Copyright walesonline
A sports bar chain selling a £13.95 burger dedicated to tragic Rob Burrow has defended the 25p donation it is offering from each one to charity. BOX, which has locations across the UK including Manchester and Birmigham, pledges to donate 25p from each one of the 'Burrow's Burgers' sold to Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association. The charity is one former Leeds Rhinos player Rob, who suffered from MND, was patron of before he died in June 2024. When a customer posted a photo of the menu, featuring the chicken and pancetta burger, on X, there was some debate about the amount being donated. Yet BOX marketing manager Tom Meyers-Jones said the number of burgers sold annually across six different locations adds up to 'a very good sum' of a few thousand pounds. The manager said the idea came from the company's CEO who played in the same team as the rugby league hero. Tom said: "The charity is one that's very close to our CEO, Martin Wolstencroft. He used to play rugby in the same team as Rob Burrow so that's where it stems from initially. "He was in Leeds Rhinos and with the business being founded and based in Leeds, with Rob sadly passing and all the amazing charity work that's gone on since, all the bike rides and all the running, we felt we wanted to continue the charity donations with them by offering that 25p off the burger. "It's one of our best sellers, it's a chicken burger with a BBQ glaze. It's linked to the charity and obviously named after Rob. You can imagine how many burgers we've sold across six BOX venues, it does end up being a very good amount. "Because it's come from Martin himself everyone gets behind it and I think because it's a local background and story for the business based in Leeds, it makes it even more profound. People have to think about the scale of how many of those burgers are sold. When you add up how many burgers have been sold in a year it's thousands of pounds. "It's over a few thousand pounds. While it's 25p, when you think about every burger that's sold it's a very sizeable sum. You have to think about the fact it's sold across six venues, it's not there for a limited time, it's on the menu all year round." There was mixed reaction online, with some criticising the amount the bar was donating from each burger while others applauded the bar's initiative. One user on X wrote: "Great sentiment but 25p is taking the p*ss... could easily make it a quid." Another commented: "What a pitiful amount given to MND." A third added: "25p. Surely they can do better than that?" Yet others applauded the bar's initiative. One wrote: "Understand it's a small amount, but the burger was also advertised and showcased on screens around the bar, plus the owner runs with Sinfield. "It's a unique way to bring awareness to Rob, his story and MNDA." Another commented: "People moaning it's not enough but never donated a penny in their lives. Makes sense." A third wrote: "That's a really good initiative from them, to be fair!" Another added: "How could you possibly order anything else? Take my £."
