There are a number of face-offs in town, like the Scotch Egg Challenge and Croquetas Challenge, and now it's the return of the Slider Decider - the bun challenge. It is what it sounds like - chefs compete to see who can create the best mini bun combo (it's not all about mini burgers, you see). And there are a LOT of them. Here's what's coming this year:
- Adam Rawson: Global Traveller – Aged Basque beef patty, truffle aioli, wild rocket, balsamic onions, pancetta and gorgonzola
- Sameer Taneja, Talli Joe: The Desi Slider – Banana blossom and black chickpea patty inside a bao bun. Served with fenugreek curried mayo, kachumber slaw, saag and inDhouse packeted crisps
- Jacques Fourie, Ember Yard: Smoked and glazed pork belly, homemade Iberico bacon, smoked tomato jam, pickled apple, kohlrabi and crispy pigs ears
- Richard O Connell, Tom s Kitchen: Heather smoked grouse breast slider with venison bresaola, spiced sloe chutney pickles in a wholegrain slider bun
- Dan Dabrowski, Balans Soho Society: Black brioche bun with a patty 4 different types of smoked and cured pork, smoked eel crisps, homemade plum and cherry liqueur ketchup, pickled ceps and a fennel and apple slaw
- Jim Abbott, Hixter: Soft shell crab with holly fff d sweetcorn and green chilli. Brioche bun, crispy soft shell crab with a Holy F*ck sweetcorn and green chilli mayonnaise
- George Barson, Jamie Oliver s Fifteen: Iberico pork patty, crispy pig's jowl, apple slaw, fermented plum BBQ sauce, dill pickles and quince mustard
- Tim Anderson, Nanban: One Million Yen Luxury Train Carriage Slider D aged beef, red miso demi glace, fresh English wasabi, tsuyuDglazed tomato, gem lettuce, and truffled aonori mayo
- Ben Waugh, Maze Grill: Smoked short rib of beef with tobacco onions and pickles
- Jeremy Pang, Cha Chaan Teng: Sweet and sour chicken bao with shredded carrot and coriander pickle and caramelised almonds
- Jay Pullum, The Botanist: The double winger D confit chicken wing, bbq pulled chicken wing, smoked baked bean ketchup, chicken salt and chicken slaw
- Comptoir Libanais: Levant Dog (hot dog slider) D Lamb kofta hot dog with pistachio and tahini mayonnaise
- Mark Jankel, Street Kitchen: Smokey Bill D aged beef patty, organic cheddar, home smoked porchetta, pickled red onions, baby gem, smokey grain mustard mayo, Stokes ketchup, brioche
- Crab Tavern: Champagne lobster burger, rarebit
- Jose Pizarro: Ibérico pork burger with jamón & manchego in a brioche bun
- Andrew Tajudin, Dickie Fitz: Chicken satay slider with pineapple and cucumber relish
- Joshua Campbell, Smokin' Buns: The Watership Down - Venison patty, pulled bbq rabbit leg, crispy house cured duck, ham, pickled wild mushrooms and wild blackberry compote
It all takes place on a Saturday afternoon at The Botanist in Broadgate Circle, and if you head along you can buy the buns to try yourself. That's 5 sliders for £15.
The Slider Decider 2016 is at The Botanist, Broadgate Circle, London, EC2M 2QS on 10 September 2016. For more, follow the hashtag #SliderDecider on Twitter.
