Burger King and McDonald's, the giants of the burger restaurant sector worth around £11 billion a year in the UK, have seen the writing on the wall and are fighting back to get their share of the gourmet burger market, pioneered in the UK by Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) and Wannaburger. Responding to the trend for fast foods to move upmarket to unheard-of price points in what the industry describes as a "flight to quality", Burger King launched its own "burger of distinction"- The Angus, which contains Scottish beef - in November last year. Like its posher rivals, Burger King flame-grills The Angus instead of frying it.
And in May, McDonald's, which dominates the industry in Scotland with 91 outlets - nine of them in Edinburgh and seven in Glasgow, briefly tested a Deluxe burger based on Batavia lettuce in a ciabatta bun. McDonald's promises more gourmet recipes to go. Additionally, the Golden Arches has embarked on a £2m capital spend within Scotland that will take some of its outlets a step or two up-market.
However the heavyweights may have missed the posh burger boat. "It will be difficult for McDonald's, for example, to change its popular perception,"observes an industry source privately. "Its appeal is mainly to children, certainly not professionals and office-workers."And of course, as others point out, McDonald's and Burger King do not have alcohol licences like GBK.
