The South American Dream - Las Iguanas Restaurants

Where?: Las Iguanas Torquay

What?: The South American Dream

How much?: £10.50

The Verdict:

I generally steer clear of burgers from national chains. Notable exception was the Jamie's Italian Burger which was epic and quite tasty, but you will discover sooner of later that in comparison to a standard Gourmet Burger Restaurant burger, it will not even hit the mark.

So I give you another exception to the rule. The South American Dream which was featured on Eating Exeter's latest review of the Las Iguanas restaurant in Torquay.

Click the link to read more!

The Mutha Ducka - Ruby Modern Diner

Where?: Ruby Modern Diner, Queen St. Exeter

What?: Smoked Creedy Carver Duck Leg, Spring Onion, Cucumber and Hoi Sin sauce

How much?: £8.50

The Verdict:

The Mutha Ducker burger is an interesting and successful concept. Duck meat, in a burger? You have to be quackers!? Excuse the pun. I have to say though, this burger works really well with the lashings of Hoi Sin sauce, smoked pulled duck and the freshness of the spring onion and cucumber, it is an interesting alternative for those who want something a little different.

The smoked duck and hoi sin sauce reminds me of duck and hoi sin wraps that you sometimes get in Chinese Restaurants. The spring onion adds that extra dimension to the flavour and the whole thing is topped off with some fresh Cucumber.  The duck, like nearly all of the ingredients that go in to the food at Ruby Modern Diner is locally sourced, coming from Creedy Carver based a few miles away in Crediton.

This was part of a longer review which can be read on Eating Exeter

The Scorchio - Ruby Modern Diner

Where?: Ruby Modern Diner, Queen St. Exeter

What?: Lettuce, Tomato, 7oz Patty, Spicy Chorizo, Chipotle Mayonnaise, Mexicana cheese piled with Jalapeños

How much?: £8.50

The Verdict:

The Scorchio is a tower of spicy meaty majesty.  The spicy chorizo pieces work really well with the chipotle mayo and the mexicana cheese. This combination turns the whole burger in to a heavenly stack of umami awesomeness that I enjoyed with every single bit.  The Jalapeños give it a fiery hit and mixed with the seasoning of the burger it creates a really top combination, and certainly one of my favourite burgers so far.  The spice level has to be noted too; it is not challenge just to eat the burger and non of the taste is lost in the burn, as it would be very sad to lose any of the chorus of lovely tastes. With the glazed brioche bun, it works really well as a burger and really hope it stays on the menu for a long time to come.

One of my burger heroes is Burger Lad who has eaten and travelled the length & breadth of the UK reviewing burgers and writing about them.  He recently stopped by Ruby Burgers and wrote about The Scorchio Burger saying about the Spicy Chorizo…

“The Spicy Chorizo was beautiful. Bordering on outstanding… very rich with its signature smoked paprika flavour, thickly cut and a very generous amount on-board. In my notes I described it as highly decadent, oozing with quality bringing another dimension to the arsenal of tastes in my mouth.”
Burger Lad (2015)

Burger Lad also had The Ruby Burger which he rated really highly as one of his favourite burgers that he’s sampled on his travels, Beer Burger and Beyond (our sister blog which I also write) sampled The Ruby Burger as well and I can say that it an impressive burger.  But The Scorchio might just be nipping at its heels for my affections.

Ruby

Bison Burgers at The Exeter Food Festival 2015

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Stampede-Bison-burgers-Exeter-Festival-SW-Food/story-26388821-detail/story.html

Express and Echo reports that Bison Burgers were very popular this year! Follow the link with caution as the website is utterly littered with adverts and pop-ups.  Or at least turn on your pop-up blocker.

The Jamie's Italian Burger

Where?: Jamie's Italian, Princesshay

What?: The Jamie's Italian Burger

How much?: £10.95 (bundled with chips £13.95)

The Verdict:

Jamie's Italian brings many things to Exeter with its opening last week, including this epic burger.  Loaded with pickles, chilli, mozzarella and mortadella smoked meat, it was the highlight of our visit to this new restaurant.  Read the full review here.

