Upmarket burger

What with mad cow disease and the consistent disappointment of the major chains, I have had little experience of burgers in recent years.

That is not to say I don't enjoy them, having spent my university years chewing through hundreds of examples and survived to tell the tale.

But recently I have noticed them appearing on menus of restaurants which would doubtless class themselves a little higher than fast food establishments.

And then there are the outlets such as Gourmet Burger Kitchen which pitch themselves between the two.

An example of this growing chain appeared on Oxford's George Street earlier this year and, keen to renew my relationship with a decent burger, my companion and I stepped inside.

The GBK concept is simple. There is no booking so you may have to wait in a queue, but we were immediately whisked to a table close to other diners, although not uncomfortably so.

It is a simple menu dominated by burgers of various descriptions and there appeared to be no starters or desserts.

So we decided to be creative and opt to share a salad before the burgers. I then asked a member of staff if such an audacious move was possible.

Blank. I tried again but clearly his English was so bad that beyond the words on the menu, he was incapable of dealing with such an advanced request.

Rather than risk an international incident, I retreated to the counter where I was supposed to order anyway and there was no problem.

The GBK mixed salad consisted of cherry tomatoes, avocado, red onions, pine nuts and dressing, which sounds a lot better than it actually was.

The avocado was mushy and there was a lot of stringy spinach and not a lot else to the leaves. Altogether very little flavour, and not worth £5.45.

Matters improved with the arrival of the wine - large glasses of New Zealand Sauvignon and a Chardonnay, the like of which you would never see among the milkshakes and cola at a regular fast food establishment.

A couple of sips later and the main event was with us. I had opted for the Kiwiburger which promises Aberdeen Angus beef, beetroot, egg, pineapple, cheese, salad and relish - a combination which my partner thought sounded disgusting.

But I found it very tasty, with lots of different flavours complementing the burger which was cooked medium, although you can specify well-done or rare.

The burger is in fact so big that it is actually very difficult to eat in the traditional way and you are left sawing off the sides with a knife. Trying to actually cut through the middle is practically an impossibility as everything falls out.

Across the table, inroads were being made into a burger consisting of chicken breast, satay sauce, salad and relish.

Again the size was almost intimidating, but the spicy satay was an excellent complement to the chicken.

We also had a generous bowl of thick chips on the side, which we dipped into mayonnaise and tomato ketchup, as is obligatory on these occasions.

The outstanding factor with both these offerings was that they tasted fresh while still maintaining the burger's traditional moreish quality.

And, despite their size, very little remained on our plates. In fact, I didn't feel hungry for the remainder of the day, which was probably a good thing considering the thousands of calories I must have consumed.

My companion complained of feeling uncomfortably full, although I doubt the chef would have sympathy.

GBK was developed by New Zealander Peter Gordon, who wanted to recreate a concept of quality fast food that he enjoyed down under.

It works well and there really is something for everyone, with a range of 29 burgers including lamb, pork and vegetarian options.

For fast food in no-frills surroundings, it offers an excellent alternative to the high street chains.

GBK salad: £5.45 Kiwiburger: £7.85 Chicken satay burger: £6.95 Chips: £2.55 Glass of New Zealand Sauvignon: £5.50 Glass of Chardonnay: £4.10 Two cappucinos: £3.60 TOTAL: £36 Contact: 01865 245424 Website: www.gbkinfo.com