Farmer Tom’s Beef Burger, Burger Shop - Worcester, UK

Situated underneath a railway arch (this feels familiar) a short walk from Worcester Station lies the oh-so-appropriately named ‘Burger Shop’. You wouldn’t have thought it, but these guys sell burgers. Founded as a ‘passion project’, the 'A Rule of Tum' team has since opened three restaurants in under three years; two 'Burger Shop' establishments and one steakhouse known as 'The Bookshop' (unfortunately not 'Steak Shop'). I can only imagine the success of the brand is a testament to their good food. Let's find out.

The restaurant is simplistic in design with a typical industrial chic (I feel like I’ve said that a lot recently). Exposed brick, wooden tables and big glass windows just about sums everything up, with a bonus outside seating area for those summer burger sessions. Lucky for me, the sun was shining, so I plonked myself down to soak up the rays and peruse the menu.

It took only a glance for me to decide what I was having, though there were only five choices in total anyway. And that’s not a criticism. Excluding the vegetarian option (one day, Falafel burger, one day!) I had the choice of the ‘Pulled Welsh Lamb Burger’, ‘The Worcester Blue’ (blue cheese), ‘Crispy Smoked Chicken Burger’ (with an apple slaw – sounded amazing) or ‘Farmer Tom’s Beef Burger’. This Farmer Tom guy sounded like he knew what he was doing, with the burger boasting a Hereford beef patty, mature cheddar, dill pickles, mustard mayo, ketchup and baby gem lettuce between a brioche bun.


The meal arrived on a black tray. The burger was wrapped in white paper and topped with a branded black ‘Burger Shop’ sticker. I unwrapped it like a giddy child at Christmas, almost forgetting to snap it before I slammed it in to my face.

Yes! What a flavour fusion, what a balance of ingredients! Where do I start?

Cheese! Striking the balance of volume and strength of cheese in a burger is one of the hardest things to do. It is played safe in the majority of burgers with mild (and often cheap) cheese used. That, or the opposite end of the spectrum, particularly with blue cheese burgers, it is so prominent you can taste nothing else and then have to spend the rest of the day breathing farts.

The mature cheddar was on-point here. It was bold enough to stand out, but did not overwhelm the taste buds, ultimately bolstering the dynamic unity of flavours. Oh, Farmer Tom... Behave.

Ketchup and (mustard) mayo are fundamental flavours in burgers like these. Yes, they are basic, but they coordinate like Laurel and Hardy. Insert some over-used phrase about ‘simple being better’ here.

I am not going to talk about the pickles because anybody who has read any of my other reviews will know that I am a pickle enthusiast. My fridge is a pickle shrine. I want to bathe in them and shrivel away to be more like them. Took it to a weird place there. They worked in the burger like they always do is what I meant to say.

The lettuce was lettucey. I’m a wordsmith. Let’s move on.

The brioche bun was fresh and perfectly sized holding together what could have been a considerably messier burger if it was not fit for purpose.


The patty was superb. It was seasoned well and retained its juiciness throughout, clearly a high quality cut of locally sourced meat. My only drawback would be the cook-time as it was served almost well done. Give me this burger medium or medium rare and I would hit it with the perfect score.

‘Burger Shop’ in Worcester eases its way in to the top end of my rankings list. 'Farmer Tom's Beef Burger' is a perfect concoction utilising simple ingredients to build a powerhouse of flavours. From the high quality meat and mature cheese to the crunchy pickles and fresh brioche bun, this is a burger that delivers on all levels. If you are in the Worcester area, I implore you to stop by.

Patty Master Musings:

  • Try the chips too! Rosemary salted with a creamy house mayo - drool.
  • We visited at lunch, which really set the tone for a great day out in Worcester. It's a beautiful city.
  • Pickles! PIIIIIICCCKLLESS!!
  • Did I Dip It? Absolutely not.

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Plough Burger, The Plough - Birmingham, UK

I have been told on several occasions that the fact I haven't been to 'The Plough' in Harborne was ludicrous. Nowadays, pubs can and do offer some of the best food around, within top environments to boot. For this reason, on perhaps one of our last sunny days of the year, I ventured to Harborne for some grub following a delightful afternoon at Cannon Hill Park.

'The Plough' offers a vibrant and modern environment with a typical 'industrial chic' to it. Above all else, atmosphere is key to venues like this and 'The Plough' is almost unrivalled in Birmingham as a crowd-pleaser. The beer garden was in full-force upon arrival and included an outside bar too, perfect for the bank holiday sunshine.

