Hands Across Canberra and Grease Monkey team up for a delicious Canberra Day Appeal

Let’s get one thing out of the way: Steak Burley Griffin is an incredible name for a burger.

And it’s an incredible burger in many ways: the Steak Burley Griffin is raising money for Hands Across Canberra while showcasing local ingredients and tasting damn good.

Now in its fourth year, the Canberra Day Appeal is run by Hands Across Canberra, which has set a fundraising target of $1 million. This appeal partners with 360 local charities to support their efforts across Canberra.

“At Hands Across Canberra, our main job is to convince Canberrans to give where we live,” Hands Across Canberra CEO Peter Gordon told Region.

While Canberrans are already generous givers, Mr Gordon said many of those donations were directed towards interstate and overseas charities rather than supporting those doing it tough right here at home.

Grease Monkey runs a monthly burger special across its stores and this month has partnered with Hands Across Canberra. Ten per cent of all sales from the Steak Burley Griffin will be donated to the Canberra Day Appeal.

Grease Monkey owner Nick Tuckwell told Region that he knew Canberrans would be supportive of the appeal.

“[Canberrans] are really loyal … they’re loyal to our business because we are Canberra born and bred,” he said.

“They love to support causes [like the Canberra Day Appeal] and if you give them a platform to do that, they’ll jump on board.”

It was important that the burger had mass appeal and represented the best of Canberra. The Grease Monkey chefs have found innovative ways to incorporate gin from the Canberra Distillery, Crankshaft beer from Bentspoke Brewing, and Pialligo bacon.

“We pickled the beetroot with the gin, which just gives that acidity and a bit more freshness,” Mr Tuckwell said.

”With the other ingredients being so rich, just giving a bit of bite is really good.

“It’s just a great burger, that’s why people will come back for it.”

Crankshaft beer goes into the caramelised onions and the beer-battered pickles (which are so good they should remain on the menu permanently as a snack), and the Pialligo bacon features in the baconais: yes, that’s bacon mayonnaise.

Mr Gordon said Hands Across Canberra hoped the collaboration might inspire other businesses to think about how they could be involved with the Canberra Day Appeal.

“Connecting businesses with charities is an important part of the conversation,” he said.

“Grease Monkey is a very famous Canberra business, they’ve got a renowned reputation for innovation and for doing things differently … it’s a fantastic collaboration with a fantastic business.”

The Steak Burley Griffin is available from the Grease Monkey shops at Braddon, Gungahlin and Woden at least until Canberra Day. Mr Tuckwell hinted that if it’s popular they might keep it on a little longer.

Find more information about Grease Monkey on its website, or follow it on Facebook or Instagram.
To learn more about Hands Across Canberra and donate to the Canberra Day Appeal, visit canberraday.org.au.