New Kettering burger joint hopes to match European success

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.

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

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.

"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."

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."