Albert Heijn’s Hamburger BBQ Donuts: who comes up with this?!
We already knew that supermarkets have started to look more like playgrounds for food marketers in recent years, with a bizarre number of different types of grated cheese and unhealthy products. But sometimes you come across something that even the biggest snack lover gets sad about. Like now: Albert Heijn proudly introduces the Hamburger BBQ Donut. Yes, really. A donut. Made of meat. For the barbecue. According to Appie itself, this is “fun on the barbecue” and a “true taste sensation”. We’d call it more of a creative brainstorming session in the development department that went horribly wrong.
What is it, actually?
The BBQ Donut is a hamburger shaped like a donut. Or, in other words: a hamburger with a hole in it. This new invention comes in different flavours, such as rendang, green herbs and smokey flavour. And let’s zoom in on that rendang version: besides 87% beef, you also get a cheerful list of additions: tomato, rice flour, preservatives, potato starch, quinoa, yeast extract, natural flavourings, and the entire E-number exhibition.
You pay €3.99 for two of these rings. That’s 20 grams less than a regular AH burger, and 30 cents more expensive. The jargon for that is: shrinkflation. Or in plain English: less burger, more money.
The taste test: rendang in name, not in flavour
Luckily, we have Snackspert. Our national snack reviewer tried all three versions. His verdict? “The first two genuinely taste absolutely nothing like what it says on the packaging.” The rendang version tastes a little like coconut, but otherwise resembles nothing of the sort. Green herbs? Just a burger, but with a weird name. The only one that holds up a little: the smokey flavour. Thanks to the smoked paprika, it lingers a bit. “If you really want to try a donut-shaped burger, go for this one.” So says Snackspert.
And then there’s the bun…
Because that’s where things go wrong too, of course. Why on earth a donut? We really don’t understand it. A good hamburger belongs on a brioche bun. Or at least on a soft bun. Preferably given a quick turn on the grill for a subtle smoky flavour. Hard hamburger buns are a no-go. This shape experiment may be fun for Instagram photos, but not for your taste buds.
Food gimmick gone wrong
Albert Heijn wants to be innovative, but this feels like a forced attempt to combine “BBQ season + summer offer + TikTok trend”. The result: a weird donut-shaped burger that doesn’t taste as promised, weighs less than a regular burger, and costs more. And they call that fun on the barbecue.
Do you really want to impress at your BBQ? Just make a good burger yourself. With real meat, a fresh brioche bun and toppings that actually taste of something.
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