Recipes for Britain's National Burger Day!

We covered the UKs National Burger Day several days ago. https://thatsfoodanddrink.blogspot.com/2026/08/celebrate-national-burger-day-with.html

Now we share with you some absolutely delicious burger recipes that you can try yourself!

 Mushroom Smash Burger with Mojo Verde and Romesco

Credit: European Mushrooms @foostories

Mushroom smash burgers with mojo verde and romesco

Credit: European Mushrooms

Flat or portobello mushrooms are grilled until tender and ‘smashed’ on the grill. They are layered inside the burger with cheese, a rich romesco sauce made with smoked paprika and red peppers, plus a vibrant green salsa.

Ingredients

2 burger buns, toasted

6 flat or portobello mushrooms per burger, stalks removed

4 cheese slices

Romesco

1 roasted red pepper

100g almonds, toasted

1 large tomato

70g stale white bread (no crusts)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon hot paprika

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1.5 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil plus a little extra to finish

Mojo verde

2 cloves of garlic

1 green chilli, stalk removed

1 large bunch of coriander (around 100g)

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground

4 tablespoons olive oil

Method

    • Skin the tomato by making a cross shape in the bottom then covering with boiling water for a few minutes. Drain, then plunge them into cold water and leave for a minute. Peel away the skin.

    • Place the almonds, pepper and tomato in a blender with the remaining ingredients and a pinch of salt. Pulse to a coarsely-textured sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary

    • Blend all the ingredients for the moho verde with a pinch of salt,

    • Trim the mushrooms to make them flat if needed, then rub lightly with oil and season with salt. Cook on a hot BBQ until charred on each side, then layer up with slices of cheese.

    • Serve in the buns with the romesco and mojo verde.

Spicy Bombay Beef Patty Burger

Ingredients

For the patty

200g closed cup mushrooms

150g beef mince

75g mashed potato (ready-made/leftover is useful here)

2 tbsp medium curry powder

4 tbsp coriander leaves

2 green chillies

Groundnut or rapeseed oil to cook

For the batter

100g chickpea (gram) flour (use plain flour if can’t get hold of gram flour)

150 ml water

For the sauce

4 tbsp tamarind extract (use natural yoghurt if you prefer)

4 tbsp coriander leaves

1 green chilli

2 cloves of garlic, peeled

To serve

4 soft white buns

Chilli powder

Method

Blitz the mushrooms in a food processor, or dice finely by hand, then cook in a saucepan on a medium high heat until the liquid has evaporated. Add the beef mince and cook for 10 minutes

Mix with the potato, spices and chilli then form into 4 patties

Make the batter by mixing the chickpea flour and water until smooth

Heat a sauté pan with a little oil and carefully dip each patty in the batter before gently laying in the pan. Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden. Remove to a plate with kitchen paper

Blitz the sauce Ingredients together in a mini food processor and put in a bowl (you can also finely chop the herbs, chilli and garlic together and stir into the tamarind)

Serve each patty in a bun with a little sauce and a sprinkle of chilli powder

Mediterranean Naked Burger Bowl

Makes: 4 / Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

3 peppers, sliced into chunks

2 courgettes, sliced into cubes

4 Strong Roots Pumpkin & Spinach burgers

2 x 80g bags of lamb’s lettuce

150g cherry tomatoes, halved

1 avocado, thinly sliced

Fresh Dill Dip

300ml Greek yogurt

Small handful fresh dill, chopped

Juice of ½ lemon

Salt

Pepper

Cupboard Essentials

Oil

Salt

Pepper

Method

    1. Toss the pepper chunks and courgette with a drizzle of oil and roast at 200°C for 15 to 20 minutes until soft and lightly charred at the edges. Season with salt and pepper.

    2. Combine the yoghurt, dill and lemon juice in a small bowl, then season with salt and pepper.

    3. Cook the Pumpkin & Spinach burgers in an air fryer at 180°C for 10-12 minutes. 

    4. Load up your bowl, start with a base of lamb’s lettuce, then top with the roasted courgette, roasted peppers, cherry tomatoes, avocado and SR burger. Finish with a dollop of dill dip, plus a few dill leaves to garnish. 

