NLKelvin Veldhoen from restaurant De Machinist in Rotterdam is the winner of the hamburger battle that was part of the Driessen Food Festival. On February 6, 12 chefs from all over the Netherlands competed in the battle organized in honor of the introduction of our new premium hamburger. On the estate next to De Machinist in Rotterdam, a proper battleground was set up with no fewer than 6 Big Green Eggs where chefs went all out.
The jury, consisting of top chef IJsbrant Wilbrenninck, Gijsbregt Brouwer from De Buik van Rotterdam, meat expert Job Goedegebuur, and connoisseur and consumer expert Dana Driessen, had the honorable task of tasting and evaluating the burgers on aspects such as flavor, creativity, and presentation. After a spirited jury discussion, they unanimously agreed that Kelvin Veldhoen, chef de partie at De Machinist, was the winner of the coveted Big Green Egg. According to the jury, his Asian burger on a black bun, featuring marinated okras and spicy tomato chutney among other ingredients, was the most balanced in terms of flavor, very daring, and therefore also original. The burgers from all the participating chefs will be featured on the Driessen Food Facebook page in the coming period.
Christiaan Driessen: “With our events, we love to have chefs, our customers, inspire one another with our products. That was certainly achieved with this battle, so perhaps there will be another battle next year.” The event, which was attended by 70 chefs and hospitality entrepreneurs, was entirely focused on the ultimate hamburger and everything that goes with it. Frites uit Zuyd let their artisanal fries be tasted and the two Rotterdam initiatives Kromkommer and Ferme Kolen explained everything about fermenting and processing vegetables that would otherwise not be sold. The gentlemen from the hospitality ordering system InONE showed how you can achieve an interesting margin on a hamburger. Our very own hamburger professor Carlo van Meerten demonstrated why the latest hamburger is so special.
“For many hospitality establishments, the hamburger is an indispensable part of the menu. Our search for the ultimate hamburger with which our customers can distinguish themselves brought us to a new machine. The meat is coarsely ground and immediately formed so that all the fibers remain aligned in the same direction. The result is a hamburger with a light, fairly coarse texture and a perfect balance between juiciness and firmness.” According to Ronald Driessen.
Also interesting: De Buik van Rotterdam wrote a beautiful piece about the battle!
