Tuesday 10 September 2013

Big B @ Byron - Cambridge

12 Bridge Street, Cambridge, CB2 1UF

Like reviewing a dodo steak, here's one that you're not going to get to eat any time soon. The Big B was another limited edition burger from the ever-expanding chain Byron which had me salivating at the mouth, but yet again unable to find time to eat.

I did the same with Byron's lamb burger last year, squeezing one in on its last day. And although this time I vowed not to be so tardy, two days before the burger disappeared forever I found myself driving to Cambridge for the sole purpose of trying a Big B. Luckily, objective accomplished.

Burgers have come a long way since Haché won TimeOut's 'best burger restaurant' back in 2005. This year, I've eaten many which are considered the best, but haven't even dented the iceberg of choice on offer. Of those which I've eaten, Byron makes my top 10, while Haché doesn't make the list at all. (Before I'm dismissed by Byron fans out there, come on - top 10 is still damn good in an extremely competitive field).

The Everton of the burger world - hovering around Europe, with stable performances, not really threatening the top four - Byron guarantees good service, offers reasonably sized and reasonably priced burgers, damn tasty courgette fries, and some mighty fine beer from BrewDog, Camden Town, and The Kernel. While the foreign upstarts of Five Guys and Shake Shack might be stealing the headlines, the savvy diner will avoid the hour long wait for this year's most over-hyped meal and find a Byron instead.

As a late-comer to the Big B, I knew what to expect. This isn't big in weight of meat - packing the same meat as the standard burger - but big in filling, with mounds of gooey red Leicester, large pickles, and a dollop of burger sauce. Apparently, this was all sandwiched in a special potato bread bun - I didn't notice the difference.

After being sawn in half and squashed under my fat palm, the burger was manageable by hand and the taste was delicious indeed. The cheese seemed sweeter than cheddar, offsetting the sharp pickles, and carrying a nutty flavour throughout the burger. 

I'm not sure the Big B was completely worth the drive to Cambridge or, given that it's no longer available, this review; however, a trip to Byron is always welcome and the Big B demonstrates that they can keep interest in a world becoming increasingly saturated with burgers.

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