Amaris Mint Brings Swedish Daily Nutrition to the UK with BioBoost Range

Anyone who has ventured into the world of protein powders and nutritional supplements will know just how bewildering it can become. 

Long ingredient lists, mysterious “proprietary blends” and labels requiring detective work aren't exactly helpful when all you really want to know is what you're putting into your body.

Amaris Mint is hoping to make things rather more straightforward.

The clinician-founded Swedish Daily Nutrition™ company has confirmed that its BioBoost range has been available to UK customers since April 2026, bringing its Swedish-made approach to everyday nutrition to British consumers.

Founded by clinicians Dr Nillie Teymouri and Tina Hirst, who have more than 25 years of combined clinical practice behind them, Amaris Mint was created in response to an increasingly crowded and sometimes confusing nutrition market.

At the heart of the range is BioBoost Balance+ Protein, a whey protein product available in Vanilla, Cinnamon and Chai flavours.

Each 750g pouch contains more than 30 clearly declared ingredients, including collagen peptides, vitamins, minerals, fibre, live cultures, digestive enzymes and selected botanicals. It has an RRP of £89.99.

For those who prefer capsules, there's also BioBoost Vital Balance, a complementary food supplement containing vitamin D3, zinc and selected botanical ingredients. Each bottle contains 60 capsules and costs £68.99.

What particularly caught our attention is the company's emphasis on telling customers exactly what's in its products. There are no proprietary blends, while ingredients and serving amounts are clearly declared.

“People should not have to decode complicated labels to understand what they are choosing,” co-founder Tina Hirst told That's Food and Drink.

That's an approach we can certainly appreciate.

The products are manufactured in Sweden at an FSSC 22000-certified facility, with documented quality controls and full batch traceability. It's worth noting that the certification applies to the manufacturing facility rather than the individual products.

Amaris Mint describes its philosophy as “Science-led. Made in Sweden. Designed for everyday life.” Rather than promising nutritional miracles, the emphasis is on products designed to slot conveniently into an existing daily routine.

Of course, supplements shouldn't be regarded as substitutes for a varied, balanced diet, and anyone with particular health conditions, allergies or medication considerations should check the ingredients carefully and seek appropriate professional advice where necessary.

For those interested in exploring the range, full ingredient lists, allergen information and directions for use are available from Amaris Mint.

https://amarismint.com

Fridja Expands Kitchen Range with New f66 and f77 Super Ovens

British home appliance brand Fridja has expanded its kitchen range with two new countertop ovens designed to combine the convenience of an air fryer with the versatility of a conventional oven.

The new Fridja f66 Super Oven and larger f77 Super Oven Pro promise fast, even cooking while using little to no added oil. Both also feature stainless steel interiors which are PFAS-free, PTFE-free and PFOA-free, with no chemical non-stick coatings used inside.

Fridja f66 Super Oven

Priced at £129.99, the f66 is the more compact of the two, offering a 15-litre capacity that could make it particularly appealing for smaller kitchens, student accommodation or anyone wanting an alternative to heating a full-sized oven for everyday meals.

There are 12 presets covering Air Fry, Bake, Roast, Toast, Pizza, Chicken, Reheat, Ferment and Dehydrate functions.

The f66 can reach temperatures of up to 220°C, while its convection fan circulates hot air around the food to encourage even cooking and those all-important crispy finishes.

Accessories include an air fry basket, baking tray and grill rack, all of which are dishwasher safe.

Bigger Meals with the f77 Super Oven Pro

For larger households, Fridja's f77 Super Oven Pro costs £169.99 and doubles the capacity to 30 litres.

It features six stainless steel heating elements combined with a turbo convection fan and offers 18 presets. Alongside air frying, roasting, baking, grilling, dehydrating and defrosting, there's a built-in rotisserie function – complete with the necessary forks and rotisserie handle.

