The best burger in Wellington? It has a lamb patty, pulled lamb shoulder filo cigar, lamb snow and chicory in a Clareville Bakery croissant bun.
That’s the combination, available from One80 Restaurant, that has been awarded the top prize in this year’s Burger Wellington culinary competition.
Named ‘Nawabi Galouti,’ One80’s lamb burger beat out almost 200 other burger entries to take this year’s title.
Created by One80 Restaurant Chef Chetan Pangam, the win is the first time in Burger Wellington’s 15 year history that a restaurant has won the competition twice.
The mouth-watering combination was created as an entry into the annual competition and burger celebration that sees restaurants vie for the title with both classic and unique burger combinations. This year it’s estimated Wellingtonians devoured an estimated 200,000 burgers over the three week competition.
Chef Chetan Pangam says that the burger was inspired by stories of the Awadhi Nawabs, who lived in Northern India in the 17th century and were known for smoking cigars, eating rich food, and having no teeth. According to legend, a Nawabi chef minced lamb meat 100 times with spices to create a ‘toothless kebab’ dish that didn’t need to be chewed.
A panel of independent judges chose the winner from five finalists, with judges commenting that the lamb in Nawabi Galouti had an ‘almost pâté-like texture that was amazing to eat’.
They also noted the effort that went into the winning burger, with one remarking that “the labour of love that the chef has put into this is so clear, it really shines through in every aspect of the dish that was considered very deeply”.
Chef Chetan Pangam admits he started working on this year’s winning burger immediately after the 2023 Burger Wellington title.
“The tremendous hours put in by me and the team have been so worthwhile – we’ve seen diners turn out in droves during the festival to try our burger,” says Chetan.
“To not only win again but to do it twice in a row is surreal. It is truly a humbling experience and I’m just over the moon!”.
Burger Wellington winners
- WINNER: One80 Restaurant ‘Nawabi Galouti’
- SECOND PLACE: Zephyr Cafe ‘A Frankenstein Adventure’
- THIRD PLACE: Sushil’s Musclechef Kitchen and Café ‘Celebration of Spices’
Burger Wellington – Regional Winners:
- Kapiti – Hey Coastie ‘Cluckin’ Good Chilli Crisp’
- Porirua – Sushil’s Musclechef Kitchen and Café ‘Celebration of Spices’
- Hutt City – Baylands Brewery ‘Stack Attack’
- Upper Hutt – Keihei Chicken ‘Gimme A Coal’
- Wairarapa – The White Swan Country Hotel ‘Fowl Play’
Other Festival Awards
- Best Use of Theme (Burger) A Frankenstein Adventure, Zephyr Cafe
- Best Use of Theme (Event) Clay with your Food, Karla Marie Ceramics and Chef Ben Mac
- Most Innovative (Burger) Construct-a-burg, The Inn Keeper
- Most Innovative (Event) Maumahara, Kasey and Kārena Bird with Kitchen Takeover
