The Karma Burger

The Karma Burger

Karma Cola have teamed up with Fine Fare Kitchen, Christchurch, to create a burger that not only tastes and looks good, but does good too. The Karma Cola Burger, available at Fine Fare Kitchen every Fridayuntil the end of October, will donate $1 to the Karma Cola Foundation, supporting cola farmers in Sierra Leone.

Karma Cola use real, Fairtrade organic ingredients in their range of fizzy drinks, being the only cola company who directly benefit cola nut farmers, and respecting everyone along the way. Fine Fare Kitchen use free-range meat and fresh local, ingredients cooked the old fashioned way – slowly – respecting the produce they use every day. With aligned values and both companies having a Simon in the mix, it was only natural they would come together to create Christchurch’s first Karma Burger.

“We’re really excited about our cola / burger colab with Fine Fare Kitchen. A burger and a cola go together like Kim and Kanye and this combo takes it to the next level. As well as tasting great the Karma Cola burger is giving back to people who grow our cola.” says Simon Coley, co-founder of Karma Cola.

“Although the world drinks about 2 billion cola branded drinks a day, the people who originally discovered the stuff haven’t made a cent from all that cola drinking. Karma Cola is trying to set this record straight. After a ten years of civil war and more recently ebola the people who grow our cola in the 8 villages we work with in Sierra Leone need a hand. The money we send them from the sale of every bottle goes to much needed infrastructure, rehabilitation of roads and plantations, bridges and schools,” says Coley

The Karma Cola Foundation has established a fund to develop resources and sustainable economic independence for cola farmers and their families. So far USD 60,000 generated by the sale of Karma Cola has built a bridge, sent more than 50 children to school, proved them with a primary school teacher, built a rice-processing centre, rehabilitated 25 acres of forest farm and developed a seed bank for security of food supply and future income.

“We call it Thirst Aid,” says Coley.

And now Thirst Aid will be Burger Aid every Friday at Fine Fare Kitchen as $1 from the sale of every burger and cola will go into the Karma Cold Foundation.

It was the mix of bitter cola and spices in Karma Cola that lent itself so well to a marinade for Simon Levy, Executive Chef of Fine Fare Kitchen. “Whether it’s a leek from the farm or a cola nut from Sierra Leone then, just like Karma Cola, we pride ourselves on knowing where it comes from and how it’s looked after along the way. With a little bit of passion and love you get the best produce,” says Levy.

The Karma Burger is made with Cressy Farm free-range pork. Levy marinates the pork for a week in Karma Cola, spices, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and vinegar and a dash of tomato sauce. Then he sous vide’s it overnight (cooks it in a plastic bag) lets it cool down, drains it and shreds the meat and then mixes the karmic liquid back into the mix. The braised meat is then stacked with a pork schnitzel, pickled red cabbage and apple salad in a bun to get that perfect burger mix of soft, sweet, crunchy, pickled and sour.

“It’s always a fantastic experience when we get to work alongside people who share the same vales as we do like Simon Levy and his crew at Fine Fare Kitchen. When good food and drink come together to do good things like this they taste even better,” says Coley.

“Fine Fare Kitchen is all about food from the source, working with local artisans to provide the most delicious tasty dishes possible. This is why we are so excited to partner with the Karma Cola Foundation considering the work they do to support the farmers in Sierra Leone,” says Levy.

The Karma Burger is available at Fine Fare Kitchen every Friday until the end of October.

ENDS

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