Britain's Best Burger Unveiled

The Classic Double Beef Burger with Bacon and Cheese has been crowned Britain’s Best Burger, with traditional combinations dominating trend-driven alternatives.

With 1.3 billion burgers consumed each year in the UK ^[1], the Classic Double Beef Burger with Bacon, Cheddar Cheese and Burger Sauce served in a Brioche Bun is Britain’s Best Burger. That’s according to new research by Lantmännen Unibake’s Americana brand, proving that traditional flavours and gourmet ingredients deserve hero status on burger menus over trendy alternatives.

Such is the passion for the Classic Double Beef Burger with Bacon and Cheese, a standout 64% of consumers say beef is the top choice when it comes to what type of meat-based patty to put between a burger bun. That’s more than twice as many as chicken, which comes in second with 24% of the vote.

Lamb burgers (4%) trail behind in third position, while pork (3%) and fish (1%) sit at the bottom of the burger leaderboard. In terms of quantity, just one beef patty is not enough; almost two-thirds (64%) of consumers say two is the ultimate number, and almost half (47%) think the patty itself is the best bit of a burger.

For 66% of the nation, cheese – specifically cheddar, which is the cheese of choice for almost half (43%) of all consumers – and bacon (43%) are the go-to gourmet burger fillings, beating more adventurous options such as jalapenos (12%), Mac ‘n’ Cheese (7%) and chorizo (5%).

It’s a similar story in terms of favoured salad components. Burger staple, lettuce, is a must-have for more than half (60%) of consumers, and 40% say they would opt for tomato. Frickles, aka fried pickles (6%), and chilli peppers (12%) also prove tempting to consumers. In terms of the favourite sauce to dollop on a burger, burger sauce was one of the most popular, with 35% of consumers choosing it as their favourite.

Samantha Winsor, Marketing Manager at Americana, comments; “It’s clear that more traditional flavours prevail in today’s burger market, and cheddar cheese, specifically, has been called out as the nation’s preferred burger topping. This indicates that British consumers are patriotic at heart, choosing a cheese that is well-known and home-grown.

“The opportunity for operators planning their menus is to promote popular, local ingredients well known to their customers. South West venues could incorporate cheddar from Cheddar Gorge, whilst operators in North Wales could look to Snowdonia to purchase local cheese. And with so many components to a quality burger, the opportunity to work local produce on to menus doesn’t stop with cheese.”

To qualify as Britain’s Best Burger, a high-quality, gourmet bun is a vital ingredient. In fact, 92% of consumers agreed that a bun that holds its structural integrity and doesn’t become soggy is important to them. Specifically, Americana’s Brioche Bun is rated as an ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’ choice by 60% of consumers, followed by the brand’s Grill Marked Bun (52%) and Gourmet Kaiser Bun (44%). On average, consumers are also willing to pay £1.35 more for their burger to come in a gourmet bun.

A huge 82% of those polled agreed that a burger in a gourmet bun looks more appealing than a standard bun, with 67% also saying that they would be disappointed if their burger was not served in a gourmet bun. With 62% confirming that it is ‘very important’ that their bun hold the contents of their burger without falling apart, it is clear that gourmet is the way to go in order to meet consumer bun preferences.

Samantha Winsor continues: “Over the last few years, we have seen a wide range of playful flavours hit burger menus. These innovative options keep things fresh and tap into trends, which in turn drives consumer interest, but our market research proves that when it comes to Britain’s Best Burger, you can’t beat a trusted Classic Double Beef Burger with Bacon and Cheese sandwiched in a premium Brioche Bun.

“For an effective and consumer-pleasing balance, we would encourage street food operators, pubs and restaurants to continue to have fun mixing things up with unique options, such as limited-time offers and seasonal recipes, while honouring the classic, quality burger elevated by a premium bun. This will cater for a range of tastes and develop the overall sales opportunity.”

The research by Americana also delved into the nation’s burger-eating habits. 77% of consumers order a burger in an out-of-home setting such as in a restaurant or pub once a month, with the majority open to spending £7 more on Britain’s Best Burger menu in a gourmet bun. Also, 68% would wait 20 minutes or more. Looking at wider spending habits, (31%) are happy to spend up to £14.99 on a gourmet burger. In comparison, the majority of consumers polled (38%) are only prepared to spend £7.49 on a standard burger option.

In terms of the most important factor when choosing Britain’s Best Burger, nothing comes close to ‘taste and flavour’ for almost two-thirds (60%) of consumers. ‘Quality of ingredients’ (18%), ‘lots of fillings’ (8%) and ‘visual appeal’ (3%) are also factors considered.

Looking at vegetarian and vegan options, halloumi burgers come out top (30%), followed by mushroom burgers (11%) and bean burgers (10%). Meanwhile, over a quarter (27%) of consumers turn their thumbs down to ordering a vegetarian and vegan burger.

“Consumers hold the classic British ingredients in high regard,” Winsor concludes. They are prepared to pay that bit extra for them, and to wait a little longer for them to be prepared. Outlets should capitalise on this theme of tradition elevated to benefit the bottom line.”