Westminster City Council Bans Rare, Medium-Rare Hamburgers

The Westminster city council has served notice to London restaurants who offered rare or medium-rare burgers that the practice is unacceptable. The notice was giving to the restaurant Davey’s after an inspection showed that they would cook their burgers to the customers preference. From the London Evening Standard,

A number of celebrity chefs are affected by the move, including Gordon Ramsay, whose Maze Grill restaurant sells a burger for £12, Angela Hartnett, whose York and Albany’s bar menu includes burgers, and the Soho House chain, run by Nick Jones, the husband of broadcaster Kirsty Young.

After routine inspections by environmental health officers, Westminster council challenged the way Davy’s was serving its £13.95 burgers at one of its restaurants in central London. Davy’s has taken the case to the High Court, which experts say could set a legal precedent as to whether or not diners will be able to order meat rare.

There are lots of questions to ponder here, including, if this regulation is upheld by the High Court, where it will stop. Steak tartare? Medium-rare steak? As a chef said, “the list is endless”.