HEREFORD’s Burger Shop featured on BBC Two’s Top British Takeaways tonight (May 11).
Co-founder Dorian Kirk and chef and director Rupert Davison were smashing burgers and keen to impress the judges.
They finished second out of five burger takeaways from across the country.
Each week on the show five of the nations’ award-winning highly rated and innovative takeaways will compete in their own cuisine, cooking and delivering some of the finest takeout in the country.
From top chippies going head-to-head in a fish-and-chip fry-off to a battle of burgers, noodles, pizzas, Indian, fried chicken, kebabs… there’s even a Mexican showdown.
Judging the food and deciding who won were takeaway-loving families who ate and then scored the food from the comfort of their own homes.
Tonight, was burger night and among the nation's “top takeaways” were Burger Shop.
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The first round saw the Williams family, as well as couple Nick and Royston, judging the restaurant's classic burgers.
Burger Shop were the only ones with formal training in Michelin-star restaurants.
Dorian said they want to put a Michelin-star dish in between bread.
The first round asked the restaurants to show how creatively they could re-create a classic burger, which had to be cooked to perfection.
Rupert and Dorian cooked Burger Shop's Hereford Hop which was made of aged grass-fed beef patty, beef shin, “tangy beery flavoured” cheese and pickled onion rings.
They hoped their more measured approach gave them an edge.
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Dorian said: “We pile everything on top of each other. We let every flavour sing.
“I enjoy making things looking as beautiful as I can make them look.
“Every chef loves to know how food been received. I can’t wait to see scores.”
The William family said it was oozing with cheese, had so much flavour and the meat was juicy and rich.
While Nick and Royston said it was messy but tasty.
Both families scored them four points, which ranked them second overall.
The second round saw the restaurants impress with their “vegetarian offerings.”
Judges for this round were couples Linda and Keith and Liam and Leah.
Burger Shop gave the humble vegetable a high-end makeover with their Bombay burger which is made up of a Bombay potato patty, onion bhaji, and pickled lime.
Judge Keith said: “It’s like an Indian restaurant.”
Chef Rupert said it is an interesting burger.
"There is alot of things going on in it. It has crunch from the bhaji, and the potato patty is full of flavour.
“It’s just a meat substitute burger, it’s taking the humble potato and giving it loads of flavour,” he said.
“It’s a winner.”
Dorian and Rupert became friends at catering college 20 years ago and earned their stripes with Michelin-star chefs in Sydney and London.
They moved back home to Hereford a few years ago to follow their dream and go into business together.
Rupert said: “Everyone loves a burger and it can be accessible to everyone. You can have it every week or any occasion.”
When judging their Bombay burger, the couples were impressed.
“Oh my God,” said Leah.
“There is so much flavour in that, and it’s not mushy.”
They scored them a two while Linda and Keith said it was very nice and flavoursome and scored them a four, which kept them in second place.
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The third round saw the Spencers judge burgers that can excite mum and dad and please the kids.
Merguez lamb burger caught the Spencer’s eye, which is made of slow-cooked lamb in a north African spice mix.
“I’m intrigued,” said Mrs Spencer.
“Looks greasy at the bottom. I'm assuming it’s the lamb juices and it is cooked really well.”
Meanwhile, the stakes were raised when the takeaways were told they had to made everything off their menus twice for a tennis club of a range of ages. The exercise was worth double points.
A player said it is “really nice” lamb that tastes stunning.
Final scores were in, and the winner was unveiled, while Dorian and Rupert came in a successful second.
The episode can be watched on BBC iPlayer.
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