When most people think of hamburgers they think of ‘fast food’ – mass produced snacks, created in a kitchen more like a production line.
But when Dean Haynes decided to create his own range of burgers, speed was the furthest thing from his mind – as he took weeks and weeks to get his recipes just right.
For 24 years, Dean worked at McDonalds, tirelessly producing burgers to the company’s guidelines. Now, as the proprietor of Aldridge food joint the New Orleans Burger Company, he took time to perfect his range of high-quality burgers.
Launched in November, New Orleans Burger Co. offers hot, fresh, expertly-crafted burgers at an affordable price.
Their menus boasts a wide variety of beef and chicken burgers named along an American theme, as well as delicious wraps, sides and milkshakes.
Dean spoke about the effort he and his teammates put into finding the perfect recipe.
He said: “I spent 24 years working for McDonalds, and it was all about being automated and consistent. So, when I started my own burger restaurant, I wanted to do something different.
“We came up with the idea for New Orleans back in August, but didn’t officially launch until November. The gap was because we took our time to get the product right, trying our recipes and combinations and getting the ingredients just how I wanted them”.
Quality burgers
At the heart of the New Orleans Burger Co. is one thing – quality.
Dean explained: “For me, what makes a good burger is quality, fresh ingredients. Everything has to be just right. We never mass-produce burgers either – everything must be made hot and fresh, when it is ordered.”
During his research, Dean scoured the market to find the best quality ingredients for his products, something he says sets them apart.
He said: “Because we’re not a chain, we can hone in on quality ingredients. We’re not governed by a head office telling us what to use.
“We search the whole market to find the best ingredients, no matter the cost – we have high standards.
“If suppliers can’t keep up with the standards we expect, we have no problem holding them accountable and changing suppliers.”
Today, New Orleans Burger Co. has received rave reviews from regular customers and online patrons alike, but the quest to find the perfect burger is always ongoing.
Dean said: “Building reputation and trust among our customers is key. We always seek honest feedback from people, so we can keep improving.
“We want our innovation and high standards to shine through”.
Dean says there may be more branches of New Orleans Burger Co. opening in the future, as he considers the opportunities to expand, but for now he’s focused on providing quality food for his Aldridge customers as a proudly independent shop.
He said: “There’s been a craze for mainstream burger chains, like Five Guys and McDonalds, but we’re missing local independents. You get a different taste when you go independent; it’s a revolution”.
New Orleans Burger Co. is located inside The Parade Fish & Chip Shop at 8 Croft Paradise, Aldridge, WS9 8LY.