Customer interview

“POTATO BUNS ARE SIMPLY THE BEST BURGER BUNS ON THE MARKET.” William Engman, COO of Bastard Burgers

Successful Swedish restaurant chain Bastard Burgers specializes in gourmet burgers. Bastard Burgers opened its first restaurant in Luleå in 2016 and today counts 28 locations with more on the way. 

“We want to be responsible for everything we do and therefore our clues are passion, quality and culture. We serve good meat, good dressings and the best burger buns. That’s the recipe for a good burger. Simple, but true,” says William Engman, COO of Bastard Burgers.

 

The recipe for the best burger bun

“We have chosen to use Potato Buns. It has a good bite, an airy crumb and a taste
that is perfectly balanced for all our burgers. These are simply the best burger buns
on the market. At the same time, it is convenient that it is also suitable for vegans,
which makes the taste experience between meat burgers and vegan burgers as
similar as possible,” says Engman.

Bastard Burgers’ bestseller is a bistro burger with Potato bun, Bastard Burger’s own
truffle mayonnaise, pickled red onion, crispy lettuce, pepperjack cheese and cheddar.
Engman has noticed that veggie burgers are attracting new customer types.
When Bastard Burgers did a campaign on one of their plant-based burgers, their
sales doubled, with no sales of meat burgers going down. “We believe that in the
future we will sell just as many burgers with and without meat,” adds Engman.

“STREET FOOD BOOM BROUGHT A WHOLE NEW FEELING TO RESTAURANTS” Kim Mustonen, chef at the restaurant Kuori

“Everything doesn’t need to be so serious, it’s ok to take it easy and have fun,” says Kim Mustonen, a talented young chef at the Finnish veggie restaurant Kuori. He has worked in Michelin-awarded restaurants in Finland and New York, London, Soul and Sydney. 

What are your secret tricks for creating new recipes?

”First of all, I think of who I cook for and for what kind of a moment. After that,
I start to look at ingredients with the season in mind. How I cook can also be affected by the season:
in the summer I am more tempted to grill, and in the fall
long-cooked stews work nicely.”

What drives customers right now?

”The origin of the food is super important, especially locally and ethically produced
ingredients. Today’s customer doesn’t necessarily want to spend three hours in a
restaurant with a long menu. Street food, made with premium ingredients, is the
perfect answer to these needs.”

Which street food trends are rising atm? 

”I must say this: burgers will never ever go out of style. Especially the demand for
high quality, premium burgers is still constantly growing.”

Has street food trend changed restaurant business?

”Yes! The street food culture has had a massive, positive influence on restaurants.
The techniques, flavors, spices, ingredients... Also, the street food trend has
brought a whole new feeling to the restaurants, everything need not be so serious.”

What do you value most in a supplier? 

”Quality – in the products, but also in the way we do business. With Lantmännen
Unibake I appreciate that the products are always easily available and I get exactly
what was promised. Always. Easy communication and open dialogue are also of
value.”