Cheltenham chef brothers in final of National Burger Awards

Brothers from Cheltenham who are chefs from the Smiths of Bourton restaurant, have made it through to the finals of the National Burger Awards. The competition is tough with 16 of the UK’s finest burgers making it to the live cooking showdown final to take the competition crown.

The event will see chefs from the across the hospitality sector, including restaurants, pubs and street food traders, face off in the live event. Winners will be chosen by a hand-picked panel of expert industry judges, with the event culminating in a bustling awards ceremony later that same night.

This year’s line-up features an exciting mix of up-and-coming indies and beloved burger brands, with the likes of Patty & Bun, Mollie’s and Tom Kerridge’s Butcher’s Tap and Grill going head-to-head with London indie Bun & Sum, Roddy Burger from Tunbridge Wells and of course Cheltenham’s Smiths of Bourton. The full list of finalists can be seen below.

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Smiths of Bourton owners, Seb and Theo Smith, in a joint statement said: "We are flattered that we have been selected to participate in the National Burger Awards. We recognise there are some huge names in that line-up, but we cannot wait to showcase our amazing burgers."

The competition, headline sponsored by Brooklyn Brewery, will take place at Big Penny Social in Walthamstow on Tuesday 11 February. On top of the signature round, which will see the chefs cook up the very same burger that earned them their spot at the final, finalists will take part in a technical challenge where they must create the ultimate burger from a selection of sponsor ingredients. They will also participate in a plant-based burger round, sponsored by Redefine Meat.

Alongside the burgers, this year will see the return of the Freakshake Challenge, in which another cohort of leading operators will battle it out to see whose creation will be named best in the UK.

“What’s not to love about a day spent celebrating the very best of British burgers?” says Genna Ash-Brown, editor of Dine Out magazine, which organises and runs the awards.

“Hot on the heels of last year’s 10th anniversary Champion of Champions event, we’re back and on a mission to find the purveyor of the UK’s ultimate burger. This line-up could well be the most compelling yet, and we can’t wait for our judges to be floored by the flavourful innovation that’s sure to be demonstrated by these talented chefs.”

The National Burger Awards 2025 is headline sponsored by Brooklyn Brewery, and sponsored by Americana, Aubrey Allen, Conglom, Fleet Street, Kerrymaid, Kühne, Oliehoorn, Redefine Meat and Tabasco.