That 30-litre capacity should make the f77 suitable for family meals, batch cooking and entertaining, with enough room for larger joints of meat, trays of vegetables or a whole rotisserie chicken.

Cleaning has also been considered, with dishwasher-safe accessories and a removable crumb tray.

Could a Super Oven Replace Your Conventional Oven?

Countertop air fryer ovens are increasingly attractive when cooking smaller meals because there's no need to heat the considerable space inside a conventional oven.

Fridja says its Super Oven range is designed to provide an energy-efficient alternative while bringing several cooking appliances together in one machine.

With air frying, baking, roasting, reheating and dehydrating covered by both models, the choice largely comes down to capacity. The 15-litre f66 offers a compact everyday option, while the 30-litre f77 Pro provides considerably more room and the added versatility of rotisserie cooking.

Both are available directly from Fridja, priced at £129.99 and £169.99 respectively.

https://www.fridja.com

Chicken and Eggs Under Scrutiny as Salmonella Outbreak Spreads Across Britain and Europe

Health authorities are investigating an ongoing salmonella outbreak involving 341 confirmed cases across seven European countries, including 207 in the United Kingdom.

The outbreak involves a strain known as Salmonella Enteritidis ST11. Between May 2025 and August 2026, cases were recorded in the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Austria and Denmark.

The UK accounts for 61 per cent of confirmed infections, followed by the Netherlands with 106 cases. At least 34 people have been hospitalised and one person in Britain has died. The outbreak is continuing, with further cases expected until its source is identified and brought under control, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Are chicken products responsible?

Although the outbreak has been widely associated with poultry, its precise source has not yet been confirmed.

Investigations in the Netherlands have pointed towards chicken meat, although officials stress that this finding is based on interviews with only a small number of patients. European investigators consequently regard both eggs and chicken products as possible sources.

In Britain, however, the strongest evidence currently points towards imported eggs used by restaurants, cafés and other catering businesses.

Of 114 UK patients interviewed, 95 reported eating food prepared outside their homes during the week before becoming ill. Five food businesses were visited by two or more unrelated patients, while 11 of the 24 cases linked to these premises involved people who had eaten egg dishes.

Possible cross-contamination was also identified at two establishments. Importantly, the UK Health Security Agency says there is currently no identified connection to eggs or poultry produced in the UK.

Consumers should therefore remain careful without assuming that all chicken or eggs are unsafe.

Reducing the risk at home

The Food Standards Agency recommends following normal food-safety precautions:

Keep raw chicken away from cooked and ready-to-eat foods.

Wash hands thoroughly after handling raw poultry or eggs.

Clean knives, chopping boards and work surfaces carefully.

Do not wash raw chicken, as splashing water can spread bacteria around the kitchen.

Cook poultry completely, following the instructions on the packaging.

Store chilled food below 5°C and observe use-by dates.

The FSA’s cooking guidance recommends ensuring that the centre of food reaches 70°C for two minutes or 75°C for 30 seconds. Chicken should be steaming hot throughout, with no pink meat and clear-running juices.

Young children, pregnant women, older people and those with weakened immune systems should ensure eggs eaten outside the home are thoroughly cooked. Catering establishments may use imported eggs that do not carry the British Lion or Laid in Britain assurance marks.

Salmonella symptoms include diarrhoea, stomach cramps, vomiting and fever. Most people recover within a week, but anyone who cannot retain fluids, develops bloody diarrhoea or shows signs of dehydration should contact NHS 111.

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/food-standards-agency

Figures and official advice correct as of 24 August 2026.

The Baker’s Daughter: Sourdough, Family and a Slower Way of Living in Cumbria. More From Bells of Lazonby

As Bells of Lazonby prepares to celebrate its 80th anniversary, a new chapter in the remarkable Bell family baking story is beginning to rise.

Pollyanna Bell, a third-generation member of the family behind the celebrated Cumbrian bakery, has launched The Baker’s Daughter, an intimate venture dedicated to sourdough, traditional skills and the pleasure of making bread slowly and thoughtfully.

