Operators serve up US-themed favourites for Independence Day
Heston Blumenthal’s Michelin-starred pub the Hinds Head, in Bray, Berkshire, offered a five-course ‘British Colonial’ tasting menu for £95 per person.
Available from 7.30pm to 10.30pm, the menu included smoked chicken liver parfait with cranberry jelly and corn bread, maple-glazed pork belly, and cheesecake with raspberry and cookie ice cream.
Gourmet burgers have been growing in popularity in recent years, and Manchester restaurant the Grill on the Alley is working with Thomas Cook to offer a new ‘United States of Amancunian’ burger menu timed to coincide with both 4 July and the airline provider’s new routes from Manchester to New York, Miami, Boston and Los Angeles.
The restaurant will include the four full-sized burgers on its menu for one month. The NY Deli Burger is a ‘Big Apple’ classic combination with pastrami, pickle and Lancashire blue cheese. The Boston Burger features prawns and crayfish, garlic butter and back bacon from Greeves farm in Lancashire. The Miami Burger has a tropical Floridian twist with pickled watermelon, pineapple and coleslaw with horseradish as a British twist.
The LA Burger, meanwhile, fuses flavours from southern California, such as onion rings, guacamole, chipotle mayo, and – from across the Pennines – Black Sheep ale-battered pickles.
Dirty burger
Another 4 July-themed burger was available from Dirty Bones, in London's Kensington. Containing a 6oz beef burger, Monterey Jack and craft beer cheese, Coca Cola onion rings, onion confit and onion seeds, the burger was priced at £9.
Dirty Bones also offered complimentary cocktails in exchange with any diners who could provide $1 bills.
The Lockhart, in London’s Marylebone, served up authentic southern American dishes from Mississippi-born chef Brad McDonald.
Priced at £50, the family-style picnic menu included snacks such as barbecue ribs, fried chicken, the restaurant’s signature cornbread, and sides such as sweetcorn and jalapeno pudding, baked barbecue beans, and potato salad. Guests were greeted all weekend with a glass of watermelon punch.
London bar Hawksmoor, in Spitalfields, served Woodford Reserve whiskey and Buffalo wing-inspired nuggets for Independence Day. There will be a variance on the theme for Bastille Day (14 July), when Martell Cognac cocktails and cassoulet-inspired nuggets will be offered.
Customers will be able to vote for their favourite of the two using the #hawksyanks or #hawksfrogs hashtags.
