You can see the team outside our Brindleyplace restaurant below…

Check out their journey on the map below, which finishes in St. Stephen’s on Wednesday 15th May 2013 in the late afternoon. You can also keep an eye on their progress via our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Support our team & donate here: www.justgiving.com/BurgerBikeRide.

Gary has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour & has been told he only has 9-12 months to live. His family are urgently trying to raise £90,000 for life saving treatment that is available at the Burzynski Clinic in Houston, Texas, USA. Gary has been receiving radio & chemotherapy in the UK to slow down the growth of the tumour; however he cannot be cured using these methods. There is no other available treatment in the UK.

We’re fully backing this worthy cause to help the family raise much needed funds to help Gary get the life saving treatment he so desperately needs.

Our Burger Bike Ride team is comprised of Graeme Boynton, General Manager, Adam Howitt, Assistant Manager & Darren Huart, Team Leader. They will be cycling 150 miles from our Brindleyplace, Birmingham restaurant to our St Stephen’s restaurant in Kingston upon Hull (stopping off at a few of our other restaurants along the way!). You can check out their journey on the map below:

The three day Burger Bike Ride set off at 12.30pm on Monday 13^th 2013 from the Brindleyplace, Birmingham ending at the handmade burger Co. restaurant, St Stephen’s shopping centre, Kingston upon Hull on Wednesday 15^th May 2013 in the late afternoon.

To make a donation towards our Burger Bike Ride & Gary’s Journey, just visit www.justgiving.com/BurgerBikeRide.

Sam has reached his donation target of £500 for his Snowdon Run challenge, but every penny counts towards Gary Marshall’s life saving treatment. Click the following link to donate & support this worthy cause: www.justgiving.com/SamsSnowdonRun.

First, we had a lovely review in the Evening Express who described our Union Square, Aberdeen restaurant as ‘a place that prides itself on its “designer burgers”’. Our chips received great comments too; “Golden & crisp on the outside, fluffy & fabulous on the inside. Very more-ish with our illicit garlic mayo”. As did our burgers “my burger was cooked to perfection & was certainly one to savour”. Check out the review in full HERE.

We also got a great mention on Nicola Correia’s blog post about our Reading restaurant, where our ‘super-friendly’ staff are commended, along with the ‘modern decor & buzzing atmosphere’. The review finishes with the sentence ‘a place everyone has a reason and excuse to go to!’ – we couldn’t agree more! Read Nicola’s review in full HERE!

Red onions are very tolerant of different types of soil, so can be easily grown in both cold & warm climates. Although they are tolerant of cold weather, they should not be planted until all possibility of frost has passed. For the best results, organic fertilizer should be worked into the soil before seeds are planted & then applied again during the bulb-growing period.

Our Grow your Own red onion effort!

 Benefits of red onion…

Red onions are full of goodness, with several health benefits. Red onions are used as a treatment for colds, diarrhea, gallstones, rheumatism & are even thought to prevent cancer. They are a great source of vitamin C & dietary fibre & also contain the brain boosting flavonol quertin, which helps keep the memory in tip-top shape. Research also claims that the humble red onion could prevent heart disease  as it helps remove bad cholesterol from the body (which can cause heart attacks & strokes), but also retains good cholesterol – which helps to protect against heart disease.

Cooking with red onion…

Red onions are a versatile & essential ingredient of many dishes due to the unique depth & flavour they add. They can be used in a variety of ways; such as eaten raw (great in salads!), grilled or lightly cooked with other ingredients. All onions are best prepared just before you use them & if  stored in a cool, dry place, will keep for several months. You should not store in the fridge though, as they will go soft.

We love to top our beautifully handmade, 100% prime Scotch beef burgers with fresh red onions, but also love this Carmelised Red Onion Chutney recipe which is great for barbecues.

Caramelised Red Onion Chutney

A delicious accompaniment for barbecues. Makes about 4-6 jars

8 red onions
1 red chilli
2 bay leaves
25ml olive oil
200g brown sugar
150ml balsamic vinegar
150ml red wine vinegar

Cut your onions & chilli into short, thin slices & put them into a pan with the bay leaves and oil. Cook gently over a low heat for about 20 minutes. Once the onions are dark & sticky, add the sugar & the vinegars & simmer for 30 minutes or so, until the chutney is thick & dark. Pour the chutney into hot, sterilised jars & let it cool. Ideally, you should leave it for a month or more before you eat it, to mature in flavour.

