No topic ruffles the feathers of our food-obsessed readers quite like the humble burger. From where to find the best ones to whether the fancy-ish takes at Bistra, Gimlet and Maison Batard are good enough to rival your classic Aussie fish and chip shop burg (fried egg, pineapple and all) – everyone has got their own opinion.
But if there's one opinion we really trust when it comes to the matter of meat between two buns, it's that of Jimmy Hurlston AKA Jimmy's Burgers on Instagram – one of Australia's most prolific burger reviewers since 2012, author of The Burger Book and co-founder of Collingwood trailblazer Easey's. Last week, Hurlston was one of the judges at the inaugural Australia's Best Burger Awards at the hospo trade show Food & Hospitality Week, where he lent his expertise in crowning one winner to rule them all for 2025.
Drumroll, please... are you ready for it? Let's give it up for chef Jonathon Donovan from CBCo Brewing Port Melbourne! The official winner of the highly coveted National Burger Award, Donovan was praised by the judges for his 'Fillet-O-Shrimp' burger, a next-level ode to the the Maccas fish fave. The brewery's yummy two-hander features a panko-crumb prawn patty, lettuce, onion, and a creamy ranch and Japanese Mayo sauce.
Not sure about you, but we know exactly what we're ordering next time we pop in for a brew!
“It's phenomenally hard to cook in a kitchen that’s not yours under such pressure, yet all the contestants put up delicious, high-quality burgers," shared Hurlston. "Jonathon was able to deliver consistently when it came to both flavour and presentation of his two burgers – it was a very well-deserved win."
In another win for Victoria, Phillip Island's The Shearing Shed tied with a Queensland burger joint to take home the Best Signature Burger Award. To read more about all the winners (as well as who took home accolades at Australia's Best Pizza Awards), head to the website.
As for us? We're off to CBCo Brewery for a burger and a froff.
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