Wellington restaurant One80 has won Burger Wellington for the second year in a row, highlighting innovation and culinary creativity.
Off the back of recent success at the Wellington on a Plate festival, the creative minds at One80 have proven again that when it comes to burger innovation, they are at the top of their game.
In the past few years, Burger Wellington has become a prominent component of the festival, attracting entries featuring wide-ranging flavour combinations, meats, and ingredients customers wouldn’t think to order in a humble burger.
One80 Executive Chef Chetan Pangam said that his creation of a Goan Chicken Ros pao Omelette burger with vindaloo fries proved to be popular with customers and judges alike and eventually won the competition.
“The support and love we got from our diners was amazing, and, on the back of it, I was very much in the mindset for this year to come up with something completely different and from day one, my goal was to try and achieve something that no one had ever done which was Win a back to back title,” said Pangam.
As a New Zealand Beef & Lamb Ambassador for 2024-2025, Pangam was determined to showcase the country’s Grass-fed Red meat, which he described as amazing. He chose the lamb and started to create the concept and ideas around how he could highlight the story of the lamb from farm to table.
Lumina Lamb was a product he had used in the past and was familiar with, and the story aligned with what he wanted to achieve on the plate. The 2025 Burger – Toothless Nawabi Lamb Galouti kebab, Masala Croissant Bun, Gunpowder Podi fries, Lamb Cigar, Lamb Fat Snow, and Chicory was the end result.
“It was beyond our imagination to get to where it did. I knew we had a great burger, and since we were the defending champions, it would be popular. From day one, we were tweaking it to get it near perfection, and my team and I were on board to ensure we were very consistent with what we were serving to our guests, especially as expectations were very high.”
Throughout most of the festival, the burger attracted a full restaurant with a long waitlist, and tables were snapped up before the team could think of anything else to do.
Pangam said that winning the competition for the second time in a row was a surreal experience, and it even resulted in a craft beer being brewed especially for the burger’s flavours.
One80 is located along Oriental Parade, with views described by Pangam as to die for. The restaurant has implemented a modern take on traditional Indian cuisine, with some French and other international aspects, made with New Zealand ingredients as the hero.
Pangam’s Indian heritage has influenced the food he creates, but his time in New Zealand over the past 23 years has also significantly enhanced his appreciation for local food producers and ingredients.
The menus at One80 change seasonally and offer a wide variety of offerings, including tasting menus, degustations, themed dinners, wine dinners, and the occasional buffet for functions and events.
He added that although the past few years have been troubling for many within the hospitality industry, the success of the burger over the past few months has increased One80’s customer base, and the support from the community has been invaluable.
The local industry has adapted to growing trends and switched to an ‘old school’ style infused with a modern twist. He said smaller menus and the use of more local ingredients had also become more frequent.
Pangam said that he wouldn’t change many things due to One80's recent success, and he considered himself very lucky to be where he is today. Although it’s a cliche, he has believed that what he puts in, he will get out. He said it was vital to listen, learn, and always be open to new ideas.
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