The Bell family’s baking heritage stretches back to 1946, when Pollyanna’s grandfather returned home from the Second World War. Starting with little more than determination and a corrugated shed behind the family home in Lazonby and one elderly bread oven, he established the bakery that would eventually become one of Cumbria’s best-known food businesses.

Although Bells of Lazonby has grown considerably during the decades that followed, its foundations have remained firmly rooted in family, community and craftsmanship.

Pollyanna is now drawing upon that history while taking the family tradition in a more personal direction. Through The Baker’s Daughter, she hosts small, hands-on sourdough workshops from her own kitchen.

The classes invite participants to step away from the rush of everyday life and spend time learning the satisfying process of making bread from scratch. From handling and shaping the dough to understanding fermentation and caring for a sourdough starter, the workshops offer an opportunity to learn skills that can be used and enjoyed for many years.

Sourdough is not a bread that responds well to being hurried. It requires patience, observation and an appreciation of natural processes. That makes it a fitting centrepiece for The Baker’s Daughter and its celebration of a slower, more connected way of living.

There is something particularly special about learning these traditional techniques from someone whose family has spent 80 years working with dough. Pollyanna’s workshops are not simply baking lessons; they represent the continuation of a family story that began in a humble shed and has now found a new home around her kitchen table.

At a time when many people are seeking more meaningful experiences and looking to reconnect with the origins of their food, The Baker’s Daughter offers a welcoming return to simplicity.

It is a story of flour, fermentation and family heritage, and proof that even after eight decades, the Bell family’s passion for baking continues to produce something fresh.

https://www.instagram.com/thebakersdaughterlazonby

National Food Bank Day: Supporting the People Who Support Our Communities

Food is something many of us can easily take for granted. We open the cupboard, look in the fridge and decide what we fancy for dinner. 

Yet for a growing number of people, the question isn't what to eat, but whether there will be enough food to eat at all.

National Food Bank Day is an opportunity to recognise the extraordinary work carried out by food banks, their volunteers and everyone who donates food, money or time to help neighbours who are struggling.

Food banks provide emergency supplies to individuals and families experiencing financial hardship. The reasons somebody might need their help are many and varied. A sudden job loss, illness, relationship breakdown, unexpected household bill or delay in receiving benefits can leave a previously financially secure household struggling to put meals on the table.

And food poverty isn't always obvious. The person using a food bank could be somebody you work with, an elderly neighbour or a parent at the school gates.

What Can We Donate?

National Food Bank Day is a good excuse to check the kitchen cupboards and, better still, add a few extra items to the weekly shopping basket specifically for donation.

Food banks commonly welcome long-life products including:

Tinned vegetables, fruit, meat and fish

Pasta, rice and noodles

Pasta sauces

Breakfast cereals

Tea and coffee

UHT milk

Tinned soups

Biscuits and snacks

Long-life fruit juice

Tinned puddings and custard

However, don't automatically assume what your local food bank needs. Many publish regularly updated lists of urgently required products. Some may have plenty of pasta but desperately need tinned meat, coffee or long-life milk.

And remember that food banks frequently need non-food essentials too, including toiletries, sanitary products, nappies, washing powder and household cleaning products.

Every Donation Counts

You don't need to arrive with a trolley overflowing with groceries to make a difference. One tin of beans, a packet of cereal or a carton of long-life milk might seem insignificant, but thousands of people each donating one or two products can make an enormous collective difference.

Supermarket collection points also make donating particularly easy. Simply buy an additional item and place it in the collection box after paying.

At That's Food and Drink, we believe food should bring people together rather than highlight the inequalities between us.

So, on National Food Bank Day, why not find out what your local food bank needs?

Because nobody should have to wonder where their next meal is coming from.

Still Rising After 80 Years: Inside the Cumbrian Bakery That Never Stops Evolving

From a single oven in a corrugated shed to one of Cumbria’s major food producers, Bells of Lazonby has quite a story to tell. 

And as the family-run bakery celebrates its 80th anniversary, it is clear this is a business looking forward as much as it is looking back.

