Michelin-starred Aktar Islam brings Indian firecracker flavour to Heard burger menu

Burger restaurant Heard is collaborating with Birmingham chef Aktar Islam on a limited-edition menu of contemporary Indian flavours, running from 10^th September until 11^th October at the brand’s Borough and Soho London branches. 

The brainchild of two-Michelin-starred chef Jordan Bailey, Heard began as a food truck touring UK events before setting up permanently. The restaurant sources British beef from a co-operative of regenerative farms and serves its burgers in a roast potato bun. September’s partnership follows an earlier collaboration this year with Aji Akokomi of West African restaurant Akoko, and marks the first time Indian cooking has featured on the menu. Guest chef Islam is behind Opheem in Birmingham, which was awarded its second Michelin star in 2024, making it one of only two Indian restaurants in the UK to hold the distinction. He made his London debut in May 2026 with Oudh 1722, a restaurant located close to Heard’s Borough branch.

The centrepiece of the menu is The Pataka, a burger named after the Hindi word for “firecracker”. It combines a marinated double beef smash patty with Ogleshield cheese, curried onions, spiced tamarind chutney, onion bhaji, tomato salsa and smoked aubergine yoghurt. Priced at £16, it is also available as a vegetarian version with double spiced black bean and wild mushroom patties. Two more dishes complete the set: Chatpata Fries (£6.50), seasoned with chilli and green mango and served with fresh mint chutney, and a Shrikhand Lolly (£8), which draws on the traditional Gujarati dessert and pairs cardamom-spiced strained yoghurt with Kesar and Alphonso mango.

Drinks pairings have been selected by sommelier Majken Bech-Bailey, Bailey’s wife, who curates the restaurant’s wine and beer list. They include a Gewürztraminer Réserve from Cave de Hunawihr in Alsace and Five Points Brewery’s XPA Extra Pale Ale. A Lime Pickle G&T has also been created for the menu, using Goan-distilled Stranger & Sons gin infused with lime pickle and coriander, blended with agave, orange peel tincture and pink pepper distillate, then topped with tonic and finished with fresh coriander.

Islam said: “I’m really excited to be working with Jordan. He’s a chef I’ve known for many years and someone I genuinely admire. Every time I walk into Oudh, I look across and see Heard next door, and having eaten there myself, I know how good the burgers are.

“Burgers are one of those foods that transcend trends and cultural shifts, so to develop something unique for London diners at Heard is really special. It’s a true one-off – I’ve never done a burger before, and I’ll probably never do one again.”

Bailey said: “For me, this collaboration was a no-brainer. Aktar’s restaurant is literally across the road from Heard in Borough, and I’ve known and looked up to him for many years, so it’s a privilege to be working together on this. I love what he’s created using flavours rooted in Indian cooking, which aren’t what I’d typically bring into the Heard menu.”

Food Desk

Aktar Islam’s menu is available from 10^th September until 11^th October 2026 at both branches of Heard. For further information or to book a table, visit the restaurant’s website here.