Where the Light Gets In launch pop-up burger spot

David Adamson 10 January 2025

‘A Play in the City’ picks up pace with Humbug, a take on fast food

Where the Light Gets In continues its conceptual and culinary foray into the city centre with Act Two of ‘A Play in the City’.

The second act of its four-part series of pop-up residencies comes in the form of Humbug, their take on a fast food restaurant, in the bungalow space at KAMPUS.

Humbug sees the WTLGI team source and prepare the produce in a way that explores our relationship with fast food in their own inimitable style.

2025 01 10 Wtlgi Humbug Sign 2 — **A Play in the City, Act 2 at KAMPUS** Image: Confidentials

“Humbug explores the notion of fast food through one cow,” they explained. “We consider the historical and social impacts of fast food and how a city sustains itself.

“Utilising the whole of one traceable animal is a response to the lack of transparency in much of what we eat in our cities today. Over the next month, we will tell the story of the cow and all of its parts, with its relevance to the history and future of fast food.”

2025 01 10 Wtlgi Humbug Int — **Inside Humbug** Image: Confidentials

2025 01 10 Wtlgi Humbug Counter — **The WTLGI team in a different environment to what they're used to** Image: Confidentials

Every one of the 1,200 burgers to be sold are sourced from one Cheshire-bred Red Poll cow, 30-month old Maraschino, and the patties made with everything from prime cuts to offal.

“Everyone gets a little bit of everything,” explained WTLGI co-owner and head chef, Sam Buckley. “Rich or poor, it’s one size fits all. It also looks at the cultural value of certain cuts of meat.

“Pork belly’s a great example. It used to be the cheapest, and people would cook it in vinegar, then after the likes of Garry Rhodes changed the perception of it, it’s now the most expensive part of the pig. It just shows you that what’s considered the best cut is cultural and a bit arbitrary.”

2025 01 10 Wtlgi Humbug Tray — **Humbug hamburgers, fries, onion rings and dips** Image: Confidentials

Alongside hamburgers, Humbug is also serving its take on fast food staples like onion rings and oysters.

“Everything we do on the menu references a point in time with fast food, so for instance oysters were a fast food in the Victorian era, and we’re also looking towards how we eat in cities today.

“Ultimately we’re asking ourselves the question, ‘How do we feed ourselves in the city?’”

2025 01 10 Wtlgi Humbug Maraschino The Cow — **Thank you to Maraschino** Image: WTLGI

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