – as I thought it could easily overpower the flavour of the wagyu beef.
However, it tastes great, and the crispy onions give it a really nice bit of texture.
With posh ingredients you wouldn’t normally find somewhere like Burger King, such as a brioche bun and rocket leaves, it does feel a bit like you’re eating something you could have ordered from a top-tier, more expensive burger joint.
However, I have to say I didn’t notice a huge amount of difference between the wagyu patty and the regular beef used in Burger King’s famous Whopper.
The thickness of the patty is relatively the same, and it’s cooked under the same flame grill as the Whopper, so the taste isn’t too different.
Gordon Ramsay claims the price is the “best” thing about this burger – but at £13.50 for a meal, it wouldn’t cost you much more to go to a proper burger restaurant.
Overall, I’d give the burger a 4 out of 5.
He said that compared to a regular Whopper patty, the wagyu burger offers a more buttery, nutty flavour, as well as being more tender.
It also features the most amount of onions Burger King has ever used in its food, he told us, with the beef being paired with three different types of onions to maximise the flavour.
Burger King has even specially designed a new box to hold The Wagyu, which opens up like a present to reveal the burger.
“The Wagyu is our most premium burger to date and a true innovation that delivers gourmet flavour to our guests nationwide,” Christian said.
“From the dedicated farmers raising wagyu herds, to our restaurant teams perfecting the flame-grilled taste, it has been crafted with expertise at every stage.”
The “distinctly British” beef was created by crossing wagyu cattle with British dairy cows from grass-fed herds across 700 farms.
How to save money eating out
THERE are a number of ways that you can save money when eating out. Here’s how:
Discount codes – Check sites like Sun Vouchers or VoucherCodes for any discount codes you can use to get money off your order.
Tastecard – This is a members club where you pay to have access to discounts worth up to 50 per cent off at thousands of restaurants. It costs £4.99 a month or £34.99 for the year.
Loyalty schemes – Some restaurants will reward you with discounts or a free meal if you register with their loyalty scheme, such as Nando’s where you can collect a stamp with every visit. Some chains like Pizza Express will send you discounts for special occasions, such as your birthday, if you sign up to their newsletter.
Voucher schemes – Look out for voucher schemes offered by third party firms, such as Meerkat Meals. If you compare and buy a product through CompareTheMarket.com then you’ll be rewarded with access to the discount scheme. You’ll get 2 for 1 meals at certain restaurants through Sunday to Thursday.
Student discounts – If you’re in full-time education or a member of the National Students Union then you may be able to get a discount of up to 15 per cent off the bill. It’s always worth asking before you place your order.
The new launch follows Burger King’s biggest shake-up to its menus in years back in May.
The chain added Kansas BBQ Chicken Fries to its menus, as well as returning favourites like the Bacon Caesar Gourmet Kings and the Spicy Mayo range.
Meanwhile, Burger King confirmed earlier this year that the recipe for its most renowned burger, the Whopper, had been given a makeover.
The chain confirmed that the Whopper had changed for the first time in years, with juicier beef, a fluffier glazed bun, and fresh-cut tomatoes and onions.
Last year, the chain brought back its beloved Halloumi Fries, which have proved popular with fans.
Elsewhere, The Sun has tried an iconic burger from a selection of UK chains and rated them all out of five.
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