(http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/aug/03/caramelised-red-onion-chutney-recipe)

Parsley grows best in moist, well drained soil, with full sun. Germination is slow & takes four to six weeks before you can see any seedlings. Plants grown for the leaf crop are typically spaced around 4 inches apart, to allow for full root development.  Flat leaf parsley is preferred by some as it is easier to cultivate (being tolerant of rain & sunshine) & has a stronger flavour.

Benefits of parsley…

Parsley has numerous health benefits. It is a good source of antioxidents, folic acid, vitamin C & vitamin A. Health benefits are also said to include anti-inflammatory properties & a boosted immune system. Parsley is also used as a breath freshener.

Cooking with parsley…

Parsley is widely used in cooking – often used as a garnish on potato dishes (boiled & mashed potatoes), rice dishes or meat dishes (such as goulash or stew). Parsley is widely used in cooking – rice dishes or meat dishes (such as goulash or stew) & should be added at the end of the cooking process to retain taste, nutrition & colour.

Although most people use parsley as a flavouring or garnish, it also tastes great in salads,  soups & vegetable juices. It can also be dried out & used as a tea.

Herbs & vegetables definitely taste better when they are fresh, so we hope these tips will help you to grow your own at home! We use parsley in our beef & lamb burger patty mix for extra flavour & colour, but we also love this delicious parsley salad recipe:

Radish & Parsley Salad with Lemon

Try this salad with red globe, icicle, or watermelon radishes. Serves two to three.

About 10 medium or 12 small red radishes, scrubbed
3 large ribs celery, ends trimmed, peeled
1 cup tightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice; more to taste
1/4 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Trim the root & stem end of the radishes. Halve them lengthwise & then slice them 1/8 inch thick; you should have about 1-1/2 cups. Slice the celery crosswise 1/8 inch thick. Combine the sliced radishes, sliced celery & parsley leaves in a medium bowl. Add the lemon juice, salt & olive oil; toss well. Add several generous grinds of black pepper, taste & adjust seasonings, & serve.

(http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/radish_parsley_salad.aspx)

We’re encouraging our fellow burger lovers to grow their own at home &  we thought we’d share some of the fantastic benefits of home-grown food…

Local food is the best & you simply can’t get more local than your own back garden! Freshly picked fruit & vegetables contain the highest possible vitamin content, so growing your own means that you can enjoy food straight from your garden. You’ll also get great health benefits from being active in your garden & it’s a brilliant way to de-stress & relax.

Growing your own is also helps the environment – you can organically grow your own without worrying about pesticides & herbicides because you know exactly what has gone into your food. Growing your own also reduces the travel pollution that would have occurred in the delivery of ingredients to supermarket. Food waste is also reduced when you grow your own as you take more pride & are less likely to let ingredients go off.

You will also save money because growing your own is a much cheaper option in the long run. It’s also a great family activity to teach children the process of how plants are grown.

With all those benefits in mind, we bet you can’t wait to start growing your own! We’d love to see your own homegrown creations – just upload on our Facebook & Twitter pages so we can check them out!

We hope you enjoy growing your own…

Crowds flocked around a mysterious box, which contained the world’s longest dress was unveiled! At 50 feet long & more than 1500 square feet wide,  the silk dress was designed by British designer Henry Holland & was a focal point of the opening event.

Our lovely new team were also on great form, giving the crowds a delicious taste of our range of more than 40 handmade burgers. You can check out our new Trinity Leeds team below outside our swish new restaurant!

Get creative in the kitchen
Why not give Mum a break from the cooking & show her how much she is appreciated by cooking her favourite meal from scratch. Or you could start the day off with breakfast in bed for Mum, with some delicious homemade, heart-shaped pancakes!

Make a keepsake present
You could also make a handmade present for your Mum to keep. Decorating frames or flower pots with a personalised designs & messages or making handmade jewellery are great present ideas. However, our favourite is this hand sewn Lavender Heart – all you need is some pretty materials, a sewing kit & about 1/4 cup of dried lavender!

Handmade pamper session for Mum
We love this Homemade Body Scrub recipe – it’s easy, all-natural,  inexpensive & will show Mum how much you care!

Ingredients:
- Body oil
- Epsom salt, sea salt, or organic cane sugar
- Lemon zest
- 12 oz. jar or bottle with cap

Directions:
Combine 1 cup of body oil with 2 cups of Epsom or sea salts or organic cane sugar (depending on how fine a grain you like). Add lemon zest for color and fragrance. Package in jars & label up for your Mum.

However you decide to spoil the Mum in your life, we hope you have a great day!