This is an epic burger with a mighty kick of meatyness between its bun.  The patty itself was at least 9oz, having been chargrilled it was certainly worth the money.

What's Your Beef? Urban Burger's burger competition winner announced.

I was honoured to be invited to judge Urban Burger's design-a-burger competition which has been running for a couple of months. The event happened at the restaurant on Thursday, which saw the finalists have their burgers cooked and brought before a panel of judges, including little old me, for the ultimate taste show down.

The panel included John Harvey the Exeter City Centre manager @ExeterCCM , Chris 'Bentos' Bentley former Exeter Chiefs Lock and now Corporate Sales manager for the team @CCBentos and Steve who runs +DevonHour, and me who writes about food in Exeter and also has a small obsession about Burgers.

We were going to judge the burgers on Appearance, Taste, Texture and Creativity and give them a score out of 10.  "easy!" I thought, but this was much tougher than I envisioned given the high standard of the entries.

The first contender was The BRIEoche, which used an interesting combination of barbecue beans and Brie.  I love Brie and a Brie Burger might have been a winner in my eyes, but the use of beans for me didn't do it.  A combination that for some of the judges really worked, but a little too strange for my taste buds.  It was a clean and tidy burger, and very enjoyable to eat in that sense.

The second to enter our gaze was the Ay Caramba, a Chipotle laden spice mountain with Guacamole and some strong flavours.  I loved the taste of this one, but it was very sloppy and a little too messy for my liking.  This was my second favourite of the night in the end, and had I not been quite so bowled over by the winner, it would have been my favourite to win.

The third burger of the night was the Oh My Mexican Cheese, using Afterburner Chilli Cheese and an interesting salsa, this burger looked amazing as it came out.  But its appearance was part of its downfall as it fell apart very easily when trying to eat it, I enjoyed the taste but there was an expectation of heat which didn't come through.

The last burger of the night was the Duck n Dive, which won the evening for all of the judges. Smoked pulled duck with a chinese coleslaw was the one that got approving noises from all of us at the judging table.  It was light, clean, fresh and easy to eat without feeling too overbearing.  Part of me was sad that it wasn't a beef burger that won but Urban Burger have an impressive track record when it comes to Smoking things.  Take a look at their Smoke House menu if you get a chance :)

The winner was announced, the prize awarded and photos taken.  Take a look at some snaps from the evening, all credit for photos goes to Urban Burger for photos taken. I edited them, but didn't take them!

The entrants and their friends came to support and cheer for their burgers!

Team BRIEoche

The burgers came out from the kitchen in batches of four, divided amongst judges and contestants

The judges eagerly awaiting the next batch of burgers

 

#burgerboys

We didn't all agree sometimes, but that is what makes this process so much fun!

The Duck n Dive, an amazing burger which rightfully won the competition.

The judges with Lucy, winner of the competition who won £250 worth of Urban Burger vouchers and the addition of her Burger to the menu...

#burgerboys looking 'ard

Lucy, the creator of the winning burger

The battle of the burgers: who has stolen McDonald's crown? via Telegraph.co.uk

“So this is what America tastes like”, I thought, dreamily, on my first trip to McDonald’s, more than thirty years ago. There was no branch then in my home town, but a schoolmate’s parents took a group all the way to London for a birthday party. It was so new: perfect yellow squares of processed cheese, thin-cut fries, mouth-scorching apple pies. Mostly, I remember being startled by the flavours: sugary and salty with an undertow of dill.

The Golden Arches do not appear sparkly-fresh any more. On 23rd January, the world’s largest hamburger chain announced falling global profits for the fourth successive quarter.

