I tried Wetherspoons' new menu and it tasted better than KFC and Honest Burger
TUCKING into a juicy burger, I could've been in a posh chain like Honest Burger - but I was sat in Wetherspoons trying its new menu.
The pub chain is adding posh burgers to its menu from tomorrow May 14 and I was surprised by how delicious they were.
Advertisement
7
I got to try out the new gourmet burger menu before it launches on May 14
Credit: Paul Edwards
7
The new burgers are the Big Smoke, Cheese Meltdown, Buffalo and BBQ Stack
Credit: Paul Edwards
7
Each of the burgers comes with onion rings and either chips or a salad as a side
Credit: Paul Edwards
There are four burgers to choose from - the Cheese Meltdown, the BBQ beef-filled Big Smoke, the spicy Buffalo chicken burger and the plant-based BBQ Stack.
They cost £10.19 with a soft drink or £11.72 with an alcoholic drink - cheaper than you would get at a chain like Honest Burger, which costs £11.95 for a burger and side and extra for a drink.
The chicken burger was way better than anything you'd get at KFC or McDonald's and everything seemed like very good value for money.
That's especially as they all come with a side of onion rings and either chips or a salad.
Advertisement
More on Spoons
Here's what I thought of each one...
Cheese Meltdown
7
The Cheese Meltdown has either beef or chicken with a slice of American cheese and an emmental and cheddar cheese sauce
Credit: Paul Edwards
The aptly-named Cheese Meltdown is quite literally covered in a melted cheese sauce.
It was messy to eat - but tasted great.
Advertisement
You can get this either with fried buttermilk chicken or a beef patty, but I tried the beef version.
Most read in Money
If you go for beef it's 732 calories or 839 if you get chicken.
Some people might find it a little too rich, but as a cheese lover I really enjoyed the strong flavour here.
4.5/5
Advertisement
Buffalo
7
The Buffalo features fried buttermilk chicken, Naga chilli sauce, American cheese and a blue cheese sauce
Credit: Paul Edwards
If you like your burgers with a slight kick, this one's for you.
The Buffalo comes with fried buttermilk chicken topped with Naga chilli sauce, American cheese, and a delicious blue cheese sauce.
Then to top it all off (quite literally) it comes with a chicken wing nestled on the burger bun.
Advertisement
The Naga chilli sauce had just the right amount of spice - enough to give it a bit of a zing but not so much that I had to reach for my bottle of water.
It was also balanced nicely with the creamy blue cheese sauce at the bottom.
The fried buttermilk chicken was nice and crispy, and I was impressed by the chicken wing too which had a slight citrus flavour.
I'm personally a fan of a chicken burger and this one was a winner for me - although I actually preferred the beef burgers, but I think that's down to preference.
Advertisement
This one is 819 calories.
4/5
Big Smoke
7
The Big Smoke comes with either beef or fried chicken and is topped with pulled BBQ beef brisket, American style cheese and maple cured bacon
Credit: Paul Edwards
I wouldn't have guessed it beforehand but this was hands-down my favourite.
Advertisement
Like the name suggests, this burger is full of rich smokey BBQ flavours.
You can choose either a thick beef patty or fried buttermilk chicken, which is topped with pulled BBQ beef brisket, American style cheese and maple cured bacon.
I thought the combination of three different meats would be too much for me but the flavours combined wonderfully.
The bacon was crispy (as it should be) and the BBQ sauce was the perfect combination of sweet and smokey.
Advertisement
Again it's a little messy, but it's worth it. Bear in mind, though, this one is the most calorific at 1,170 kcal with beef or 1,310 kcal with chicken.
5/5
BBQ Stack
7
The BBQ Stack has a plant-based patty, onion rings and a sweet and smokey BBQ sauce
Credit: Paul Edwards
This burger is TALL. I was a bit unsure of how to tackle the three thick onions sitting on top of the plant-based patty that's drizzled in smokey BBQ sauce.
Advertisement
But after squishing it down, I managed it.
I think the burger could have been a little dry if it didn't have the BBQ sauce - something that I've found can be a problem with plant-based burgers.
I liked the crispiness of the onion rings and again the BBQ sauce had the perfect sweet and smokey flavour.
This was my least favourite of the four options, but I think as far as vegetarian burgers go it's pretty decent.
Advertisement
Plus, it's the least calorific at 439 kcal.
3/5
How often does Wetherspoons change its menu?
Wetherspoons makes changes to its menus several times a year to give it a refresh and compete with rivals.
As well as introducing its new gourmet burgers, the pub chain is also bringing in a range of Korean-style chicken meals.
Advertisement
However it's also scrapping some customer favourites.
Steaks, mixed grills and gammon will be gone from the menu on May 14.
