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There have been reports in the media of Westminster Council cracking down on burgers being sold rare or medium-rare as a health precaution. Many diners are used to being able to request how they would like their meat cooked and then expect restaurants and pubs to fulfil such demands. The argument behind banning burgers being sold rare is that when the meat is not cooked all the way through there is a greater chance of an outbreak of E coli. As long as meat is sourced properly and all hygiene precautions are taken then this should not be an issue, but there is the potential that this may not be the case.
David Strauss, general manager of Goodman Restaurants, told BigHospitality: "E coli can kill many people from just one outbreak - it's not just food poisoning, it's a threat for life. "And an outbreak could come from pubs that don't have proper refrigeration, or a venue which is just jumping on this burger craze. It is something that really could happen here if they don't bring some legislation in." But he went onto say that there is more than one side to the story and the authorities are suggesting that burgers need to be seared at 70 degrees for a longer period of time in order to ensure that all bugs are killed. This will add an extra 15 per cent onto the cost of producing a burger, Mr Strauss said, which although he is prepared to pay, not everyone will.
Further to this, there are plenty of people who do not like their meat cooked that way, which is why they have been asked their preference for years. And where is the line drawn? Will restaurants be prevented from serving steaks and other cuts of meat rare in the future? There is a large group of people who believe that this is how meat should be prepared and therefore wouldn't want to eat a steak once it has been cremated. The way that the great burger debate pans out may have a wider impact on meat sales in pubs and restaurants going forward.
