Britain’s taste for burgers – especially its love of gourmet versions – continues to grow.

Once the choice was limited to McDonalds and Burger King. But now, British burger lovers are presented with a multitude of “premium” burgers from the likes of Byron, Honest Burger, Five Guys and Shake Shack.

Smashburger, which plans to open 35 stores in the UK within the next few years, is the latest addition to a market valued at more than £3bn and expected to reach almost £3.3bn (in real terms) by 2019.

And although a large proportion of those billions is attributable to burger giants such as McDonalds and Burger King, the desire for better food in informal settings and better burgers is a concept that has gained momentum over the past few years, says Helena Childe, senior foodservice analyst at Mintel.

The growth in ‘better burger’ concepts in particular is largely reflective of higher consumer expectations, with ongoing demands for fresh, ‘real’ food. The success of this can be seen in the rise of established ‘better burger’ players such as Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Byron Burgers over recent years. The emergence of new US players such as Smashburger and Five Guys is arguably leveraging this proven demand for ‘better burgers’ in the UK whilst further tapping into consumers’ ongoing demand for fast service concepts.

Here are some of the premium burger joints making waves in the UK.

Five Guys

Created in 1986 in Washington DC by the Murrell family, Five Guys has a cult following in the US and can be found in more than 1,000 locations in 47 states and six Canadian provinces. It opened its first UK store in Covent Garden in 2013.

International presence: 1,000 locations across US and Canada.

UK stores: 27. The new Leeds Duncan Street and Ashton-under-Lyne stores are both expected to open in June this year.

Cost of a cheeseburger: £8.00.

Most expensive (single patty burger): Bacon cheeseburger, £8.75.

Veggie offering? No veggie burgers but they do offer veggie sandwiches starting from £3.75.

What makes it unique? They only use peanut oil, fresh roll stamped prime beef and nothing is ever frozen. Also, they boast that there are more than 250,000 possible ways to order a burger at a Five Guys diner.

Shake Shack

Shake Shack began life on a hotdog cart in Madison Square, Manhattan, in 2001. It opened its first permanent kiosk in the park in 2004 and has since expanded its presence, not only across the US but also internationally, with stores in the Middle East, Russia, Turkey and the UK. Its first UK store was opened in Covent Garden in July 2013.

International presence: 26 in the US, 20 in the Middle East, four in Turkey and two in Russia.

UK stores: Two. The second Shake Shack opened on 20 May 2015 in Westfield Stratford City.

Cost of a cheeseburger: £5.00.

Most expensive: Shack Stack (cheeseburger and a crisp-fried Portobello mushroom filled with melted cheese topped with lettuce, tomato and ShackSauce), £8.50.

Veggie offering? The ‘Shroom burger (a crisp-fried Portobello mushroom filled with melted cheese topped with lettuce, tomato and ShackSauce) comes in at £5.25.

What makes it unique? As well as priding itself on sourcing premium ingredients (such as 100% all-natural Angus beef) the company is also rather fond of its frozen custard offerings, with a custard calendar published online outlining what flavours customers can expect in store.

Honest Burgers

Honest Burgers, founded by Tom Barton, Phil Eles and Dorian Waite, opened its first restaurant in Brixton village, London, in 2011. Barton and Eles first started serving the burgers at festivals and events before joining up with Waite and bringing their burgers to London. The company recently raised £7m from private equity firm Active Private Investment, which also owns stakes in Evans cycle shops and Leon cafes.

UK stores: Nine, with plans to open five more in the next year.

Cost of a cheeseburger: £9.

Most expensive: Brunch burger (beef, smoked bacon, Red Leicester, bubble and squeak, mushrooms and ‘Bloodybull’ ketchup), £11.50.

Veggie offering? The vegetable fritter burger comprising cauliflower, tomato, sweetcorn, shallots, spices, coriander and cucumber yoghurt will set you back £7.

What makes it unique? Simplicity, say Honest Burger: “With a simple, quality-focused menu the company has not deviated from its original approach – to do one thing, and do it well.”

Byron

Tom Byng created the popular burger chain Byron in 2007 after being struck that the UK had nothing like the Silver Top diner in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, that had become his favourite American diner during a four-year stint in the US.

