Sizzler has star quality (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Butcher’s burger wins place in national contest final

1:00pm Friday 13th April 2012 in Devizes

A TRADITIONAL burger made by Devizes butchers Walter Rose & Son has been judged one of the best in the country.

The Stars Burger is one of 30 meaty treats which won a gold award in England’s Best Burger competition.

Walter Rose will now go through to the final in London next month.

More than 100 burgers were entered into the contest, organised by EBLEX, the organisation for the English beef and sheep industry, and were judged on their overall appearance both raw and cooked, size, fat content, texture, taste and smell.

Stephen Cook, owner of Walter Rose, in Sidmouth Street, said the burger was a throwback to the 1950s American-type dish.

He said: “The Stars Burger has got suet, which gives it the flavour. Today’s burgers have got leaner and leaner but as a result they have less flavour and juicyness. We have been selling the Stars Burger in the shop for about a year and our customers love it.”

The Stars Burger is 100 per cent beef and is made from the Angus-Hereford breed.

Mr Cook got the idea for making the Stars Burger from two customers to whom he supplies meat – The Seven Stars pub at Bottlesford and The Lucky Chip burger van in London’s East End.

Both had a great reputation for their burgers, and one customer likened the Lucky Chip’s burger to a sexual experience.

Lucky Chip’s Ben Denner said he had switched to Walter Rose for his meat because “I believe they have a superior product”.

This is the first time Mr Cook has entered a burger competition. He and his staff have enjoyed success in other competitions.

Last year it was nominated as one of the top three butchers’ shops in the south of England in a competition run by the Meat Trades Journal, and they were in the south west regional final of the Legendary British Banger contest for their Capsicana Chilli sausage.