The story began in 1946 when John Bell returned to Lazonby after being held as a prisoner of war in Germany. 

Behind his parents’ village home was a small bakery in a lean-to shed. John planned to run it until he found a job.

As the family now jokes, he never did find that job!

Instead, the bakery grew. Bread and cakes were taken directly to rural communities using mobile shops, eventually expanding to 11 rounds. Bells later opened shops in Penrith, Carlisle, Kendal and elsewhere, while developing its wholesale business.

For second-generation owner Michael Bell, the secret has always been an ability to adapt.

Perhaps the biggest example came in 2000 when Michael tried living as a coeliac for a week and was disappointed by the gluten-free products then available.

“There was nothing in the bakery aisle that I wanted to eat,” he recalls.

His response was ambitious. After discussing the idea with a supermarket buyer, Bells sold one of its shops and built what became the UK’s first purpose-built gluten-free bakery. Within 12 months it was supplying Sainsbury’s and soon expanded into dairy-free products.

Today, the business is roughly evenly divided between conventional and free-from bakery products.

Yet despite its growth, Bells remains firmly connected to Lazonby and the wider Cumbrian community. The bakery supports around 420 local jobs, providing employment, apprenticeships and long-term careers in a rural area where major employers can make an enormous difference.

Its philosophy is summed up by the Bell family’s “three Ps”: people, product and profit. Profit, Michael explains, enables the company to support both its people and the place it calls home.

There are already plans to expand the Lazonby site, increasing production capacity while keeping the business independently owned and headquartered in Cumbria.

The next generation is involved too, with Michael’s daughter Polly recently launching her own venture, The Baker’s Daughter.

After eight decades, Bells of Lazonby offers a wonderful example of British baking heritage that refuses to stand still.

As Michael puts it: “We must build bandwagons, not jump on them.”

Here’s to the next 80 years – and plenty more cakes along the way.

Siren Sounds for Reading FC

Reading Football Club is delighted to welcome Siren Craft Brew as its new Official Local Brewing Partner.

Based just down the road in Finchampstead, Berkshire, Siren will have a prominent presence in the Fan Zone at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, giving Royals supporters the chance to enjoy a selection of locally brewed beers ahead of every home fixture.

Founded in 2013, Siren Craft Brew has grown from its Berkshire roots to build a national reputation for innovative, award-winning beers, making this a natural partnership between two organisations proud to call the county home.

Among the Siren favourites available to supporters will be Lumina Session IPA, alongside Show Your Stripes, a lager created in collaboration with the University of Reading and inspired by its famous Climate Stripes.

The Climate Stripes have become recognised around the world as a powerful visual representation of our changing climate, and are a campaign Reading Football Club has also been proud to support and promote over recent years.

Tim Kilpatrick, Chief Revenue Officer at Reading Football Club, told That's Food and Drink:  “We're delighted to welcome Siren Craft Brew as our Official Local Brewing Partner.

“Siren are a fantastic Berkshire success story and have already built a great connection with many of our supporters, so we're really pleased to bring their beers into the Fan Zone on matchdays.

“We want the Fan Zone to continue developing into a real destination for supporters before kick-off, and having a quality local brewery like Siren involved is another important part of that.

“We're looking forward to working closely with the Siren team throughout the season, including some fun activations for Royals fans along the way.”

Andy Nowlan of Siren Craft Brew added: “We're incredibly proud to be officially connected to Reading FC. Our customers, teams and local community have overlapped for so long, it feels like a very natural fit, and a privilege as an independent brewery to have this opportunity. Royals fans can expect not just brewery-fresh beer on matchdays in the Fan Zone, but plenty of other rewards and surprises throughout the season.

"We can't wait to get started!”

Siren is kicking things off by offering Royals season ticket holders free fries with their pints on matchdays at the brewery's town centre tap room, with more offers hitting member's inboxes this week.

sirencraftbrew.com

Raise a Glass to World Plant Milk Day

Whether you pour it over your morning cereal, froth it for a cappuccino or use it to add creaminess to a curry, plant milk has become a familiar sight in British kitchens.

