Yahoo News Burger from Welsh butcher named UK's best after beating Aldi, Waitrose, Sainsburys and Asda
A burger made by a Welsh butcher has scooped the top spot in a British taste test. Food experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute taste tested 22 burgers and the Welsh Honey and Rosemary Pork Burgers made by Edwards was named the best.
Based on the Morfa Conwy Business Park, Edwards' burger fought off the likes of Aldi, Waitrose, Sainsburys and Asda with judges from the Good Housekeeping Institute, the independent consumer testing arm of the popular lifestyle magazine of the same name, saying: "Our winner is not actually beef but pork, and it's bursting with the fresh flavours of honey and rosemary the perfect flavour-packed patty for your summer barbecue."
"Created by Welsh butcher Edwards, our testers loved the combination of well-seasoned British pork, Welsh honey and aromatic rosemary. They also make a great lighter option for those not as keen on traditional beef burgers."
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North Wales Live reports that Edwards' pork burgers were launched with online supermarket giant Ocado just before the 2024 barbecue season. You can now also get them at the Welsh butcher's "mothership shop", Edwards of Conwy, on the High Street in the picturesque castle town where the company was founded by master butcher Ieuan Edwards in 1983.
Since then, the wholesale arm of the company, Edwards The Welsh Butcher, has grown and now supplies all major retailers across Wales and parts of the UK, including 35 new Asda stores.
Every new product must receive the personal seal of approval from Ieuan Edwards himself. This includes two additional items, the Edwards Firecracker Pork Sausages and Edwards Honey, Ginger and Garlic Pork Meatballs, which have also just debuted on Ocado.
The products were developed by the company's New Product Development Manager Natalie Bestwick and her team of culinary experts. She said: "The recognition from the Good Housekeeping Institute is brilliant because it's like the bible of domestic and culinary excellence. We've worked on developing a range of pork burgers that are big on flavour, and by combining Welsh honey with the delicate herby notes of the rosemary we have created a tender, juicy pork burger that is an alternative to beef."
"At a time where consumers are seeking great value without compromising on taste. It's lovely to see that they've been an instant hit with our consumers."
Jon-Marc Owen, the supply chain manager, has been dedicated to sourcing the perfect ingredients for the pork burgers. He said: "The biggest challenge was getting enough Welsh honey because at the moment we're using between 200 and 300 kilos a month."
"It's a lot of honey considering what a bee produces and there wasn't any individual producer who could supply all the honey we need. The honey is coming from a collective from across Wales, much of it from North Wales."
Brand manager Laura Jones expressed her surprise at the recognition from the Good Housekeeping Institute, saying: "We didn't know that the pork burgers had been entered and they were assessed without our knowledge the first we knew was when we received an email telling us the fantastic news that they are the best burger for a barbecue this summer. We were up against the biggest brand names in the nation, including Waitrose, Sainsburys and Aldi, so it's a huge achievement."
She added: "The best thing about this brilliant accolade from Good Housekeeping is that it's completely independent and based on a blind tasting of products. It's totally consumer focused. It means a lot because it's a brand that consumers trust their endorsement is hugely significant."
Jones also highlighted the quality of the product: "What was important to us when we developed this product was that it wasn't a thin breakfast patty Natalie went to great lengths to ensure that this is nice thick, juicy burger with a meaty bite."
"The secret of our success is that we combine our traditional skills as craft butchers with the ability to produce in volume, without compromising on quality and taste. We replicate butcher shop quality on scale. At heart we are still proper butchers and we hold those values dear as we continue to grow as a company, something that's been underlined by the success of the Welsh Honey and Rosemary Pork Burgers."
