Kentucky Beef Council

KATELYN HAWKINS

KBC Director of Product Marketing

The sun shines bright with a slight breeze as I sit down to write this month’s article. Is the breeze a little chilly? Yes. However, the warmth of the sun sets my grilling soul on fire. Warmer days are coming and summer grilling season will soon be upon us. Owensboro got their community in the grilling mood in March with the first Owensboro Burger Week. As you have read in previous articles, Kentucky Beef Council began investing in burger week promotions in2015withthefirstLexingtonBurger Week. Since then we have celebrated six Lexington Burger Weeks and four Louisville Burger Weeks. When Dave Kirk at Visit Owensboro called with an opportunity to support their inaugural event we immediately said yes. Owensboro Burger Week, hosted March 2nd – 6th, featured $6 burgers from area restaurants. While we have traditionally seen burger weeks hosted in the summer months, Visit Owensboro planned their event during March as a response to feedback received from the restaurants. Clearly this was an optimal time frame for this market with 24 participating restaurants in the first year. The event coordinators of Owensboro Burger Week sought an opportunity to bring a friendly competition between the restaurants to the event. As a result an eight-person panel of experts and burger enthusiasts crowned the Best Overall Burger. Blind judging of the burgers was conducted at a neutral location giving judges the opportunity to discuss each burger as they tackled the task of awarding one winner the traveling trophy sponsored by Hill View Farms Meats. Ultimately, O’Bryan’s Bar & Grill claimed the title as Best Overall Burger with their Double Bacon Mozzarella Cheese Stick Burger. Legends Sports Bar & Grill took home second place with The Winner and Wonder Whip placed third with the Kentucky Bourbon BBQ Burger. Based on responses from participating restaurants, the five day promotion resulted in 11,606 $6 burgers sold yielding in $69,636 in burger sales. Restaurants saw an average 245% growth in burger sales for this time period. As always, burger week patrons are encouraged to purchase more than just the $6 burger during the promotion resulting in an even greater economic impact for this restaurant community in a time of dire need for our foodservice industry. Due to the whopping success of this inaugural event, Owensboro Burger Week will be returning in Winter/ Early Spring 2022. While burger weeks are a great way to highlight beef on menus and drive traffic to restaurants, we encourage burger week patrons to draw inspiration from featured burgers to craft burger at home or simply try new flavors with beef to keep our protein top of mind. We can all agree a great ground beef patty needs little toppings; however trying new toppings on burgers is half the fun of eating the burger. I am a firm believer in embracing your creativity in the kitchen to make memories. The kitchen is the heart of my home and that can be attributed to my mother. She had so much patience with me growing up as I tried to put all sorts of seasonings, spices, sauces, topping, etc. on anything we were cooking. I often times pushed the bounds on what my dad would tolerate for lunch or dinner, but made a mount of memories that I cherish every time I think of my mom now that she is no longer with us. Next time you have burger night at home or visit your favorite burger joint, I challenge you to take a walk on the wild side with your toppings. You never know it could be a life or taste bud changing moment. For burger or beef recipe inspiration visit www.kybeef.com or follow kybeef on Instagram and Facebook. Do you run or cycle and have a love for beef? Kentucky Team Beef, sponsored by the Kentucky Beef Council is for you. Team Beef members understand and believe in the nutritional benefits of lean beef and the vital role it plays in training while sharing their love of beef with family and friends. Joining the team is free. Our team is open to runners and cyclists of all abilities and background. From the novice to the elite, as long as you enjoy the great taste of beef and believe in its benefits, you can join Kentucky Team BEEF. To apply, simply go to www.kybeef.com/wellness.

1ST PLACE BEST OVERALL BURGER O’Bryan’s Bar & Grill: Double Bacon Mozzarella Cheese Stick Burger

Two quarter pound hamburger patties grilled to perfection topped with two pieces of American cheese, bacon, two cheese sticks, and a light drizzle of BBQ sauce. Served on a toasted bun.

3RD PLACE BEST OVERALL BURGER Wonder Whip: Kentucky Bourbon BBQ Burger

Double bacon cheeseburger prepared with cheddar cheese, lettuce, onion, pickle and our house made Woodford Reserve bourbon BBQ sauce

2ND PLACE BEST OVERALL BURGER Legends Sports Bar & Grill: The Winner

Always fresh, Certified Angus Beef topped with provolone cheese, a crispy onion ring, drizzled with our KY Bourbon sauce served on a fresh Nikos Bakery bun

MOST SOLD BURGER Beef ‘O’ Brady’s: Five Cheese Burger

Our premium blend angus burger made with chuck, brisket & short rib with melted American, provolone, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses on buttered & grilled brioche bread. Garnished with a crunchy, melty mozzarella cheese plank.