Following a raft of complaints, the Trading Standards Institute has issued a damning ‘name and shame’ list of disreputable companies cashing in on the ‘build-a-burger’ business.
The list, which contains details of over 100 fly-by-night businesses, serves as a warning to overly hungry people to do their research before hiring someone to construct their burger. ‘Check that the builder uses industry standard mince beef,’ said an Institute spokesperson, ‘make sure that they are fully accredited by the Burger Builders Federation and if possible get some feedback from previous customers.’
The move follows a number of headline horror stories of burger lovers being conned by ‘cowboy’ fast food chefs. ‘I paid a fortune up-front,’ admitted one victim, ‘but after three weeks all I had was the bottom bun and a piece of lettuce. They keep telling me that they’re waiting for a delivery of onion rings but that’s no good to me when I’m still bloody starving!’
Other tales include that of a Northampton family who found their supper was missing a whole storey of cheese slices, a Cheltenham man who discovered that builders had substituted his beef patty for a breaded chicken burger and a Powys woman who was left with a pile of gherkins in a bap and a bill to the tune of GBP3,000.
However, despite the considerable disquiet among burger lovers, The Trading Standards Institute has also pointed out that the majority of eateries offering a build-a-burger service are still trustworthy. ‘Most firms offer a sound, honest service – some of which even throw in fizzy drink refills for free. The vast majority of consumers can have their weekly; or, if you’re American, twice-daily; towering stack of cholesterol treat without fear of getting ripped-off with inferior meat and flabby buns.’
(Written 15 Feb 2010)
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