This establishment is known for bringing outside vendors in to serve food including the likes of Original Patty Men and Andy's Low 'N' Slow. However, the standard daily menu is highly praised in itself, especially for the burgers and pizzas. A quick glance through the choices revealed a total of just four burgers, including a vegetarian number. I dismissed the chicken option, which left me with the 'Streaky Bacon and Avocado Burger' or the 'Plough Burger'. It had to be the latter given I'm a sucker for the signature and this one sounded irresistible; fried onion, Plough burger sauce, iceberg lettuce, melted cheddar and mustard pickle.


It was a beast. This was a slobbering tower of meaty goodness oozing cheese from all angles with the vibrant mustard pickle overspilling. The £14 price tag suddenly seemed a little more justified, though the cup of chips was underwhelming next to this monster.

The mustard pickle sauce was not something I had previously encountered and was without a doubt the most prominent flavour in the burger. The sauce in itself works tremendously well with the pickle offsetting the kick from the mustard. Whilst it was a delight on the tastebuds, I would have reduced the volume to bring out the flavours elsewhere, particularly the burger sauce which was considerably less noticeable as a result.

Whilst fresh and tasty, the bun struggled to hold together the contents of the burger. Whilst this is not a huge issue, I would have preferred it to have a slightly larger surface area to better enclose its components. I would then instead reduce the thickness of the bun, particularly at the bottom where it became a little 'bready'.

I enjoyed the cheese, which was perfectly balanced offering a relatively mild taste. Both the salad and lettuce gave the burger a welcome crunch too.


The patty was thick and well-seasoned, though cooked through to well-done. Despite this, it remained juicy with a satisfying chargrilled flavour pulling through.

The 'Plough Burger' is goodness on many levels, though not without a few drawbacks. The mustard pickle is a unique topping, though was a little overused. In addition, the bun could have been slightly better balanced. In spite of this, the burger worked incredibly well with each element driving great flavour. I would recommend this popular pub and its monster burgers to all.

Patty Master Musings:

  • This place is known for its unique events, including mini festivals (typically food-related) as well as special alcohol-based evenings for everything including ales, bourbons, whiskey and wines.
  • I will be returning to try the pizza. A table nearby was enjoying them and they looked fantastic.
  • The fries really were disappointing. Given the magic of the burger, I thought they would do more with them.
  • Did I Dip It? This was one of the sauciest (oi oi) burgers I've consumed, so no dipping required!

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Honest Burger, Honest Burgers - London, UK

Honest Burgers has seen incredible growth throughout London in the past few years, similar to that of Byron, who have now expanded out across the country. I would not be surprised to see Honest Burgers follow a similar path and unleash burger goodness throughout England. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking?

There is just something about this small chain that gets it so right. Their restaurants are always well located with great vibes, the interiors are stylish but simplistic and the food? Well, let’s talk about that.

The menu epitomises leading modern burger joints: short and snappy, but covering all the bases to fulfil customer needs. Typically there are only seven burgers on the menu, including a chicken and vegetarian option, as well as a classic, signature and chilli burger.

For me, it has to be the signature 'Honest Burger'. With dry aged beef, smoky bacon, red onion relish, mature cheddar, pickled cucumber and lettuce, between a fresh glazed bun, the ‘Honest Burger' has all the makings of a classic.


And it is. One of the most impressive aspects of this burger was the balance. Nothing overpowers, so each element manages to stand out. This is how it should be.

The pickled cucumbers were nestled on the base (with the lettuce), offering a slight crunch and the usual salty sour goodness. This was combatted by the sweetness of the red onion relish just below the lid, resting on top of the crunchy smoky bacon, both driving substantial, but varied flavour.

The mature cheddar oozed down the side of the meat and was perhaps the least prominent flavour on the burger, though still noticeable. The bun was glazed, lightly toasted and felt fresh, whilst still keeping all components together.


The meat was cooked medium well, a common trend for burger joints now given the adjusted health regulations. As usual, I would have preferred to see it much closer to medium, but this meat still delivered on the flavour front. In addition, the thickness and seasonings of the patty were spot on.

The clue is in the name with Honest Burgers. This is good, 'honest' food within a simplistic and stylish environment. The 'Honest Burger' is a staple classic within London burger culture and there is no denying that it is one of my favourites. The sweetness of the red onion relish works perfectly with the pickled cucumbers and smoky bacon, whilst the patty is clearly high quality and delightfully succulent. I recommend it to all.

Patty Master Musings:

  • 'Honest Burgers' is one of the few places that still includes chips with their burgers. A lot of Byron burgers, for example, are £10-£12 on their own. The 'Honest Burger' is £10.95 and includes chips. The 'Beef' option on the menu is only £8.95 with chips.
  • There are a range of dips included, but the 'Bacon Ketchup' is special, especially with the rosemary salted chips. It's worth it for £1.
  • Did I Dip It? Absolutely no need here, though it was tempting given how tasty the 'Bacon Ketchup' is.

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