A spokesperson said these were the "biggest loss-makers" and the chain is "
confident that its menu provides a variety of choices and value-for-
money
meals
".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
9 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
RTÉ coverage of Pope Francis's funeral and election of Pope Leo cost €150k
RTÉ's coverage of the death of Pope Francis and the subsequent election of Pope Leo cost the broadcaster €150,000. Figures released under Freedom of Information show that the broadcaster's extensive coverage of the death of the pontiff included €4,200 in venue hire and over €1,200 in subsistence costs for management grade staff from Radio 1, with the overall costs of travel, hotels, and subsistence coming in at around €150,000 in total. RTÉ provided hours of coverage across its platforms upon the death of Pope Francis in April, including his funeral and the election of American cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th leader of the Catholic Church and the successor to Francis as Pope Leo. The station's output included a special broadcast of its flagship Prime Time programme with records showing that staff airfares and hotels for that show cost around €3,600. While the cost of flights was one of the larger outlays, some airfares came in at as little as €13. The world's media and thousands of pilgrims descended on the Vatican City upon the death of Pope Francis, with mourners standing in line for hours to pay their final respects while his body lay in state in St Peter's Basilica ahead of his funeral. That was followed by coverage ahead of the papal conclave which lasted just over a day and a half and resulted in the election of the first American pope. In response to the FOI request, RTÉ said: "In relation to hotels, it is not possible to extract a precise spend on this alone so we have included 'staff subsistence' which would cover this and other costs. "Similar to civil and public servants, RTÉ personnel were paid to a set 'day rate' which would cover the cost of accommodation as well as food etc. "[T]he costs incurred were necessary to allow RTÉ fulfil its obligations to provide comprehensive coverage of two major global events across radio, television and online in both Irish and English. "Those who travelled provided many hours of coverage for all radio and television news and current affairs programming as well as online content spanning the days between the death of Pope Francis to the election of Pope Leo." Read More Pope Leo XIV calls for aid to reach Gaza in first general audience
Extra.ie
12 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Billionaire FedEx founder dies aged 80, leaving behind legacy and 10 children
Fred Smith, the billionaire entrepreneur who transformed the global delivery industry by founding FedEx, has died at the age of 80. Smith launched FedEx in 1973 with a groundbreaking idea: a faster, more efficient way to deliver small parcels and documents than the traditional postal service. Starting with just 14 aircraft operating out of Memphis International Airport, the company serviced 25 U.S. cities in its early days. His innovative 'hub and spokes' model, coordinating air cargo flights around a central hub, quickly became a cornerstone of modern logistics. Under Smith's leadership, FedEx grew into a global powerhouse, now delivering an astonishing 17 million parcels every day. His cause of death has not yet been confirmed. Under Smith's leadership, FedEx grew into a global powerhouse, now delivering an astonishing 17 million parcels every day. A Yale University graduate, Smith famously drew on a business theory he developed during his college years to create the foundation for FedEx. Worth an estimated $5.3 billion at the time of his death, according to Forbes, Smith was also a dedicated philanthropist. He donated millions to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, supporting the families of those who served. Though he stepped down as CEO in 2022, Smith remained deeply involved with the company as executive chairman. Fred Smith. Pic: Getty His passing prompted an outpouring of tributes from political and business leaders alike. Memphis's former mayor Jim Strickland called him 'the most significant Memphian in history,' adding: 'He benefited our city in every way possible and allowed generations of Memphians to achieve the American dream. God bless Fred Smith. My condolences to the Smith family.' Smith is survived by his wife and 10 children.
Irish Examiner
17 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
FedEx founder Fred Smith dies aged 80
Fred Smith, the FedEx founder who revolutionised the express delivery industry, has died aged 80. FedEx started operating in 1973, delivering small parcels and documents more quickly than the US postal service could. Over the next half-century, Mr Smith, a veteran US Marine, oversaw the growth of a company that combined air and ground service and became something of an economic bellwether because so many other companies rely on it. Based in Memphis, Tennessee, FedEx grew into a global transportation and logistics company that averages 17 million shipments per business day. Mr Smith stepped down as chief executive in 2022 but remained executive chairman. A 1966 graduate of Yale University, he used a business theory he came up with in college to create a delivery system based on co-ordinated air cargo flights centred on a main hub – a 'hub and spokes' system, as it became known. The company also played a major role in the shift by American business and industry to a greater use of time-sensitive deliveries and less dependence on large inventories and warehouses. Mr Smith once told The Associated Press that he came up with the name Federal Express because he wanted the company to sound big and important when in fact it was a start-up operation with a future far from assured. FedEx revolutionised the express delivery industry (PA) At the time, he was trying to land a major shipping contract with the Federal Reserve Bank that did not work out. In the beginning, Federal Express had 14 small aircraft operating from Memphis International Airport flying packages to 25 US cities. Mr Smith's father, also named Frederick, built a small fortune in Memphis with a regional bus line and other business ventures. Following college, Mr Smith junior joined the US Marines and was commissioned a second lieutenant. He left the military as a captain in 1969 after two tours in Vietnam where he was decorated for bravery and wounds received in combat. He told The Associated Press in a 2023 interview that everything he did running FedEx came from his experience in the Marines, not what he learned at Yale. Getting Federal Express started was no easy task. Overnight shipments were new to American business and the company had to have a fleet of planes and a system of interconnecting air routes in place from the start. Though one of Memphis's best-known and most prominent citizens, Mr Smith generally avoided the public spotlight, devoting his energies to work and family. But despite his low profile, he made a cameo appearance in the 2000 movie Castaway starring Tom Hanks. The movie was about a FedEx employee stranded on an island. 'Memphis has lost its most important citizen, Fred Smith,' said US representative Steve Cohen of Tennessee, citing the FedEx's founder's support for everything from the University of Memphis to the city's zoo. 'FedEx is the engine of our economy, and Fred Smith was its visionary founder. But more than that, he was a dedicated citizen who cared deeply about our city.'
