Manchester's foodie scene is buzzing with chatter about the city's latest pop-up diner, Humbug, which has been causing quite a stir and not just locally. The brainchild of the team from Stockport's Where The Light Gets In, this new burger spot in the city centre is all about sustainability, serving up 'nose-to-tail' burgers, mushroom popcorn, and yes, you read that right, there's a £40 deposit to dine (but more on that later).
The eatery has been turning heads mainly due to chef Sam Buckley's remarks to the press, where he said the venture aims to explore 'the notion of fast food in a social and historical context'. This isn't your average McDonald's experience. These comments have sparked some backlash, with accusations flying around that the project is 'performative' and 'pretentious'. And honestly, Buckley's words haven't exactly helped to silence those critics.
Social media has been ablaze with memes and posts, leaving opinions divided among the Great British public. Some have dismissed it as "Everything's so performative," and others have slammed it as 'pretentious nonsense', accusing it of being nothing more than an excuse to jack up prices. However, there are those who see it differently, praising it as a 'powerful concept' and a 'great way to reconnect people with where their food comes from', even calling it, if you'll excuse the pun, 'real food for thought', reports the Manchester Evening News.
Despite the pretences, there's a lot to appreciate about Humbug's concept. According to Sam, each of the 1,200 burgers sold will be sourced from a single Cheshire-bred Red Poll cow named Maraschino, with patties made from prime cuts, offal and everything in between.
