Jones & Son Burgers

When a street food trader has built up a reputation for one particular product it can be a bit of a gamble to change direction, especially when that shift takes things into the already overcrowded and competitive realm of burgers.

Never one to shirk a challenge, this is precisely what Toby Jones, whose pulled pork has been wowing crowds from his Jones & Son Bespoke BBQ stall for a good while now, has just done at a stall at the newly refocussed and energised Boxsmall Market, atop Princes Mall.

Cooking meaty treats to order, the menu offers different topping combinations to accompany the main event. On my first visit I chose the BLT cheeseburger (£6.50), which brought together the expected bacon, crisp lettuce and tomato elements with a tomato and chilli mayo. I subsequently returned to give their black pudding double cheeseburger (£8), which looks to be something of a tribute to the much-vaunted Bleecker Black, a go.

Toby has always had a strong commitment to using proper bread and rolls and this continues with fantastic brioche buns from Twelve Triangles (first visit) and Breadwinner (second visit). These were lightly toasted on the grill before items were piled on.

On the BLT visit, I took at seat at their covered seating area and contemplated what looked like a very smart item. It proved to be excellent eating and rather reminiscent (although not quite as gloriously messy) as the dirty burger from Patty Smith’s. The burger had plenty of flavour and was nicely juicy. The mayo was really good, bringing the rest of the elements together for highly enjoyable mouthfuls.

The “Son of Bleecker” was a massively satisfying experience, with the slightly lighter texture of the Breadwinner bun working really well with the hugely substantial filling. The two juicy burgers were definitely needed to balance out the flavourful black pudding (much more effectively than on the Diner 7 breakfast burger) and the burger cheese brought really satisfying meltiness. It was highly accomplished work.

What’s more, I visited in their first week of trading so I suspect things are going to improve over the course of their two-month run at Boxsmall, where along with half a dozen other stalls (reviews will inevitably follow) they’ll be trading from 11-7pm every day.

So overall, Jones & Son is starting its new burger adventure from an extremely impressive opening standard. It’s the best street food burger I’ve sampled in a good long while. I’d heartily recommend that you visit at your earliest convenience.