Real Burger 6oz Reindeer Burger
Review of Real Burger Cheltenham 6oz Reindeer Burger
Website: http://www.realburgercheltenham.com/
What they say:
Reindeer Burger with Cheddar, Bacon and Cranberry Sauce.
Price: £6.80.
Calories: Unknown.
It’s been a fantastic year for BURGER LAD®.
We have continued to deliver our expert burger analysis for all types of burgers, ranging from the latest High Street promotions, to street food vendors to quality fast casual dining restaurants.
We continue to bring exclusive news and previews of the major chains’ limited time offers while reviewing gourmet burgers up and down the UK and further afield.
Personally it’s been a great year for yours truly, as not only did I get to contribute a mini article alongside Miss Milkshake in the very first Gourmet Burger Kitchen First Bite magazine, but I have also recently started writing a regular monthly feature in QuickBite – the UK’s largest publication for the food to go and QSR industry.
Despite all the news and reviews we bring you there is one review that is an absolute mainstay in our top 10 most read, and that Ladies and Gentleman is the Real Burger 8oz BBQ Steak Classic – I can’t believe it is nearly three years since I first did that one!
Miss Milkshake and I were shopping in Cheltenham recently when we bumped into Andrew, the owner and burger master at Real Burger. I’d not really had a chance to chat with him since he actually put our own burger creation on his secret menu so the first thing I asked him about was a Christmas special.
The Admiral has been relentless in his Christmas burger coverage in the Manchester area but I was very keen to see what Real Burger had on offer this year. You see Real Burger is so good they’ve had a recent copycat in Cheltenham attempting to imitate their menu.
We certainly empathise with them, but when you are the best you have to accept others will try and copy you. And they do say imitation is the biggest form of flattery.
Across the UK there are all sorts of Christmas special burger gimmicks doing the rounds – buttermilk fried turkey on a cheeseburger, sausage rolls, stuffing balls, fried sprouts. All trying to top the previous year, all outstanding creations in their own right. A burger joint isn’t a burger joint now unless it has a Christmas special.
At Real they’re doing something a little more reserved (this is Cheltonian country!) – and using a meat you cannot help but associate with Christmas – reindeer.
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| Real Burger Cheltenham, Reindeer Burger… |
Before you start crying for Rudolph and pals like you’re watching The Snowman just consider the health benefits for a second.
According to a 2013 study by the University of Tromsø, reindeer meat is one of the healthiest meats you can find – especially relevant considering all the recent news about red meat in our diets being linked to a variety of health problems.
According to the study, Reindeer meat is one of the leanest meats and compares favourably with fish when it comes to omega-3 and essential fatty acids. But enough of the science… what does it taste like!?
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| Simple but quality… |
It’s good. I really very much enjoyed the Reindeer Burger tonight. The taste is gamey and reminds me of venison. The patty itself (I opted for the 6oz version ahead of the 4oz or 8oz options) was cooked perfectly with a slight pink hue on the inside but with a cracking chargrilled exterior and full of juicy goodness.
The taste of the meat is quite strong, it’s like a very fine cut of beef but better, almost deer-like but leaving a slight hint of liver to the palate… almost like you’ve been eating a very exquisite and delicate liver pate. The texture is also beautifully soft, again reinforcing the high standard of meat expected by the proprietor.
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| A great Festive combo… |
As you can see from the pictures, Real Burger serves a basic looking burger which does not rely on over-the-top fancy presentation to make its point. It has always been known for serving very fine meats in all its burgers and the reindeer burger is no exception to this rule.
It’s not the first time it’s been on the menu and seems to be a regular Christmas special – I’m not 100% certain when it first started appearing but I know it has been since at least 2013.
The Cheddar is an interesting pairing. I enjoyed it. Very strong tasting which certainly does not get lost like so many High Street cheeseburgers. Miss Milkshake sampled the 4oz version and thought that brie might work slightly better than the cheddar used.
I’m not a fan of brie in the slightest so for me the cheddar works well. I don’t believe brie features on the menu at Real Burger so for now you’ll have to trust me and go with the cheddar – again I wasn’t disappointed.
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| A rich, gamey meat… |
The Reindeer burger also features a good cut of high quality, no nonsense bacon and tonight this was cooked slightly crispy and worked very nicely with the reindeer. It offset perfectly against the rich, gamey meat. A real nice combination.
Apart from the standard issue Real salad items of lettuce, red onion and tomato (which after a few bites I removed, although it wasn’t offensive, just a personal preference) the burger is finished with a cranberry sauce.
Now I don’t know if this is homemade or bought in and I didn’t ask so can’t comment either way. I did hear a “ching ching” of metal spoon(?) against glass (jar?) but I cannot state either way if this means it was made on the premises or not.
I’d definitely describe it as more of a relish, in terms of flavour it was that traditional, festive cranberry flavour you’d expect. Slightly but not overly sweet, but working very nicely with the saltiness of the bacon.
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| Great price, great burgers… |
It’s a good burger, devoid of over-the-top gimmicks, using simple, but quality ingredients to achieve exactly what it intends to do.
A lean, healthy reindeer patty brings a rich, gamey taste to your palate which is complimented by a creamy, strong cheddar which makes way for a saltiness from the bacon and slight sweetness from the cranberry relish.
Another great menu offering from Real Burger and once again establishing itself as the definitive burger to have in Cheltenham. Don’t be deceived by counterfeit goods this Christmas, get yourself in here for the REAL thing.
If this is my final review for 2015 then I would like to personally thank all our readers for visiting us this year and have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Burger Lad®
