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Gourmet Burger Kitchen We recently caught up with
Ken Gilbride, the country manager for Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Ireland to see what was new in the burger world….. Why has the burger retained its appeal down through generations? I think this has to do with the fact that we are burger obsessed and we create delicious burgers for all ages and with the agility of our menu there really is something for everyone. For the lean machine we have the Go Bunless which allows you to remove the bun on any burger and swap it for GBK homeslaw and a choice of chargrilled corn or simple green salad, for our dippie hippies we have delicious range of vegetarian and vegan burgers and for the mild taste buds you can go for a classic burger or if you really hungry you go for The Mighty our double pattie burger, cheese, bacon, garlic mayo – what more could you want. We like to experiment a lot, for example we just launched our ‘Ruby Murray’ burger which is an Indian inspired burger, it has samosa aloo, poppadum and mango chutney in it, all on top of a lamb patty! What is the secret to the perfect burger? Balance, it’s a mix of Meat, toppings and bun, there is not one thing that makes the perfect burger but a combination. Firstly you need to ensure that you are using the best quality cuts of meat, to ensure flavour and juiciness, never frozen always fresh. The toppings need to add flavours that complement each other, not just adding substance, and the bun is of course the crowing of any burger. It needs to have the right amount of elasticity to hold together and not over the flavours. There are meant to be subtle references to the Kiwi origins of the chain in GBK restaurants. Are they evident here? We will always be proud of our heritage and will always try to imbed the New Zealand culture into GBK. As the brand has evolved since 2001 we have tried to keep some of the original kiwi origins such as the Kiwi and Habenero Sauce (originated in New Zealand) and our famous Kiwiburger (pineapple, beetroot & egg!) The burger scene in the city has never been as competitive. What challenges does this bring? The burger scene is competitive but GBK will always stand out from the crowd as the burgers we serve are of the highest quality with adventurous toppings that our consumers keep coming back for. At Gourmet Burger Kitchen we keep doing what we know, great burgers, great atmosphere, great service with fantastic teams pushing through the current climate challenges that the restaurant scene is facing. What development plans does Gourmet Burger Kitchen have in Dublin? It’s exciting times for GBK Ireland, we have just finished an 18 month programme of refurbishments in all of our locations, and now we are looking for the next sites. Keep your eyes peeled as we will be opening new locations very soon.