Fans of BOHNS are already in the know when it comes to the delicious burgers served at the Nottingham restaurant but now it's official. The restaurant, with the motto "flavour never goes out of fashion, has brought home the crown for England's best burger bar presented at a glittering awards ceremony.
The accolade means all the more to the family-run business as it followed public nominations made to Food Awards England, honouring restaurants across the country for delivering great flavours and experiences to their customers. Their triumph comes four years after BOHNS opened in Broad Street, Hockley.
The 65-seater underground restaurant lives up to the description "hidden gem" tucked away under BrewDog. Regulars love the freshly made smash burgers with names such as the Rump Rub, the Salad Dodger and the Steak Mate and sides of loaded fries and chicken wings.
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Brothers Thomas and Oliver Bohn run the kitchen with Tarvinder Singh Sabi, while Thomas' father-in-law Jeff Neads manages the accounts. The four were stunned when BOHNS was announced the winner at the Manchester’s Mercure Piccadilly Hotel.
Thomas said: "It was very unexpected so it was a lovely surprise. It was a phenomenal achievement and it's nice to get that recognition for something we've got so much passion for and something we've worked so hard for, for so many years."
BOHNS first entered the burger world as a street food trader, making an appearance at the Garage in Chilwell and a stint at the now closed Post House food hub in Derby in 2017.
"We pulled out of there after being there a year as we didn't like the way it was run. We were planning on opening a place in Derby but it fell through which is a blessing in disguise. We came to Nottingham as it's a lot more vibrant city and it's the best decision we made," added Thomas.
BOHNS beat off stiff competition from the other 11 finalists to bring the trophy back to Nottingham. "We didn't know about it until we got the invite saying our customers had been voting for us. We were shocked to get to the final let alone win it," said Oliver.
"We're proud to be in Nottingham, 100 per cent. There was lot of burger places in Nottingham in 2018 so to bring it across from Derby and build that reputation is fantastic. It was a good step for us. Slowly we're getting better known."
When there's so much competition in the city from global chains and other well-loved independents, how does BOHNS stand out from the crowd?
Oliver said: "It's all cooked to order. I think that's the difference to a lot of other burger places - they might hold fries under a hot light or have burgers pre-done. We get the order through and go from there.
"I'd rather people wait ten to 15 minutes longer for something that's going to be quality rather than just banging stuff out the door that you can't be proud of. It's a pride thing as well you wouldn't want to send out any old rubbish. We like to make sure everything that leaves that kitchen is top quality stuff."
The burgers and fries also have a unique spin, flavoured with BOHNS' own rubs and spices, and sauces made in-house.
The top three best sellers are all beef burgers: the Rump Rub, a spicy number with chilli mayo and raspberry and jalapeno jam; the chorizo-topped Torero, and The Blue, oozing with Stilton cheese. Chicken, veggie and vegan options are amongst the 16 burgers on the menu - no mean feat given the size of the small kitchen.
Sabi, who gave up making pizzas for burgers when he teamed up with the brothers, said: "We have a board with specials that we do every weekend to keep things interesting. It's been an amazing year, hard work. I love that everything is really high quality and fresh."
The win comes amidst big plans to expand with a second venue, still in Nottinghamshire but outside the city centre.
Oliver said: "We can't say much at the moment as it's still very fresh. Fingers cross that comes through. On Fridays and Saturdays we end up turning a lot of people away."
Customers rave about BOHNS in five star reviews. One said: "I know burgers very well, I travel to try new burger joints. BOHNS exceeded my expectations by far. The Blue burger was like a swing, you're happy with every move, although no move is exactly the same."
Another said: "Somewhat different to many other burger places and certainly has a more ‘upmarket’ feeling/lovely decor throughout. The burgers were absolutely delicious. We absolutely love it at BOHNS. We’ve been twice and will definitely be going again!"
Earlier this year BOHNS was a finalist in Britain's Best Burger competition, narrowly missing out on the prestigious top spot with the Rump Rub. Despite not winning, their success in reaching the final has attracted a host of first-timers to the restaurant.