In China, sales have been hit by scandal: a supplier was found guilty of using out-of-date chicken and beef. As a result, McDonald’s sales in Asia have dropped faster than anywhere else: by 4.8 per cent this quarter.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/11371802/The-battle-of-the-burgers-who-has-stolen-McDonalds-crown.html

Transport Media and St Austell Brewery look to quench the thirsts of London taxi users

Transport Media has teamed up with St Austell Brewery to launch a London-based taxi advertising campaign, promoting their flagship beer Tribute Cornish Pale Ale. The full livery advertising campaign will run for 12 months on taxis across Central London.

The campaign informs taxi users where they can pick up a pint of the traditional Cornwall favourite in the Capital, without the need to take a 'five hour cab ride' down to the South West. The eye-catching purple exterior adverts will stand out amongst the hustle and bustle of the city centre traffic, while the interior tip seat adverts feature a handy map, directing passengers to their nearest thirst-quenching pint of Tribute.

St Austell Brewery are a long-standing independent, family-run business, founded as far back as 1851 and proud brewers of many award winning beers. Tribute Cornish Pale Ale is a traditional South West favourite, as well as being one of the fastest growing premium cask ale brands throughout the rest of the UK. Its unique purple-coloured branding and bottles help set it apart from the competition, and St Austell beers are now available in over 350 pubs and bars within the M25.

CEO of Transport Media's parent company Media Agency Group, Lee Dentith, said: "We are extremely proud to be working alongside St Austell Brewery to help them promote their traditional Tribute Cornish Pale Ale to an ever-growing audience in Central London. Taxi advertising is a great way to promote a brand and I have no doubt that the campaign will be a huge success, hopefully leading to us working together in the future."

St Austell Brewery's Marketing and Communications Director said: "London is a key market for our beers and it is very exciting to see Tribute being advertised on the iconic London taxis. This campaign will help introduce Tribute to more consumers in the capital while also giving practical advice on where in London you can enjoy a pint of this Cornish classic."

Source: http://www.pressat.co.uk/releases/transport-media-and-st-austell-brewery-look-to-quench-the-thirsts-of-london-taxi-users-b94d26f121c23d213fb6956fb3543112/#ixzz3PNOeAXQn

UK’s most ‘beard-friendly’ pub is The Jolly Butchers in Stoke Newington (via London 24)

The Beard Liberation Front, ‘the informal network of beard wearers’, has revealed the north London real ale and craft beer house came top in a public vote this month.

Criteria for the list included ‘a pub that welcomes the hirsute and often has a significant number of hirsute customers’, and that has ‘beard friendly beers’.

The Jolly Butchers, which had previously won the accolade in 2012, edged out the Urban Tap House in Cardiff by just two votes to be crowned by a whisker.

http://www.london24.com/news/quirky-london/uk_s_most_beard_friendly_pub_is_the_jolly_butchers_in_stoke_newington_1_3922375 

Excellent @guardian article - How craft beer has set struggling pubs free from the nachos

On a Tuesday lunchtime, Whitelock’s is doing healthy business. At Leeds’s oldest pub, a mixed clientele samples the 10 real ales and tucks in to hearty pub food. The pub that John Betjeman described as “the heart of Leeds” celebrates its third centenary this year, but a few years ago its place in the city’s firmament was less secure. Whitelock’s, like many other pubs, had fallen on hard times and had lacked investment from its owner, the pub company Spirit Group.

The giant pubco had imposed a limited range of drinks and a generic menu of nachos and other dishes at odds with Whitelock’s character. Loyal customers drifted away. Dave Herbert, the pub’s manager, says: “The previous owner had given up a bit and that was reflected in sales, which were incredibly low.”

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/18/craft-beer-set-pubs-free-nachos-pubcos-independent-brewers 

Low-alcohol Beer sales rocket in Scotland after a change in law. Same to happen in England possibly?

SALES of low-alcohol beer have rocketed in Scotland since the introduction of the lower drink drive limit, retailers have claimed.

