Meet the owners

Meet Nigel

Fancy tucking into a top-quality burger and craft beer in a cool basement restaurant? Then head to Cambridge’s Butch Annie’s, where owners Nigel Howell and Tim Luther, along with their trusty team, offer a warm welcome.

How did the Butch Annie’s story begin? 

It all began when Tim and I were on our way to Barcelona on a business trip. Before we boarded the plane, we were chatting about the best burgers we’d eaten in London and New York. The conversation developed and by the time we arrived back at Stansted we’d decided to open our own burger joint! On Valentine’s Day 2015, Butch was born. Our vision was for a burger joint with a difference, somewhere with a really cool vibe, where people could relax and enjoy great food, craft beers and funky cocktails, whilst listening to an eclectic play list. When we heard the basement below NatWest on Market Street had become available, we jumped at the chance. Perfect for Butch! 

What inspired the quirky name? 

That’s mine and Tim’s little secret, for now! 

What is the ethos of Butch Annie’s? 

Provenance and quality without compromise is what drives us, and our aim is very simple – to satisfy our customers and send them out with a bigger smile than the one they came in with. The music plays an important part too. We’ve been adding to our playlist since 2015 so even if you stayed all day, you’re unlikely to hear the same track twice! 

Tell us about your famous burgers? 

A great burger and a great beer is a match made in heaven. At its best, it’s incredibly satisfying, but to make a great burger you need great beef. Our supplier, one of Scotland’s best butchers and holder of the Royal Warrant, sources our beef from the finest pedigree grass-fed herds and one of the reasons it’s so popular is because we add into our burgers, prime cuts of rump and sirloin. Using market-fresh ingredients, we’ve also been making a great beetroot burger since 2015, which proved popular from day one. 

 We hear you now serve Detroit Pizzas. Are they popular? 

We do. And yes, they are! We came up with the idea during lockdown. A Detroit pizza has a focaccia-style base which our chefs make in-house, proving the dough each day. We now have eight different options including the classic red top, double pepperoni, spicy nduja and new to the menu a Hawaiian pizza using caramelised fresh pineapple, griddled pancetta, pulled pork and garlic sour cream. 

Can you tell us about your drinks offering? 

We tend to stick with small-scale independent brewers for our tap beers, Brewboard being one of our favourites and importantly, local to Cambridge. We’ve also introduced eight funky cocktails to add to our range of bourbons and thick shakes, which include the ever-popular ‘Dirty Cow’ and ‘Filthy Cow’ which contain one and two shots of bourbon. 

What’s your favourite dish off the menu? 

My favourite burger is The Jack; it has a really flavoursome Jack Daniel’s sauce, genuinely made with Jack Daniel’s whiskey (we get through bottles and bottles of the stuff!) and Monterey Jack Cheese – hence the name. I’d have it served with rosemary salt skin-on chips, which we hand cut daily. 

What do you love about being an indie business in Cambridge? 

We love the city and we have a great connection with the students and locals. The relationship is very strong and it’s this that makes Butch what it is today. It’s a passion – and our staff feel the same. There’s always a smiling face to greet you here.” 

Visit Butch Annie’s at 23 Market Street, Cambridge, or to find out more, visit their website at butchannies.com 

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