Global leader has a taste of our gourmet beef
Stock Burger Co, the new restaurant and craft beer initiative being developed by the global Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), has been developed to offer a dynamic eating experience in line with the market trend towards gourmet burgers and craft beer.
The first Stock Burger Co restaurant and bar opened adjacent to the Holiday Inn in Brighton, a major IHG brand, in December. Central to the new restaurant’s burgers is premium Glenarm Shorthorn beef from county Antrim that’s been aged by Hannan Meats in its huge Himalayan salt chamber in Moira.
Hannan Meats in this hugely significant contract created an innovative portfolio of burgers and is also supplying beef short ribs and rump steak aged in the company’s Himalayan salt chamber, the largest of its type in the United Kingdom and Ireland, to Stock Burger Co. IHG plans to develop a network of Stock Burger restaurants at its Holiday Inn chain throughout the United Kingdom. It has a presence in Belfast.
The first Stock Burger Co restaurant and bar is part of a £3.5 million development of the Holiday Inn on Brighton’s historic seafront.
Simon Burdess, IHG’s vice president, food and beverage, Europe, says: “The launch of Stock Burger Co continues the story of IHG’s renewed vigour in the food and beverage area.
“Pete Hannan is making a burger for us exclusively from that product and it is truly amazing. There are nine classic burgers, including the Craft Beer burger, in which we use the Stock Burger IPA in the sauce. “There is a ‘build your own’ section for guests to add their own toppings and ingredients to their patty, while there is also a ‘no burger, no problem’ section.
Peter Hannan adds: “We were delighted to have been invited by the Stock Burger Co to develop a unique and outstandingly tasty burger for what is an immensely exciting IHG project that focuses on artisan food and drink producers.
“It’s a very timely development that harnesses the tremendous potential of the fast growing artisan sector in the UK and will offer many of these smaller and quality conscious enterprises a tremendous opportunity to grow sales. IHG is recognising the premium quality and innovation that underpins the artisan food sector,” he adds.
Simon Burdess, IHG’s vice president, food and beverage, Europe, says: “The launch of Stock Burger Co continues the story of IHG’s renewed vigour in the food and beverage area.
“Pete Hannan is making a burger for us exclusively from that product and it is truly amazing. There are nine classic burgers, including the Craft Beer burger, in which we use the Stock Burger IPA in the sauce.
“There is a ‘build your own’ section for guests to add their own toppings and ingredients to their patty, while there is also a ‘no burger, no problem’ section.
“That is where we have other things on the menu, tending to be dishes that people in hotels reach out for, like a fish sandwich, steaks, ribs, hotdogs, salads and wraps,” explains Burdess.
In another high street food trend, each of the burgers will be paired to a craft beer, adding another angle to the menu.
“Ultimately, we want to celebrate this wonderful marriage between great burgers and great beer. Each of the core burgers has a beer pairing to go with it,” he adds.
“For instance, we have a burger called The Lone Star that has bacon and jalapenos and a very American feel to it. This burger is paired with a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. We want people to experiment and try them together.
“We are confident that this innovative restaurant and bar offering will serve as a major opportunity to drive guest satisfaction and to improve financial returns for our owners.”
Stock Burger Go takes inspiration from the growing gourmet burger and craft beer market. The restaurant is open to hotel guests and the wider public.
Diners can select from a variety of specialty burgers, including Pulled Beef Brisket. Stock Burger Co also offers its guests the chance to create their very own burger.
Taking beef, chicken or vegetarian as their starting point, they can opt for a choice of sizes and a huge assortment of different cheeses, sauces and trimmings. All burgers are served on a brioche bun, or naked with an iceberg wrap.
Also available is an array of other mouth-watering options, from ribs and a Big Dog through to freshly crafted salads and a beer battered fish sandwich.
Burdess was also behind another major food initiative with another IHG chain, the boutique Hotel Indigo, which benefited another Northern Ireland food business. He launched a search last year for the best Flavours of the Neighbourhood, a UK-wide competition for artisan food enterprises, a competition won by Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil, a farm-based business in Limavady owned by Leona Kane.