Figures show a huge surge in demand for products since the new laws came into force in December, meaning the average man can have just a pint of normal-strength beer before driving and woman only half a pint.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/low-alcohol-beer-sales-spike-after-drink-drive-law-1-3662722

How Iron Maiden's Trooper beer is brewed and canned (Video)

British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN will start selling their Trooper beer in a 500ml "Tall Boy" can in the U.S. this month.

300,000 Trooper cans will be made available in the U.S. beer market.

Video footage and photos showing how Trooper is canned can be seen below.

MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson, who designed and developed the ale with Martyn Weeks, the chief brewer at Robinsons, told Manchester Evening News that cans have advantages over bottles.

Read more at http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/how-iron-maidens-trooper-beer-is-canned-video-footage-photos/#qrfU4QCjGhFGIeIj.99

Deskbeers delivers craft ale to workplaces

It may well only be Monday, but Friday will roll around soon enough – and if you’re fortunate to work in a company that relaxes the rules a little, Friday is the day you get to crack open a free, cold beer at your desk or in the break-out area.

UK startup Deskbeers has been offering workplace delivery of a minimum of a dozen bottles of craft ale within London for a while, but now it’ll send its wares directly to your office anywhere on the UK mainland on a weekly, fortnightly, monthly or one-off basis.

http://thenextweb.com/uk/2015/01/12/deskbeers-now-delivering-craft-beers-workplaces-throughout-uk/

Gourmet burger market steps up a gear

Reports of the death of the burger trend have been greatly exaggerated it would appear, with the market set to boom in the coming years as its main protagonists continue to expand.

http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Trends-Reports/Burger-restaurant-trends-2015

Bottled Cocktails? Yes please!

http://barmagazine.co.uk/boss-martin-millers-gin-predicts-drinks-trends-2015/

A Healthy Burger Alternatives - Sweet Potato Burgers (link)

Smoky Sweet Potato Burgers with Roasted Garlic Cream and Avocado | 25 Tasty Hamburger Alternatives T... - http://pinterest.com/pin/A-EIXQAQQL4ATGzgVo0AAAA/?s=4&m=blogger

The Gobbler Burger - Ruby Modern Diner, Queen St. Exeter

Tis the season to be jolly!  Tis the season of late night shopping, Amazon wishlists, family logistics, Christmas meals and a very empty looking bank account.  There are a lot of things that really annoy me about the whole season, but the one thing I look forward to, being the pig that I am, is the culinary side of it.  Mince pies, seasonal specials, Christmas pudding and roast potatoes (not so much Brussels sprouts) but definitely the season of indulgence and good ‘ol gluttony.

One place in Exeter that has really got into the indulgent spirit is Ruby Modern Diner and for the Christmas season they’ve introduced an almighty burger which will warm the cockles of your celebratory cerebrum – but with a Ruby twist. Introducing The Gobbler, a portion of free range turkey breast coated in cranberry sauce which has been crumbed in panko breadcrumbs in-house, layered with streaky smoked bacon and garnished with salad and some delicious Hawkridge Cheddar, married between two served in Ruby’s signature light brioche buns – baked for Ruby everyday by Emma Parkin at the award winning Real Food Store.

Eating Exeter was lucky enough to have a sample of this tremendous turkey creation, but this was the second one in two days having been the organiser of our work Christmas meal which had the pleasure of choosing from the Ruby Christmas Menu.  It was so tempting I just had to have a sneak preview beforehand!  I’ll do a write-up of the Christmas meal itself in a later post as this was definitely worth some positive kudos.

Ruby have been creative with their take on the classic Christmas combination of Turkey, Cranberry and Bacon; all being the ingredients to the traditional sort of meal you might have at your In-laws. The team have managed to balance three ingredients that traditionally go together and have created the ultimate turkey burger, given this is a first for me as Turkey Burgers being served in restaurants are just not really that common.

