Life Before the Golden Arches

[Yank]

Whenever I've seen British TV chefs making burgers, they always fold extra ingredients into the mince. Is that how it's usually done over there?

Here in the land of the burger's origin, the patty is just ground beef. With seasoning on the outside, and no veggies or spices or soup mix folded in.

 

[matt j]

Whenever I've seen British TV chefs making burgers, they always fold extra ingredients into the mince. Is that how it's usually done over there?

Here in the land of the burger's origin, the patty is just ground beef. With seasoning on the outside, and no veggies or spices or soup mix folded in.

To be fair nobody makes them, hence it is open to throw in whatever you feel like as there are no rules. It's not like our national dish or anything.

 

[canonman]

Drove from Potchefstroom to Barberton many times, visiting in-laws. We used to stop for food at one of the Shell Ultra City stations, usually around Middelburg. There was always a Wimpy, or maybe sometimes a Steers.

Only been to Sun City once. Mrs. Hook's uncle and I played a few rounds of golf there. One of the very few times I had a caddy. Mine was a joy - lots of great stories, and a very wry sense of humor. He had caddied for some of the greats, including Ernie Els. He told me that Els and I had something in common! What, I eagerly asked. He said we both had taken our games about as far as our talent levels would allow. Sun City was also the only time I ever had to hit over a crocodile pit!

We are planning a trip for next year, probably in March. Been too long, and I miss SA a lot.

It's a great place and the golf exceptional. Been a few times. One year got upgraded to The Palace for free. First visited in 2002 and flew into the airport a couple of miles away, minus luggage but checked in, straight out to play golf and when we comeback, luggage was in the room. When flying out there back to Cape Town, I 'lost' Mrs Canonman. Found her eventually at a local's gin shack bar, pissed as a rat having a laugh with the locals!

The caddies are fantastic there and all of them trained to help with snake bites.... My late wife hit a great tee shot on the croc pit hole but it bounced off the green landing next to one of the crocs. I said she had to play the ball as it lies!

I miss the place too and am hoping to be back this winter for 2 over 3 weeks.

 

[stevec67]

Whenever I've seen British TV chefs making burgers, they always fold extra ingredients into the mince. Is that how it's usually done over there?

Here in the land of the burger's origin, the patty is just ground beef. With seasoning on the outside, and no veggies or spices or soup mix folded in.

As Matt says, there are no rules. If I make them I mince onions and maybe are an egg to stick it together. The supermarkets offer them with spices etc or without, rather like sausages. So if you want to get creative, you could do beef with diced chipotle peppers, mushrooms, tomato, onion, take your pick. Chicken burger with lemon, soy and ginger, why not? If it gets it into someone's trolley, what's not to like?

 

[Minio]

I remember back in the 70's the Wimpy bar was where us kids hung out from about 4 pm.
I don't remember any of us buying a burger.
We went home for tea by 5 pm.

 

[stevec67]

Or stevec67, with his Mondeo

Yes, I'd have something say if they were reconstituted potato flake shapes. Regular rows with marketing over that sort of nonsense.
I still miss the Mondeo. Just the sheer running for nothing, indestructible f*** you of the thing. Now OK, it was about done after 155k miles and the current car is faster, more economical, and all the rest, but it doesn't have the underdog spirit of the Mondeo that knew it was financially worthless and had zero image, but that would still put in a 400 mile day at any speed you thought you could get away with, any day you liked and the same tomorrow, deliver nearly 40mpg and go through MoTs for a brake service and a couple of bits of suspension. The Audi is great, but I know that one day it's going to hand me a very nasty bill. Then it's tough choices.

 

[gintonic]

Here in the land of the burger's origin

in Germany?

 

[matt j]

In all seriousness, I'd take a great burger over a steak any day, much tastier. Same goes for a great kebab.

 

[Mole Man]

Wimpy is still going strong in my native, Northwest London! Great branches in Wembley Park, Eastcote and Ruislip, although the menu prices have certainly risen noticeably so in more recent years (as has, to be fair, the decor).

Does anyone here remember a similar UK burger chain called, ‘Golden Egg’ at all?

 

[Hook]

It's a great place and the golf exceptional. Been a few times. One year got upgraded to The Palace for free. First visited in 2002 and flew into the airport a couple of miles away, minus luggage but checked in, straight out to play golf and when we comeback, luggage was in the room. When flying out there back to Cape Town, I 'lost' Mrs Canonman. Found her eventually at a local's gin shack bar, pissed as a rat having a laugh with the locals!

The caddies are fantastic there and all of them trained to help with snake bites.... My late wife hit a great tee shot on the croc pit hole but it bounced off the green landing next to one of the crocs. I said she had to play the ball as it lies!

I miss the place too and am hoping to be back this winter for 2 over 3 weeks.

Wonderful memories! Our plan for this upcoming trip is short visits with relatives, including a few days in the park with the Barberton sister-in-law, but then we really want to spend some time on the southeast coast. Maybe Hermanus, but March is not the best time of year for whale watching.

 

[TheDecameron]

"Hullo" she said in a dead monotone, "I am your Wimpy fun lady".

…and I’ll put broken glass in your tea.

 

[wow&flutter]

First ever knickerbocker glory must have been mid seventies came from Wimpy. Happy days

 

[Yank]

As Matt says, there are no rules. If I make them I mince onions and maybe are an egg to stick it together. The supermarkets offer them with spices etc or without, rather like sausages. So if you want to get creative, you could do beef with diced chipotle peppers, mushrooms, tomato, onion, take your pick. Chicken burger with lemon, soy and ginger, why not? If it gets it into someone's trolley, what's not to like?

That's all stuff that's good on a burger. On it, not in it. A burger doesn't need binders, that's for meatballs or meatloaf.

 

[canonman]

Wonderful memories! Our plan for this upcoming trip is short visits with relatives, including a few days in the park with the Barberton sister-in-law, but then we really want to spend some time on the southeast coast. Maybe Hermanus, but March is not the best time of year for whale watching.

We saw whales in September and October at Hermanus. Quite a spectacle. Gansbaii, just North of there, used to be the place to see Great Whites too but they have mostly vanished. Still plenty of sharks but not the monsters. Great golf courses on the garden route!

 

[Tony Lockhart]

Still can’t whack a good chippy

 

[garyi]

Whenever I've seen British TV chefs making burgers, they always fold extra ingredients into the mince. Is that how it's usually done over there?

Here in the land of the burger's origin, the patty is just ground beef. With seasoning on the outside, and no veggies or spices or soup mix folded in.

I watch the Burger scholar on YouTube and he goes all around America researching burgers. You guys put just about anything and everything into and onto that pattie!

 

[steveinspain]

I met Ritchie Havens in the Wimpy in Oxford must have been in 1973 I think.
I'd skived off school (in my school uniform) hitched in from Witney and was going to see him play that evening so went into the Wimpy for a pre-gig treat.
I got a massive handshake from him which almost crushed my boney fingers and headed straight to the Playhouse bar where despite my attire I got served..
I don't remember much about the meal, though do remember hugging the theatre toilet bowl for much of the concert.

 

[omers]

When I was maybe 12 my dad took me to the first and only branch of Wimpy in Ramat Gan (that's not in England). I could not believe how soft and welcoming it was, compared to the daily dark bread and cow's liver which was our main meat dish, it was one of the tastiest meals ever. My dad, a famous physician then, was grinning too, I think I was just an excuse.