The first question I am almost always asked when I tell people about my PhD
thesis, The Burger in Britain: A Symbol of Americana, is, “Why the burger?” I feel it is therefore fitting to begin this blog with an answer.
The burger is a modern food that captivates taste buds across the continents, making it a global innovation and communicator. While its origins may date back to German-American restaurants in the late nineteenth century[1], the burger we are most familiar with today is far more recent. Companies such as McDonald’s, Burger King, White Castle[2], and in Britain, the Wimpy Bars, developed the taste, appearance, and identity of the present-day popular burger option which popularised in the mid-20th century. Importantly, these companies impacted recent social, cultural, and health history through their varying approaches to consumption and business practice.
Commonly sold fresh or frozen in supermarkets in a range of flavours, the burger informs discussions of food rituals in the intimate space of the home as questions arise of how and why it became a popular option. Family dynamics are visible through television advertisements for popular frozen burger products, for instance. Product packaging then demonstrates cultural associations, tastes, and any marketing claims. The examination of such sources, alongside a breadth of digital newspaper archives, quantitative annual reports, and company journals, foster a better understanding of the rise of convenience foods in our food system.
Image author's own. A burger topped with pastrami, swiss cheese, gherkins, sauerkraut and tomatoes served with fried potato at Annie's Burger Shack in Nottingham, UK.
Over time the burger adapted many different symbolisms, solidifying its crucial position in popular food history. In the US, it is associated with the family or community barbecue, the cultural prominence of abundant meat products, and the wider ideology of America itself. Meanwhile in the UK, it has historically been connected to American eating habits, convenience, indulgence, and even corporate values. The cross-cultural expansion of this single food item, and its perceptions and associations, therefore helps us to examine historical attitudes towards globalism.
Within the last eighty years, corporations and franchised industries have increasingly influenced town and city centres and their food systems. Burger retailers contributed significantly to this shift and now play an unavoidable role in daily life; on average, McDonald's UK claim to serve approximately 3.8 million customers a day. [3] Hence, it is worthwhile to investigate the history of the food brands which dominant the market, as only then can we begin to understand their widespread appeal and successful business practice.
The burger, central to everyday life in both the domestic and urban sphere, continues to transform. Upmarket dishes such as ‘posh burgers’ or ‘dirty burgers’ highlight artistic expression in food whilst the numerous vegan and vegetarian alternatives available in the US and the UK demonstrate the utilitarian function of burgers as an accessible protein. An investigation of such developments answers key questions around historic and present-day attitudes towards identity, health, and culture. It is rewarding to study this ever-evolving, yet still classic, food.
[1] Andrew F. Smith, Hamburger: A Global History (London: Reaktion Books, 2008), pp. 12-13.
[2] David G. Hogan, Selling 'em by the Sack: White Castle and the Creation of American Food (New York: New York University Press, 1999). [3] McDonald's UK, 'How many customers does McDonald's serve in the UK every day?', https://www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb.html [First accessed 16 February 2023).