And there is a reason for this (imho), Turkey is a naturally dry and bland meat if over-cooked but this meaty monster was cooked beautifully, remaining moist throughout the time it took me to photograph it, argue with my camera (you will take a photo at this distance I shouted…!!), eat/drink my Peanut Butter Jelly Five Dollar Milkshake and finally get around to eating it.  The classic cheese and bacon combination works well with the cranberry sauce (real cranberries by the way!) and the fresh salad garnish just finishes it off.  A word of warning, make sure you have about 5 paper napkins nearby before you start eating it because it got very messy!

So this brings me on to the other seasonal visitor to the Ruby Modern Diner menu; which was literally one of the nicest things I have had in a long time.  Ruby has to be one of the only places in Exeter that do ‘Five Dollar Milkshakes’ (I believe a reference from Pulp Fiction?) and certainly they are quite epic the rest of the year.  But a Peanut Butter Jelly Shake?  Yup. Peanut Butter, Strawberry Jam, Liquid Chocolate, Vanilla Ice-cream and Milk. Whizzed up and garnished with cream and a cherry.

After Ollie (Restaurant Manager) came over to see how I was getting on the only words that I could muster was ‘…that was epic’ and ‘I would live off these if I could’…I still hold to my hashtag #lostforwords that I used on Twitter afterwards.

Ruby have put their own spin on a Christmas classic.  For £8, The Gobbler can be part of your life and for £3.75 you can let the Peanut Butter Jelly Shake work its magic!

Ruby Modern Diner
74 Queen St, Exeter, EX4 3RX

Telephone: 01392 436168
Email: info@rubyburgers.com

www.rubyburgers.com

The Classic Cowboy - Inn On The Green (Marstons) Paignton

Where?: The Inn On The Green, Paignton

What?: The Cowboy Classic Burger - Bacon, Monterey Jack Cheese, Token Salad.

How much?: £10 something

The Verdict:

The Inn on The Green in Paignton hasn't done much for me in the past.  The last time we went there, it ended up with us making a complaint to the manager about some terrible tasting fish that they had served us as part of their fish and chips meal.  Marstons also own the Waterloo Cross in Uffculme which was terrible as well so frankly my expectations were dragging up the steps of the pub as we had decided that our day out in Paignton needed some fuel.

Given we were on a budget and not really feeling particularly adventurous we decided to give The Inn On The Green another go, but maybe avoid the fish this time?

The Inn On The Green is a family pub which means that there is generally more tolerance to the Callums and Chardonnays of this world running around screaming at the top of their voices whilst the rest of the pub quietly judge their parenting skills.  They won't get kicked out as fast, and there is a holding cell for the small ones (I think its called a play area?).  So bring your ear protectors.

Interestingly a sign at the front says that Cambra members are welcome, not that you would find anything worth them coming in for.  Like all Marstons their only main redeeming feature in terms of ale was the fact that they do have Hobgoblin on draught but this had a big sign on it saying 'coming soon'...  So yes, even before I had sat down I had judged and made up my mind.  Bad habit when you're writing a blog about places you eat in.

I would at this stage like to change the course of this post, because despite the surroundings there were a number of things that had improved since our last visit and the first thing was certainly the service.  The staff were friendly and personable, on the whole.  There were no miserable expressionless drones (as the Cafe Tutto around the corner had provided us with earlier in the afternoon), everyone seemed happy to smile and to express their basic humanity.

Secondly the food had improved as well.  Even though this is a burger blog, it was nice to see that they hadn't gone overboard with Gourmet Burgers.  There were three burgers to choose from (The Cowboy Classic, Macaroni Cheese Burger and a Piri Piri Chicken Burger) and they were not labeled proudly as 'Gourmet Burgers' which has become quite tiresome now, they were just Brilliant Burgers.  The Cowboy Classic seemed like a sure bet, so I went for that with baited breathe.