World Plant Milk Day, celebrated annually on 22 August, is an opportunity to explore the growing range of dairy-free drinks now available. It is not about telling everyone to abandon traditional milk; it is simply an invitation to try something different and discover which plant-based option best suits your tastes.

The choice has expanded enormously. Oat milk is a favourite among coffee drinkers because of its naturally creamy texture, while soya milk is a versatile all-rounder that works well in drinks, sauces and baking. Almond milk has a lighter, gently nutty flavour, coconut milk brings a tropical touch, and alternatives made from peas, cashews, hazelnuts, rice and hemp offer even more variety.

Why not mark World Plant Milk Day with a taste test? Pick up two or three different cartons and compare them in tea, coffee or cereal. You might also try using plant milk to make pancakes, porridge, smoothies, custard, rice pudding or a comforting mug of hot chocolate.

When shopping, remember that plant milks can differ considerably in taste and nutritional content. If you are using one as a regular replacement for cows’ milk, check the label for calcium, iodine, vitamin B12, riboflavin and vitamin A. Recent UK government guidance recommends choosing products fortified with these nutrients at levels comparable with semi-skimmed cows’ milk.

Protein levels vary too. Soya and pea drinks tend to contain more protein than many oat, almond or rice varieties. Unsweetened products can be a good choice if you want to avoid unnecessary added sugar, while shaking the carton before pouring helps redistribute nutrients that may have settled.

Parents considering plant-based drinks for babies or young children should seek appropriate health advice, as their nutritional needs are particularly important and not every product is suitable.

World Plant Milk Day is also a useful reminder that food choices do not have to be all or nothing. You could retain dairy milk for some purposes while enjoying oat milk in coffee or coconut milk in cooking.

So, on 22 August, raise a glass to experimentation. You may discover a new favourite, and give your breakfasts, bakes and hot drinks a delicious little shake-up in the process.

Great Taste Awards Success for Piątnica and Dairly

Polish dairy co-operative OSM Piątnica is celebrating after three of its products earned prestigious stars at the Great Taste Awards 2026.

Piątnica High-Protein Raspberry Drinking Skyr and Dairly Cottage Cheese each received one star, while Dairly Whipped Cream Cheese impressed the judges sufficiently to secure a coveted two-star award.

The recognition for Piątnica High-Protein Raspberry Drinking Skyr was particularly significant. It was the only skyr to receive a star during this year’s competition, helping it stand out in what has become an increasingly busy and popular area of the dairy market.

Organised by the Guild of Fine Food, Great Taste is one of the UK’s most respected food and drink awards programmes. Products are assessed through blind tastings, meaning judges are not shown packaging, branding or any other information that might influence their decisions.

Instead, every product must succeed on its own merits. Judges consider flavour, aroma, texture, the balance of ingredients and the overall eating or drinking experience. The panels include chefs, critics, retailers, buyers, producers and other experienced food and drink professionals.

A one-star award indicates a product with very good flavour, while two stars are given to outstanding products that rise above the competition. The two-star result for Dairly Whipped Cream Cheese therefore represents an especially impressive achievement.

The awards also reflect OSM Piątnica’s emphasis on milk quality, carefully selected ingredients and consistency throughout the production process.

Based in Poland, the dairy co-operative works with around 2,000 farms, most of them situated in the green landscapes of the country’s north-eastern region. Every batch of incoming raw milk is tested, with quality controls continuing throughout production. Finished products are also assessed for important qualities such as flavour, aroma and texture.

OSM Piątnica produces an extensive range that includes cottage cheese, yoghurt, skyr, curd cheese, milk and cream. Its products can now be found across nearly 30 international markets.

Dairly is the co-operative’s international brand, developed for consumers seeking tasty, dependable dairy products made with simple ingredients. Its name is inspired by the phrase “Your daily dairy”, reflecting the brand’s ambition to become part of everyday meals and snacks.

With three award-winning products, and four Great Taste stars between them, OSM Piątnica has certainly given dairy lovers something worth discovering.

piatnica.com.pl