New Kettering burger joint hopes to match European success

It opened earlier this month and has proved a hit
Roman Harlamov of Burger Mania.Roman Harlamov of Burger Mania.
Roman Harlamov of Burger Mania.

Attention burger fans - there's a new spot to eat at a Kettering shopping complex.

Burger Mania opened in a cabin at The Yards in Market Street earlier this month and has proved a hit with its short menu concept, offering just four burgers.

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It's the brainchild of Roman Harlamov, who moved to the UK from Baltic state Estonia 17 years ago.

The fast-food joint's chicken burger.The fast-food joint's chicken burger.
The fast-food joint's chicken burger.

And he's hoping the success of another family fast-food joint there will be replicated here in Northamptonshire.

Roman, 37, said: "Last time I went back home last summer I went to see my family and my cousin, who was just about to open a burger place in Tallinn.

"I've got a degree in digital marketing and helped him set things up and the short menu concept was a big success and it worked really well.

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"I thought we don't really have anything like that in Kettering and cooking is my passion - so why not do something like it there?"

Despite its small menu the fast-food venue hopes to offer something for everyone with two beef options - a bacon cheeseburger and a blue cheese and truffle mayo burger - as well as a chicken fillet burger with mozzarella and pesto mayo.

But it's their vegan burger which is their best-seller - combining a plant-based patty with vegan cheese, hot sauce and vegan mayo. They also serve up chips and salad.

Roman said: "We make everything fresh and make our patties from scratch each morning - nothing is frozen and we try and buy what we can locally."

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Burger Mania will start serving alcohol next month and has already created a job for a young chef, with Roman hoping to take on two more youngsters on a part-time basis in the near future.

And despite the challenges of opening during a pandemic, with fewer shoppers on the streets, Roman is loving having his own business.

He said: "It's been quite difficult opening in the pandemic and things just seem to take a bit longer than expected.

"There's not many people opening places now, but we have opened and I'm enjoying it."

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