Patty Guy Brighton – By Kenny Tutt, A Food Review
Burger fans rejoice! Kenny Tutt, winner of MasterChef UK 2018, has opened a
new burger joint restaurant in Brighton called Patty Guy at the Shelter Hall. If that wasn’t exciting enough, this Summer Kenny will have not one, but two burger concepts in our wonderful city!
Mr. Tutt co-founded PITCH Restaurant & Cookery School with his wife Lucy in his home town of Worthing in 2019, just a year after winning the prestigious MasterChef title. Inspired on a daily basis by his Sussex surroundings, and the fantastic produce available on the doorstep.
Last summer saw Kenny launch his first Brighton venture Ox Block as part of the recently refurbished Shelter Hall. Now at the end of its hugely successful year-long residency at Shelter Hall, Kenny & team are excited to be partnering with award-winning local Sussex brewery, Harvey’s. Ox Block has taken over the kitchens at one of Brighton’s best loved pubs, Lord Nelson Inn on Trafalgar Street from June onwards. The menu will continue to feature Ox Block’s signature dishes including
High Steaks (Sussex 40-day aged sirloin steak, Harvey’s beer braised onions, mustard mayo, Barber’s cheddar & rocket), Gunpowder Chicken, and the Deep-Fried Oreo.
Thankfully, much like myself, Kenny Tutt has had a lifelong love for an outstanding burger! After plenty of experiments and sell out burger specials on the Ox Block menu, Kenny & the Shelter Hall team have launched Patty Guy, with a menu featuring smashed burgers, incredible milkshakes (including Peanut Butter Malt, and Cherry Bakewell) & sides (such as bacon chilli cheese fries, and buttermilk fried pickles). Patty Guy launched on the 5th of May so we wasted no time in heading down to Brighton’s premier food hall to check them out.
For anyone who has not yet visited Brighton’s shelter hall, the concept could not be further from your average food hall which are usually packed with fast food takeaways and are somewhat alien to real food lovers. The emphasis here focuses on local chefs and local produce with a group of independent businesses offering a variety of dishes.The atmosphere at Shelter Hall is vibrant and buzzy, a place focused on good food and fun. Today was no different, in fact it was packed to the rafters so I was glad to have booked a table for my dining companion and fellow burger connoisseur Nick and I.
I always marvel at how well run the stalls at the shelter hall are, and today was no different. Despite the place being heaving with hungry punters our food was quick to arrive, freshly cooked and piping hot.
From the mouth watering menu of mouth-watering burgers and tempting sides Nick selected Mac Daddy, (Double beef patty, double American cheese, Patty’s pink sauce, lettuce and diced onion) with a side of garlic mayo cheese fries. As he is “watching his weight” he pops to the bar to grab a soda water to wash it down. I chose the Sunday Best (Double beef patty, beef gravy onions, smashed crispy potato tots, cheese and English mustard black pepper mayo) with a side of cheesy tots and a Belgian chocolate shake.
As we tuck in to our burgers it is immediately apparent that Kenny’s burgers are designed to allow the grass fed prime British beef to shine. You really do get a concentrated beefy hit with each mouthful. The various bits and bobs that are packed in to each burger only enhance the flavour of the meat. Both burgers were absolutely delicious in their own way. My Sunday best was like the best bits of a roast dinner packed into a light and fluffy bun and it really hit the spot. Nick liked the Patty’s pink sauce in his Mac Daddy burger so much he went straight up to the counter to order an extra pot to dunk his fries in.
The sides were also delightful. The tater tots had a lovely golden crunchy carapace encasing chopped potato akin to hash browns, drizzled in gooey cheese and topped with chopped fresh chives. They were exceptionally moreish, the perfect accompaniment to go with the burger and lots of them! The fries were crisped to perfection and generously topped with grated cheese and garlic sauce.
I thought I was just being greedy when I ordered the Belgian chocolate milkshake on top of all the food, as the thicker the better seems to be the mantra of most burger joints, so they end up being a meal in themselves, and I usually find them difficult to finish after a big lunch. Not the case with Patty Guy shakes, where I got a sublime velvety chocolate hit in a light, malty, and I would even go so far as to say refreshing drink which I slurped down in record time!
Our experience of The Patty Guy was a resounding success. I cannot wait to go back and try all the other delicious sounding creations that make up an innovative and well thought out menu. I think the Patty Guy may be a contender for the coveted title of best burgers in town though I said that about Ox Block, so come June when Ox block starts at the Lord Nelson I will be hard pushed to choose which of the two venues to go to get my burger fix.
Tony Shattell
Patty Guy
Shelter Hall. Kings Road Arches, Brighton BN1 1NB