Burger study from Lantmänenn Unibake's Americana brand reveals the value of buns

Lantmännen Unibake's Americana brand has released insights from a new burger study, which confirms that on average 69% of a burger is bun.

According to the study, in association with burger blogger Burger Lad, 83% of pubs and restaurateurs and 84% of consumers agree that a high-quality bun is a key characteristic of a gourmet burger. Furthermore, consumers on average are willing to pay up to £1.25 more for their burger to come in a gourmet bun, and that trading up to gourmet buns is identified as a key way for outlets to maximise sales.

Over 100 burgers were measured from a range of different outlets, including fast food, premiumised, and high-end gourmet burgers. Several measurements of each burger were taken (to the nearest mm) to establish the average burger's filling to bun ratio, with the results showing that on average 69% of the burger is made up of the bun.

Simon Dukes, ‘Burger Lad', said: "This campaign provides proof that operators need to make their burger offering stand out in a hugely competitive market.

"The bun is the first thing you notice when you go to eat your burger, and it says a lot about the type of burger you are eating. Most of the cheaper, fast food options we saw had a flatter, smaller, sesame seed bun. Not very exciting, but it does the job at the lower end of the burger scale.

"For the premium options we measured, brioche was a popular choice. Despite the vast difference in the burgers and the price points charged, the percentage of the burger to bun ratio was relatively even, from fast food to gourmet."

Samantha Winsor, assistant brand manager, of Americana, said: "When it comes to burgers the bun is a key ingredient. We wanted to find out what trade experts thought and how their opinions compared to consumer's expectations of buying burgers out of home, and how the bun impacted their burger experience."

When ordering in a pub or a restaurant 60% of consumers would expect their burger to come in a gourmet bun, with some stating that they would be disappointed if this was not the case. One consumer commented: "If they served me the standard seeded one, I'd probably be disappointed and leave it."
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