Temper to launch ‘sustainable’ smash burger concept next week

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London-based steakhouse and barbecue restaurant group Temper will launch the first site under its new ‘sustainable’ smash burger concept next week in White City.

Restaurant revealed plans for the new Temper Burger brand back in January.

The concept has been developed by Temper founder Sam Lee de Lagonell and chef director David Lagonell as a way of using up offcuts from the group’s other restaurants.

Lee de Lagonell previously told Restaurant the brand was devised in part to put greater emphasis on cutting waste through Temper’s whole animal butchery programme.

Taking over the former Patty & Bun restaurant at the former BBC Television Centre, Temper Burger’s menu will major in smash burgers, each served as a double patty in a toasted brioche buns.

Options will include a classic with fresh chillies, green sauce, smoked raclette cheese, pickled red onions, burger sauce, tomato and lettuce; and the ‘Big Smoke’ with smoked brisket, American cheese, house pickles, lettuce and burger sauce.

There will also be a sloppy joe featuring smoky chilli, smoked raclette cheese and crushed crispy tortilla chips, alongside a range of chicken and vegetarian burgers.

Sides will include chilli cheese fries served with a mini-raclette burner and topped with bourbon pickled chillies, confit garlic and crispy shallots; as well as signatures from the Temper menu such as aged-beef nachos, and caramelised spicy corn.

Desserts options will feature drunken sorbets, and a spicy chocolate fondue; while drinks will include a range of canned cocktails developed collaboration with MOTH.

Temper was founded by Lee de Lagonell and chef Neil Rankin back in 2016, with the latter subsequently leaving the group in 2019.

It opened its first site on Broadwick Street in Soho and followed this with Temper City in 2017, Temper Covent Garden in 2018, Temper Shoreditch in 2022, and, most recently, Temper Paddington, which launched late last year.

“We are thrilled to introduce Temper Burger to the London community,” says Lee de Lagonell.

“Since having first launched back in 2016, we are delighted to continue Temper’s journey and see it grow from strength to strength.”

In its original form, each of Temper's restaurants had its own specific focus, with the original Soho site majoring on tacos and mezcal; the City site specialising in gin and curry; and Covent Garden focusing on house-cured meat, pizza and vermouth.

However, all restaurants under the group’s core brand now serve an almost identical food menu that includes a selection of barbecue, smoked meats, seafood and tacos.