ABOUT

‘OUR ETHOS’

NOT YOUR TYPICAL BURGER JOINT...
AT BLACK BEAR, OUR ETHOS IS ‘SIMPLE, DONE WELL’. WE DON’T MESS AROUND WITH GIMMICKS – EVERYTHING IN OUR BURGERS IS THERE FOR A REASON - FOR FLAVOUR! EACH DAY OUR BAKERY DELIVERS OUR BESPOKE BUNS FRESH IN THE MORNING AND OUR BUTCHER MAKES OUR BURGERS TO OUR SPEC. ASIDE FROM THAT, WE MAKE EVERYTHING ELSE IN HOUSE FRESH EVERY DAY.

‘OUR MEAT’

AT BLACK BEAR BURGER WE ARE COMMITTED TO USING HIGH WELFARE, HIGH QUALITY BRITISH MEAT AND BELIEVE THIS IS WHAT MAKES OUR BURGERS TASTE SO SPECIAL. STEW’S FAMILY RUN A SMALL BEEF FARM IN DEVON AND HE IS PASSIONATE ABOUT ANIMAL WELFARE; HOW ANIMALS ARE LOOKED AFTER AND PREPARED IS SO IMPORTANT AND THIS MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE WITH HOW YOUR MEAT TASTES! THIS IS WHY WE SOURCE OUR MEAT FROM OUR AWARD WINNING BUTCHER WHO HAS THE SAME ETHOS AS US.

OUR BEEF IS SOURCED FROM THE SOUTH WEST FROM NATIVE BREEDS THAT ARE GRASS FED AND DRY AGED ON THE BONE. WE USE A BLEND OF CUTS THAT IS DIFFERENT TO YOUR TYPICAL BURGER, DESIGNED TO BE TENDER AND PACKED FULL OF FLAVOUR! OUR BACON COMES FROM OUTDOOR-BRED PIGS FROM THE EAST OF ENGLAND, WHICH IS SMOKED WITH OAK AND CHESTNUT AND CUT BESPOKE TO OUR THICKNESS SO IT’S PERFECTLY CRISPY. ALSO, OUR CHICKEN IS SOURCED FROM BRITISH FARMS WHICH HAVE THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF WELFARE.

OUR FOCUS ON QUALITY DOESN’T STOP WITH OUR MEAT. UNLIKE YOUR TYPICAL BURGER JOINT, WE DO ALL OUR PREP IN HOUSE. WE CUT OUR OWN FRIES, MAKE OUR OWN SAUCES, RUBS, CONDIMENTS, PICKLES AND FERMENTS AND EVEN MAKE OUR OWN ICE CREAM BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IT’S THESE DETAILS THAT MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.

‘OUR STORY’

BLACK BEAR BURGER STARTED OUT SMALL. WE GOT THE IDEA WHEN WORKING ON SKI-SEASONS IN WHISTLER, CANADA. WHEN WE CAME BACK TO THE UK AND SETTLED BACK INTO OUR ‘REAL’ JOBS (LIZ AS A BURNS SPECIALIST NURSE AND STEW AS AN OIL TRADING ANALYST) WE WOULD SELL OUR BURGERS AT BROADWAY MARKET EVERY SATURDAY. ON FRIDAY LUNCHTIME WE WOULD CYCLE TO THE LOCAL BUTCHER AND PICK UP OUR BEEF SO WE COULD GRIND, MIX AND FORM INTO BURGER PATTIES FOR THE WEEKEND.

OUR POPULARITY QUICKLY GREW AND WE WERE INVITED TO DO RESIDENCIES AND EVENTS FOR STREETFEAST AND KERB BEFORE WE WENT FULL TIME AT OUR FIRST PERMANENT LOCATION AT BOXPARK, SHOREDITCH. IN DECEMBER 2019 WE OPENED OUR FIRST SIT-DOWN RESTAURANT IN BRIXTON MARKET WHICH HAS AN EXTENDED MENU ALONGSIDE LOCAL BEERS AND A SHORT COCKTAIL OFFERING; COSY COMMUNAL SEATING IN A SETTING WITH CANADIAN STYLE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THE USUAL BANGING BURGERS!