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In New Zealand’s fiercest culinary competition, One80 Restaurant has tantalised the taste buds of both Wellingtonians and judges to win Burger Wellington for the second year in a row.
One80’s Nawabi Galouti lamb burger beat out almost 200 other burgers to take this year’s title. Visa Wellington On a Plate festival manager Beth Brash says it is the first time in Burger Wellington’s 15 year history that a restaurant has won the competition twice.
“This is a huge achievement for One80 – not only to win Burger Wellington twice and in back-to-back years, but also to win in an incredibly tight race to the top.
“Our congratulations to Chetan and his team.”
Nawabi Galouti features a lamb patty, pulled lamb shoulder filo cigar, lamb snow and chicory in a Clareville Bakery croissant bun.
Chef Chetan Pangam says that the burger was inspired by stories of the Awadhi Nawabs, who lived in Northern India in the 17th century and were known for smoking cigars, eating rich food, and having no teeth. According to legend, a Nawabi chef minced lamb meat 100 times with spices to create a ‘toothless kebab’ dish that didn’t need to be chewed.
A panel of independent judges chose the winner from five finalists, with judges commenting that the lamb in Nawabi Galouti had an ‘almost pâté-like texture that was amazing to eat’. They also noted the effort that went into the winning burger, with one remarking that “the labour of love that the chef has put into this is so clear, it really shines through in every aspect of the dish that was considered very deeply”.
Chef Chetan says that he started working on this year’s winning burger right after he’d won the 2023 Burger Wellington title.
“The tremendous hours put in by me and the team have been so worthwhile – we’ve seen diners turn out in droves during the festival to try our burger,” says Chetan.
“To not only win again but to do it twice in a row is surreal. It is truly a humbling experience and I’m just over the moon!”
This year thousands of burger lovers visited almost 200 venues participating in Burger Wellington during the Visa Wellington On a Plate festival, devouring an estimated 200,000 burgers over the three week competition. This annual celebration of the humble hamburger has spurred countless spreadsheets as devotees schedule how to rate and devour as many burgers as possible.
Burgers in the competition are matched with Garage Project beers and Garage Project co-founder and head brewer Pete Gillespie worked with Chef Chetan Pangam to create Susegad, a custom brew that was part of the winning prize package for Burger Wellington 2023.
“Nawabi Galouti burger with Susegad Goan Spice Witbier was the perfect pairing,” says Pete. “Pulling off a win two years in a row is an amazing achievement, especially given the incredible level of quality and creativity we’ve seen across the board in this competition. Congratulations to the team at One 80.”
Full list of winners of Visa Wellington On a Plate 2024:
Burger Wellington – overall winners and prizes
- WINNER: One80 Restaurant ‘Nawabi Galouti’ – Prize includes $1000 in Garage Project stock, $500 Gilmours credit, free entry into Burger Wellington 2025
- SECOND PLACE: Zephyr Cafe ‘A Frankenstein Adventure’ – Prize includes $500 Garage Project stock, $300 Gilmours credit
- THIRD PLACE: Sushil’s Musclechef Kitchen and Café ‘Celebration of Spices’ – Prize includes $200 Garage Project, $200 Gilmours credit
Burger Wellington – Regional Winners:
- Kapiti – Hey Coastie ‘Cluckin’ Good Chilli Crisp’
- Porirua – Sushil’s Musclechef Kitchen and Café ‘Celebration of Spices’
- Hutt City – Baylands Brewery ‘Stack Attack’
- Upper Hutt – Keihei Chicken ‘Gimme A Coal’
- Wairarapa – The White Swan Country Hotel ‘Fowl Play’
Other Festival Awards
- Best Use of Theme (Burger) A Frankenstein Adventure, Zephyr Cafe
- Best Use of Theme (Event) Clay with your Food, Karla Marie Ceramics and Chef Ben Mac
- Most Innovative (Burger) Construct-a-burg, The Inn Keeper
- Most Innovative (Event) Maumahara, Kasey and Kārena Bird with Kitchen Takeover
In good news for Burger fans, One80 will be competing with itself in a Burger Off event that will allow customers to choose between their 2023 and 2024 Burger Wellington winning burgers. More information will be announced by One80 once they’ve recovered from their win.
