The man behind Stackz Burger Shack, Shane Moyne, has had a whirlwind couple of decades in Michelin-star kitchens and on private yachts, but he’s found his culinary home in epic burgers with a big heart right here in Brum
Tell us about your cooking
Burgers! It’s what we do. It’s casual, relaxed eating, but don’t expect a filthy burger. We’re all about ingredients and quality. We use local suppliers where we can, so the buns are from Garrett’s Green and the beef is from Aubrey Allen. We smoke our own brisket, we make our own mayonnaise and bacon jam. Everything’s made from scratch and you can now find us at The Flapper. The ethos and the passion of the people behind the pub really appealed to us. It’s small, family run and I just thought that when so many people care about what they do, it can’t fail. They care about the bar, I care about the food and it all works.
How did you become a chef?
I was working in a restaurant in Ireland while studying, but the course wasn’t great. Back home, it’s fairly remote and not very foodie, so I moved to Birmingham to study Culinary Arts Management at BCU. Then in 2009, I worked at Marcus Wareing. Life in a kitchen was a bit different in 2009 – it’s all a bit more PC now, but then it was pretty god-damn rough. I wouldn’t change it though. It set me up well and gave me a hard skin. I went back to uni to finish my studies, but realised the books were not for me. I just wanted to be in a kitchen. In 2011, I worked at Purnell’s before moving back to Marcus followed by a stint with Sat Bains. I then worked on private yachts which was amazing. We travelled SE Asia, Sri Lanka, the Komodo Islands and thankfully had enough down-time to go out and experience the food which was incredible.
What do you eat at home?
I BBQ even in the winter, but not on the grill. I wrap stuff up and put it in the coals using them as a cooking vessel.
Who’s the best chef in the world and why? And who’s the best in Brum?
Bjorn Frantzen of Frantzen in Stockholm and sister restaurant, Zen in Singapore. The food’s incredible, but it’s not just about that. It’s the whole experience. In Birmingham, it has to be Glynn Purnell.
Is the customer always right?
Sometimes, not always. It depends how they conduct themselves. If they’re rude they’re immediately wrong.
Share a cooking tip
Always work tidy. It changes the end product and makes you feel more organised and in control.
What was your favourite food as a kid?
My mum’s roast dinner. Every Sunday growing up surrounded by family and friends. It’s what food’s all about. It was roast beef.
Food heaven and food hell?
Food heaven is pork belly. I tried it aged 19 at Marcus Wareing and I thought, ‘holy shit this is the best thing I’ve ever eaten’. We didn’t eat pork belly growing up, we were a bit sheltered from a food point of view, not very adventurous.
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve eaten?
Lamb’s brain in Sri Lanka, which was okay, and pig’s intestines in Thailand which was not appetising.
If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?
A carpenter or an architect. I was training to be a carpenter at 16 before I fell into cooking.
What do you recommend from this evening’s menu?
The OG Stack which is a dry aged beef patty, smoked bbq brisket, cheese, pickled red onion, lettuce and Stackz burger sauce in a brioche bun.