Nottingham restaurant Annie’s Burger Shack has returned to its roots with a series of pop-up pub kitchens in a collaboration with independent brewery Blue Monkey.
The two companies have come together specially for the brewery’s Oktoberfest celebrations, with staff from Annie’s taking over the kitchen at Blue Monkey’s Organ Grinder pub in Alfreton Road, on Saturday nights.
The kitchen takeover is a blast from the past for Annie’s, whose American-born founder Annie Spaziano started cooking gourmet burgers inspired by her upbringing in the kitchen of the Old Angel pub in Nottingham in 2009.
Her burgers, which are available in vegan, veggie and meaty, were a hit and led to her opening her first restaurant in Broadway in 2014, followed by a restaurant in Derby in 2016.
Annie said her love of American food was matched by her love of real ale, which led to the collaboration with Blue Monkey, which brews its own range of beers in Giltbrook, just outside Nottingham, and operates four pubs in Nottingham, Arnold, Newark and Loughborough.
Instead of burgers, Annie’s has got into the Oktoberfest spirit by serving American-inspired German frankfurters, Bratwursts, meatballs and sides to drinkers, with the next kitchen taking place this Saturday, from 3pm until 9pm.
Annie said: “We’re really enjoying taking part in the Oktoberfest collaboration with Blue Monkey, working alongside a fellow local independent company to bring something different to their customers.
“It doesn’t seem that long ago since I started out cooking in the pub kitchen with a frying pan and a bum bag, and so it’s lovely to be about to reminisce and be reminded of how far we’ve come in that time, whilst showing a different side to what we do.”
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Ian Wesley, commercial manager of Blue Monkey brewery, said: “Annie’s have been serving our beer at both of their restaurants for many years so it’s great to be able to offer their food through our pubs.
“It’s been great fun working with their team for the Oktoberfest. It’s brilliant collaborating with local companies and anything that gives customers something different is very welcome.”