The Covid-19 pandemic upended many economies and businesses worldwide. However, it prompted Dutch restaurant owner Robbert Jan de Veen to create the world’s most expensive hamburger – and donate the proceeds to charity.
Named "The Golden Boy", the burger was sold for €5,000 ($5,964) on June 28 to Netherlands-based business conglomerate Remia International and was eaten by Rober Willemse, chairman of the Royal Dutch Food and Beverage Association.
Breaking a world record has been a childhood dream of mine and it feels amazing
Veen
The burger was piled high with a range of expensive ingredients, including Japanese Wagyu beef, Beluga caviar, Alaskan king crab and white truffle, while the bun was coated in edible gold leaf.
Mr Veen donated the proceeds of the sale to a non-profit organisation that assists food banks in the Netherlands. The €5,000 donation will help the charity buy nearly 1,000 food packages for people in need, Mr Veen said.
“Restaurants were closed and there were no food competitions due to the pandemic. Though our food takeaway service was on, I was depressed. I was feeling bad seeing the sufferings of the masses and the dismal situation of the restaurant industry,” Mr Veen, 33, who owns De Daltons restaurant in Voorthuizen village in the Dutch province of Gelderland, told The National.
“Therefore, I decided to create the world’s most expensive burger and donate the entire income to charity to do good for the society.”
Mr Veen researched the archives of the Guinness World Records and found that the current record for the most expensive hamburger was set in 2011 by a restaurant in Oregon, in the US.
“That burger had a price tag of €4,200 and weighed 352.4kg … that’s definitely not for one person … so I thought I can do better than that … it was really a challenge to create such an expensive dish for a single person,” Mr Veen said.
It took him more than five months to finalise the ingredients and experiment with various recipes. On the final day, it took him close to nine hours to prepare the burger.
Eating The Golden Boy is a unique experience, Mr Veen said.
“The ingredients complement each other very well and the flavours are intense. Even though this burger is extremely costly, you should still use your hands because that is the only way to eat a burger. Since the bun is covered in gold leaf, your fingers will be golden by the time you finish.”
Mr Veen’s world-record attempt is currently under review by the Barcelona-based Official World Record Association that registers world records.
“Breaking a world record has been a childhood dream of mine and it feels amazing. It’s been a difficult year with Covid, but good times are ahead for the entire hospitality industry and this is a great start,” Mr Veen said.
Mr Veen, who runs the restaurant that was started by his parents 30 years ago, is now on the lookout for a second buyer of The Golden Boy.
“I am all set to go … will prepare it as soon as I get the second potential buyer,” he added.
The Golden Boy’s ingredients:
- Japanese A5 Wagyu brisket and chuck short ribs
- King crab
- Dom Perignon champagne onion rings
- Paleta Iberico Bellota ham
- White truffle
- Beluga caviar
- Smoked saffron and chive mayonnaise made with duck eggs
- Barbecue sauce made with Kopi Luwak coffee
- English Wyke Fams truffle cheddar
- Tiger tomatoes and cucumber
- Dom Perignon champagne and saffron gold leaf bread
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Raha%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Kuwait%2FSaudi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tech%20Logistics%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2414%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Soor%20Capital%2C%20eWTP%20Arabia%20Capital%2C%20Aujan%20Enterprises%2C%20Nox%20Management%2C%20Cedar%20Mundi%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20166%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US' most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was first created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out projectiles, namely ballistic missiles, as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 93 miles above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then deployed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
Non-oil%20trade
%3Cp%3ENon-oil%20trade%20between%20the%20UAE%20and%20Japan%20grew%20by%2034%20per%20cent%20over%20the%20past%20two%20years%2C%20according%20to%20data%20from%20the%20Federal%20Competitiveness%20and%20Statistics%20Centre.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%2010%20years%2C%20it%20has%20reached%20a%20total%20of%20Dh524.4%20billion.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECars%20topped%20the%20list%20of%20the%20top%20five%20commodities%20re-exported%20to%20Japan%20in%202022%2C%20with%20a%20value%20of%20Dh1.3%20billion.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EJewellery%20and%20ornaments%20amounted%20to%20Dh150%20million%20while%20precious%20metal%20scraps%20amounted%20to%20Dh105%20million.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERaw%20aluminium%20was%20ranked%20first%20among%20the%20top%20five%20commodities%20exported%20to%20Japan.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETop%20of%20the%20list%20of%20commodities%20imported%20from%20Japan%20in%202022%20was%20cars%2C%20with%20a%20value%20of%20Dh20.08%20billion.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Read more about the coronavirus
TICKETS
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
Results
3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,000m; Winner: Dhafra, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
3.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Al Ajayib, Antonio Fresu, Eric Lemartinel
4pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Ashtr, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Majed Al Jahouri
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Falcon Claws, Szczepan Mazur, Doug Watson
5pm: Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Cup – Prestige Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Al Mufham SB, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Badar Al Hajri
5.30pm: Sharjah Marathon – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 2,700m; Winner: Asraa Min Al Talqa, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