With some Heinz Burger sauce for dipping and a good load of chips, this was actually a nice burger.  Yes, it was stuffed with filler and binding, the origin of the meat was not given and it was beyond medium rare but it was definitely not the worst burger I have ever had.  A soft bap and a pot of catering standard coleslaw accompanied it, and although for what you got and compared to the price of better burgers that I have had in better places, it was much more than it should have been, the burger was a good size and the taste was meaty enough to keep me happy.

Washed down with a pint of Cumberland from Jennings (bought by Marstons in 2005) which frankly tasted of watered down nats piss, it was a fair meal which I would have again.  But with Hobgoblin.

The Mare & Foal 10oz Burger on The North Devon Ale Trail

The North Devon Ale Trail is most probably one of my favourite reasons for using a train.  I quite like trains anyway, but the idea of spending the day hopping on and off a train whilst visiting some of the nicer Devon pubs you are likely to find, fills me with heaps of happiness.  So it was with a lot of gusto and enthusiasm that I dragged some willing victims around this elongated pub crawl, all in the name of Real Ale.

Originally I had said that I would give a blow by blow account of the day, but in reality a lot happens on these trips and many photos were taken.  The main highlight for me on that day was the discovery of the 10oz Burger that is served by The Mare and Foal in Yeoford.  This densely meaty burger was a fantastic mid-drink addition, and the whole afternoon got a whole lot better its discovery.

Leaving the station at 09.27 we wanted to get up in time for breakfast in Barnstaple.  The first pub was Marshalls and luckily for us, they do a very reasonably priced breakfast.  However we rocked up to the station three minutes late, so it was going to be breakfast in Exeter instead.  

The Great Western had a board about breakfasts, so we pottered over to have a look.  Unfortunately for The Great Western there was nobody at the bar, so we waited and when someone did appear they didn’t greet us with the customary ‘how can I help you?’, just a ‘hello’ and then just ignored until one of the party pursued him and found out that despite saying they did breakfasts, they weren’t serving food until 12pm.  So a quick getaway to the burger van across the roundabout and a very nice Bacon and Egg Roll consumed.
We caught the next train up an hour later, and arrived at Barnstaple after a pleasant and picturesque journey.  First pint in Marshalls was a pint of Fox by Exmoor Brewery, and then a quick departure back to the train to catch the train to the next pub.  Our next pub was The Rising Sun in Umberleigh where I met ‘Dave’.  Dave is an Ale brewed by Great Heck Brewery, a dark stout with a Smokey yet sweet taste to it.  Certainly my favourite ale of the whole trip.

Then back on the train to Yeoford and the mighty 10oz Burger at The Mare and Foal.

If you tried to describe The Mare and Foal, the first word that would come to mind would be quirky.  Owned by Trevor and Jane, Trevor does the cooking being the creator of this dense meat feast.  Despite the fact a few pubs along the North Devon Ale Trail have dropped out, The Mare and Foal still gladly welcome train bound travellers who have given this pub a bit of a cult status.

The Burger:






Listed as a 10oz burger, the size of it didn’t strike me being worthy of the label until you bite in to it and realise how dense this thing is. Hand made in the pub, our entire party had decided that they would all like the burger so this ultimately meant they soon sold out (sucks to be the guy after us who I heard rather disappointedly head back to his table to say that the burgers were all sold out).  The burger came with chips and a generic salad, but an epic portion for just shy over a tenner.  Washed down with a pint of Bays Summer Ale it couldn’t get any better, plus it had a definite kick to it given the extra seasoning and spices that go in to it.  

Soon it was back on the train and on to another pub.  We had intended to stop at Newton St Cyres and visit The Beer Engine, but the train didn’t stop at Newton so we had to make an unexpected stop at Crediton.  

Pub-wise, Crediton isn’t blessed with much.  One of the pubs on the Ale Trail involves walking up a hill and in to town which, although it’s a nice walk, isn’t great if you’re of limited mobility because of either alchohol or health.  So we decided to walk in a certain direction and see what we hit first.  And we hit The Plymouth Inn.  Not a real ale in sight but full of character instead.  A sod off great Rottweiler patrolled the floor as we daintily sipped our weasel piss.

