Open for business! Get your next takeaway from this burger station - it may be the best you ever had.
Fancy cheddar and American-style cheese melted on bacon, BBQ pulled pork and a tasty beef patty? Or maybe you’d prefer a burger topped with fried chicken, melted Jack and American cheese and bacon?
The team at The Filling Station in Debenham are so convinced their burgers are the best in the county, they invited us to the burger bar to check them out - and they definitely made our mouths water.
The marvellous little eatery is tucked away in the heart of the village and the small team definitely know how to produce burgers which are big on size and taste.
Each one is proudly made with locally-sourced ingredients. The beef patties are hand mixed using chuck and rump cuts at Palfrey and Hall, all salad is from W. A. Wards Greengrocers and the brioche buns are supplied by Two Magpies Bakery – all based in Suffolk.
“Our fresh, high-quality ingredients is what makes our burgers so delicious. It’s so important to us that we use trusted suppliers as we want to give our customers the very best burgers,” owner Amanda Bradshaw says.
Amanda adds: “All our ingredients are locally sourced, so it’s wonderful to know that we’re not only using tip-top produce, but we’re also supporting other small businesses too. It also means we use very little packaging, and any we do receive can be recycled.”
With just £5,000 in the bank, Amanda decided to open The Filling Station to support herself and her teenage son. “It was just the two of us, and I wanted to do whatever I could to be a good mum.
“Our first night was a total disaster. We had an overly ambitious menu and a queue right down the street – we just couldn’t meet the demand. We completely stripped back the menu and focused on what people loved the most – our burgers,” says Amanda. On Thursday and Sunday nights you’ll find Amanda in the kitchen with her son, but on Friday and Saturday Amanda teams up with expert burger chef, Gordon.
Now, two-and-a-half years on, the American-inspired menu features 17 burgers ranging from the classic quarter pounder, to stacks filled with hash browns, mushrooms and BBQ pulled pork. Loaded fries also feature on the menu and include toppings such as delicious southern fried chicken and chorizo.
There is also a range of veggie options, including a Thai-style veggie burger, veggie fries topped with halloumi and various sides.
“Quality is so important to us,” Amanda explains. “Every day I cook a pork shoulder which takes six hours so it gets a lovely, fresh and gorgeous taste. I marinate the chicken in spices overnight and cook it the next day in buttermilk, so it’s completely fresh unlike many other takeaways that freeze their meats.”
Disney fans will particularly enjoy Friday and Saturday nights between 8pm and 9pm, as Amanda and chef Gordon turn up the music and sing along to Disney classics.
In the near future, Amanda is excited to welcome churros, ribs and gluten-free options to the menu. A special smoked brisket burger will also be launched in a couple of weeks, which will include meat from the smoking experts at The Kitchen Range and Cookshop.
Find The Filling Station’s menu on their Facebook page, call 01728 564156, or visit them at Unit 7b, Meadow Works Business Park, Kenton Road, Debenham, IP14 6RP.
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