Fine dining to burger bar

Four years ago Eric Paxman opened his eponymous restaurant. Now he is opening a gourmet burger bar. Catherine Scott finds out why.
Eric PaxmanEric Paxman
Eric Paxman

Eric Paxman has worked on both sides of the world in some of the top restaurants.

But it was his home town of Huddersfield that he returned to when the time was right to open his own fine dining restaurant.

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Eric’s was opened in Lindley in November 2010 and has since received a host of accolades including the award for Best Use of Local Produce at the 2014 Deliciouslyorkshire/Yorkshire Post Taste Awards and is listed in the 2016 Good Food Guide as well as the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2015. Eric’s was also named The 2013 Good Food Guide Readers’ Restaurant of the Year for the North East.

Now, however, the chef proprietor is embarking on a new veture.

PAX Burger will be Huddersfield’s first gourmet burger restaurant.

“I have been looking for a new challenge, while of course still maintaining the standards of Eric’s,” says Eric.

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“I didn’t want to go too far away from Eric’s as I am bit of a control freak. So when the former La Cocina restaurant in Lidget Street became available I thought it was the right opportunity.

“I wanted a new concept, something really different to what we do at Eric’s.”

He thought about doing tapas, but he felt it was too similar to what they do now and so he struck on the idea of gourmet burgers.

“Burgers are completely the opposite to what we do at Eric’s. I really like bugers and I wanted to create something which was really casual and a bit cheaper.”
Eric, who has worked in London under Marco Pierre White’s ‘L’escargot’, and under Bill Granger in Sydney, Australia, did a lot of research into what makes the perfect burger.

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“My burger will use 35 day aged Aberdeen Angus beef but the rest is a secret although the buns are very important and are all made fresh every day.”

Spread over three floors, it will include a bar area and seating for up to 62 people. Diners will be able to choose from seven different types of burger, each created by Eric, plus a selection of side dishes with everything made on site using fresh ingredients including vegeterian and gluten free options.

“PAX Burger brings something completely different to Huddersfield. It’s a very simple concept giving customers the chance to try a delicious range of burgers that is unlike any other. There will be a choice of beef, chicken and lamb plus a vegetarian option, all made with a twist and using as many locally-sourced ingredients as possible. We also plan to offer a burger that changes each season as well as one made specially for children.

Work on the refurbishment of the building has started and it due to open next month.

www.ericsrestaurant.co.uk