In no time at all we were back on the train heading back Exeter, and rather predictably we ended up in The Imperial sipping down a pint of Crispy Pig and reflecting on a successful day.  I can't remember much after the first Jagarbomb but it all got a bit squiffy after that.

The 8oz Beef Burger (with Blue Cheese and Bacon) - The Brasenose Arms, Cropredy, Oxfordshire

Where?: The Brasenose Arms


What?: 8oz Burger


How much?: £10.45.....I think?


The Verdict:


It isn't very often that BBB gets to eat out in a grown-up restaurant.  OK, well on this occasion it was a posh-ish pub in the delightful little village of Cropredy (Crop-reedy or Crop-ready?) in North Oxfordshire which we were lucky to visit on a recent trip

Two weeks previously, had you come during the middle of the Fairport Cropredy Convention then getting in to this place would have been nearly impossible as it hosts a very successful 'Fringe Festival' to go hand in hand with the main festival just up the hill.  Not sure what I am on about? Then read here and consider going next year as it is absolutely the best thing ever, which I will at some point write about in another blog.

As we were floating (literally as we were on a Narrow Boat holiday with chums) back towards Cropredy, having been to the festival then floating down to Oxford and back again, it was decided that we needed some sort of posh sustenance, ultimately this was going to be by either The Red Lion or The Brasenose Arms in Cropredy, and through various conversations at various locks it was considered that The Brasenose had the best food and ultimately would be the place to think about going.  The menu was a really well engineered entity with reasonable prices as well, so without a hesitation our table was booked (good idea as it was VERY busy) and we were ready for what they had to offer.

Busy pubs that order at the table, rather than the bar always scare me a bit, as quite often you'll find that the bar staff are the ones who are looking after the diners as well, and there has been quite a few times where we have found ourselves having to go up to the bar to order out of impatience or we've just been forgotten about full stop.

Given it was busy we were seated pretty quickly, but menus weren't really forthcoming so I had to hunt for them myself.  But I'm happy to do this, its not a massive issue as this isn't exactly Michelin Star standard.  Happy it wasn't as my burger would have been tiny...tiny burgers are bad even if they taste good.

Starter was going to be garlic bread as the shared camembert was out.  Had we been told this as the menu was handed to us, which they weren't then the crippling disappointment of Camambert denial would have not been an issue but it was and I weeped quietly in the toilet (not seriously...just metaphorically).
The Garlic bread was amazing and perfectly sized for sharing.  I made many approving noises as I ate this much to the amusement of those around us.

The Burger, for me, given the apathetic fish ridden mess of the Greene King Surf Clucking Bell thing I'd had a few days before left me hankering for something beefy and brilliant.  Anything 8oz would have be close to that?
The Brasenose Arms has to be commended for not trying to introduce 15 different burgers with creative names.  Leave this to the Gourmet Burger professionals please, and they have.  Listed as an 8oz Beefburger with either the addition of Blue Cheese or Bacon. Sorted, nothing more nothing less.



The burger appeared, moreso it hoved in to view.  A massive wedge of meat cooked well and as I found out biting in to it, one of the best burgers I have had since The Oddfellows Meateasy night.  Thick, juicy and with a stunning taste that really punched a meaty home in my mouth.

The rest of the meal disappeared from my memory after this.  The fact that we were forgotten by the service when we were deciding on our desserts seems to just fade in to darkness, the fact that we were sat right by the fire door which people seemed to keep trying to exit, but couldn't because it was either locked or broken, nah that doesn't matter either.  The burger is the one thing that I remember and the one thing that I'll take home with me is this amazing memory.

The Brasenose Arms:
Station Rd, Cropredy, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX17 1PW
01295 750244