UK stores: 50, with a store in Canterbury and another in Derby to open soon.

Cost of a cheeseburger: £7.95.

Most expensive: B-Rex (‘Classic’ 6oz hamburger, lettuce, tomato, red onion and mayonnaise with an onion ring, streaky bacon, American cheese, jalapeños, pickles, and BBQ sauce), £10.50.

Veggie offering? The “veggie” is a choice between a grilled Portobello mushroom and goat’s cheese or a bean patty and Byron sauce. Both are served with roasted red pepper, baby spinach, tomato, red onion and aioli and cost £7.95.

What makes it unique? Byron says it sources “good beef from Scotland … mince it fresh and cook it medium so it’s pink, juicy and succulent … place it in a soft, squishy bun with minimum fuss and fanfare. We serve it with a smile in a comfortable environment. And that’s it.”

Gourmet Burger Kitchen

Set up by New Zealanders Adam Wills, Greg Driscoll and Brandon Allen, Gourmet Burger Kitchen first opened its doors in Battersea, south London. It is now one of the biggest premium burger chains in the UK.

UK stores: 66.

Cost of a cheeseburger: £6.45.

Most expensive: Buffalo (Buffalo meat patty, house mayo, relish and salad in a brioche bun), £10.95.

Veggie offering? Choose between the falafel or Californian.

What makes it unique? Like many of the burger restaurants listed here, Gourmet Burger Kitchen prides itself on its ingredients (100% prime beef). It also makes burger sauces from scratch every day in each store. The Kiwi Burger is also up there – a Gourmet Burger Kitchen trademark since 2001 – which combines beef, beetroot, fried egg, pineapple, mature cheddar, house mayo, relish and salad.

Meat Liquor

Co-founded by Yianni Papoutsis and Scott Collins, the first store opened in Marylebone, London, in 2011. Meat Liqour had come to life via a burger van and an animated Twitter account. In 2014 it was reported that the chain had a £12m turnover.

International presence: One store in Singapore.

UK stores: Three Meat Liquor stores (London, Brighton and Leeds) with another due to open in Islington, north London. There is also a range of concepts such as Meat Market, Meat Mission, Chicken Liquor and Meat Wagon.

Cost of a cheeseburger: £8.

Most expensive: The green chilli cheeseburger, bacon cheeseburger, “Dead Hippie”, red chilli cheeseburger, dirty chicken cheeseburger or buffalo chicken burger would each set you back an extra 50p to a grand total of £8.50.

Veggie offering? The haloumi and mushroom burger served with red onions, pickles, lettuce, French’s mustard and ketchup, £7.50.

What makes it unique? The vibe is trendy and definitely for those who are into a bit of rock’n’roll styling. Or as the Meat Liquor Twitter account sums it up: “Burgers and booze, shakes and shame. Open late. Come hungry, leave wobbly.”

Dirty Burger

Created by the man behind Soho House, Nick Jones, it is no surprise that Dirty Burger is known for being trendy. Jones says the concept came about from a desire to not just have burgers on the Soho House menu, but for the mighty burger to have its own home, or “shack”, as he likes to call the stores.

International presence: One store in Chicago.

UK stores: Four, with more shacks planned for Islington, Crouch End and Southwark.

Cost of a cheeseburger: £6.

Most expensive: Dirty bacon burger, £7.

Veggie offering? Dirty copout, £5.

What makes it unique? Described by GQ as “the naughtiest, nastiest, tastiest ‘bad boy’ beef creation in London”. Also, according to Jones, the Star Wars director JJ Abrams is “currently obsessed” with the burgers, and a Dirty Burger van is present almost permanently on the film set.

And for those thinking there is just too much choice, even on the simplified menus of the above establishments, there is an alternative, and pricier, option.

Burger and Lobster was launched in Mayfair in 2011 by the folks behind the Goodman steak restaurants and now has seven restaurants in the UK with plans to open more in London, Bath, Liverpool and Manchester. There is also a Burger and Lobster in New York.

What makes this one unique? It only offers a choice between a burger or lobster (steamed, grilled or in a roll) – each for £20. Your pricey burger comes with fries and salad and a choice of toppings though, don’t worry.