A burger made by Wales\u2019s favourite butcher has been crowned as the best in Britain \u2013 and it doesn\u2019t contain any beef.<\/p>\n
The tasty accolade was bestowed on the thick, juicy Welsh Honey and Rosemary Pork Burgers made by Edwards – The Welsh Butcher at the company\u2019s base on the Morfa Conwy Business Park in Conwy.<\/p>\n
The perfect patty came out on top after expert judges from the Good Housekeeping Institute conducted a rigorous blind-tasting test on 22 of the UK\u2019s finest burgers which were \u201csizzled and savoured\u201d.<\/p>\n
The burger beat stiff competition from some of Britain\u2019s biggest and best known retail brands, including Aldi, Waitrose, Sainsburys and Asda.<\/p>\n
The judges from the Good Housekeeping Institute, the independent consumer testing arm of the popular lifestyle magazine of the same name, said: \u201cOur winner is not actually beef but pork, and it\u2019s bursting with the fresh flavours of honey and rosemary \u2013 the perfect flavour-packed patty for your summer barbecue.<\/p>\n
\u201cCreated by Welsh butcher Edwards, our testers loved the combination of well-seasoned British pork, Welsh honey and aromatic rosemary. They also make a great lighter option for those not as keen on traditional beef burgers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Edwards\u2019 tastebud teasing pork burgers were launched with online supermarket giant Ocado just in time for this year\u2019s barbecue season.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re now also available at the Welsh butcher\u2019s \u201cmothership shop\u201d, Edwards of Conwy, on the High Street in the picturesque castle town where the company was founded by master butcher Ieuan Edwards in 1983.<\/p>\n
Since then the wholesale side of the business, Edwards \u2013 The Welsh Butcher, has also gone from strength to strength and now supplies all major retailers in Wales and part of the UK, including 35 new Asda stores recently added to its portfolio.<\/p>\n
All new products have to be approved and signed off by Ieuan Edwards himself, including two others, the Edwards Firecracker Pork Sausages and Edwards Honey, Ginger & Garlic Pork Meatballs \u2013 that have also just been launched on Ocado.<\/p>\n
They were all created by the company\u2019s New Product Development Manager Natalie Bestwick and her team of taste makers.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cThe recognition from the Good Housekeeping Institute is brilliant because it\u2019s like the bible of domestic and culinary excellence.<\/p>\n
“We\u2019ve worked on developing a range of pork burgers that are big on flavour, and by combining Welsh honey with the delicate herby notes of the rosemary we have created a tender, juicy pork burger that is an alternative to beef.<\/p>\n
“At a time where consumers are seeking great value without compromising on taste. It\u2019s lovely to see that they\u2019ve been an instant hit with our consumers.<\/p>\n
Finding the right ingredients for the pork burgers has been a labour of love for Supply Chain Manager Jon-Marc Owen.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThe biggest challenge was getting enough Welsh honey because at the moment we\u2019re using between 200 and 300 kilos a month.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a lot of honey considering what a bee produces and there wasn\u2019t any individual producer who could supply all the honey we need.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe honey is coming from a collective from across Wales, much of it from North Wales.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Brand Manager Laura Jones, the good news from the Good Housekeeping Institute came totally out of the blue.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cWe didn\u2019t know that the pork burgers had been\u00a0 entered and they were assessed without our knowledge \u2013 the first we knew was when we received an email telling us the fantastic news that they are the best burger for a barbecue this summer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were up against the biggest brand names in the nation, including Waitrose, Sainsburys\u00a0 and\u00a0 Aldi, so it\u2019s a huge achievement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best thing about this brilliant accolade from Good Housekeeping is that it\u2019s completely independent and based on a blind tasting of products. It\u2019s totally consumer focused.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means a lot because it\u2019s a brand that consumers trust \u2013 their endorsement is hugely significant.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was important to us when we developed this product was that it wasn\u2019t a thin breakfast patty \u2013 Natalie went to great lengths to ensure that this is nice thick, juicy burger with a meaty bite.<\/p>\n
Laura added: \u201cThe secret of our success is that we combine our traditional skills as craft butchers with the ability to produce in volume, without compromising on quality and taste. We replicate butcher shop quality on scale.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt heart we are still proper butchers and we hold those values dear as we continue to grow as a company, something that\u2019s been underlined by the success of the Welsh Honey and Rosemary Pork Burgers.\u201d\u00a0 and<\/p>\n
The award-winning Pork Burgers are available online at <\/strong>www.ocado.com<\/strong><\/a> and for more about Edwards \u2013 The Welsh Butcher go to<\/strong> www.thewelshbutcher.co.uk\/<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n