Whether you’re camera-shy or all about that well-lit selfie, there’s no escaping Instagram. And with the advent of social media has come a whole new section of celebrity: the influencer and the Insta-famous. What would this age be without the Kardashian-Jenners’s belfies? Or the ab-pointing, head-nodding fitness gurus? But just how to reach a stratospheric level of awareness? That’s where Burger & Beyond - and their new Shoreditch restaurant - comes in, boasting an impressive 133,000 followers - we went to see what life is like behind the lens.
Spread across two floors, Burger & Beyond is making fast food all sorts of sexy.
Having conquered the street food scene and kitchen residencies, Burger & Beyond have decided to open their own dedicated space, on the busy Shoreditch High Street. While it’s the well-honed meaty photos that have made their digital name, it turns out the founders - along with help from trendy Run For The Hills design studio - also have an eye for spaces. Simple, clean lines dominate in the upstairs dining room, from the slab of grey stone bar to the brushed steel tables.
Even without the Juno filter, Burger & Beyond’s buns look just as juicy in real life, towering, stuffed creations, that prove too big to wrap our mouths around. It’s not just the burgers that deserve your attention, the black pudding croquettes (£6.50) bit with a hint of chilli and a crunch of rolled oats-coating. Their most popular offering, the cheese burger (£9 for a single), was as pretty in real life, with a patty made from rare-breed beef that had been aged up to 90 days, cooked pink, and then smothered in American cheese and mayo. The Krispie Fried Chicken (£12.5) burger was big enough to feed a small army, with three strips of Rice Krispie-rolled chicken sandwiched between a soft brioche bun.
Putting down the camera and get your mouth around one of Burger & Beyond's patties.
The DesignMyNight Digest
I don’t need an influencer-led workshop to tell me what works on Instagram - it’s great buns and a good slab of meat; Burger & Beyond’s have got some of the best on London’s dining scene. And while they know how to take a decent snap, there’s real sustenance behind the style with smart twists on cocktails and a short list of dishes that impress with every bite.
