Another week, another new burger joint in London. But fear not. Recently launched Cut+Grind Burgers is a craft burger joint like no other. Let me explain.
C+G offers diners an attractively unique experience – to know and see exactly what goes into your burger. C+G grind their beef (twice daily) behind a glass box in full view of paying customers. Here there are no secrets. No gimmicks. Just honest, well-sourced ingredients treated with respect, knowledge, and skill. C+G boast that the meat in ‘each and every single patty is made using fully traceable 100% British from award-winning butcher, Turner and George’. And so they should because the quality of the beef was second to none. C+G even proudly displays its cuts of beef – from chuck, short rib, to rump, among others depending on availability – in large, glass-doored fridges aptly named the “Butcher”. Tick-boxed menus inform diners which cuts are used each day. Such transparency and meticulous levels of detail don’t end there.
C+G’s owner and burger-master, Pas, spent years travelling the globe in what he said was ‘a passionate search for the best burger’. From North America to Asia and almost everywhere in between, Pas ate burger after burger, fine tuning his own burger philosophies. This bun. That pickle. Those cuts of beef. Pas was a man on a mission driven by his limitless love for the humble burger (mad, you may think, but what a job!). The result is C+G. Now, it’s easy to see that Pas has landed upon a pretty exact formula for a fantastic burger. But Pas equally recognises the need for flexibility in a market as heavily saturated and competitive as this.
Pas understands the dietary demands of London’s customers and offers his diners a choice of two patties: “Juicy” for the flavour-conscious and “Skinny” for the waist-conscious – a leaner patty made from flank and tenderloin cuts. Gluten-free buns are also available. Fancy your burger patty cooked rare? Not a problem. C+G blast-cook their meat for 6mins before grinding, killing off any unwanted bacteria. This process ensures no external bacteria get mixed into the patties during grinding. Clever, huh?! You see, C+G is all about the detail. With so many personalisations available to diners, you might even say that C+G is burger democracy put into practice. Almost.
Such acute details exist elsewhere. Sauces and pickles are made in house and a quick glance at C+G’s Instagram feed reveals an entire wall of sliced cucumber-filled Tupperware made to a secret recipe (Pas claims this is something of a union between an American and Korean-style pickle. Personally, I found them a touch too sweet but hey I’m a sour pickle nut. And I’m not ashamed). Even C+G’s Tommy-K – so essential for pairing with crunchy potato fries – is house made. (Again, a touch too sweet for me but I appreciate their efforts).
Visitors to the Press Night were even handed goodie-bags containing ingredients and instructions so they can make their own C+G Tommy-K. We all instantly knew this was a nice touch!
And if you need something to wash it all down, why not try C+G’s own-brand pilsner? We all agreed it’s a deliciously crisp beer, perfect for swilling down grilled meats and cheese. Pas also has an array of Belgium sour beers to partner his savoury burgers. The only thing not homemade are the burger buns. Pas and I shared horror stories of buns collapsing and patties falling out. “The architecture of a burger bun is as important as the patty”, I roared. Pas nodded knowingly, obviously having experienced a similar pain. I am proud to announce that C+G’s bun is a structurally sound demi-brioche with a surprising amount of give. The perfecting carrier for a juicy patty.
One thing which stands C+G out from the rest was the cooking of its patties. Deep, rich, beefy caramelisation on both sides enveloped a blushing pink centre. Achieving this contrast in a single patty is no mean feat. But each 180g patty for some two dozen or so diners was cooked masterfully by a kitchen headed by Chef Sammy Aykak (formerly of Zelman Meats and Burger & Lobster). With Sammy behind the grill, Pas’ recently born burger-baby is in safe hands.
If my own experience fails to convince you, I urge you to try for yourself. And even if you are convinced, go try it. I hear the breakfast options are equally impressive.
In 2018 C+G will offer “burger-classes” in which it hopes to share its approach to burger making. Fancy it? You’d be a fool not to.
C+G is a confident newcomer to London’s well-trodden burger trail. It won’t be long until the others hear of Cut+Grind’s successes.
Guess post by Beard (half of the foodie-couple, Bob&Beard. Instagram: _bobandbeard)
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Address: Cut and Grind Burgers, The Urbanest Building, 25-27 Canal Reach, Camden N1C 4DD