How Blackpool’s famous £1 burger has stayed the same price since 2006

The Blackpool owner of "Britain's cheapest burger" has revealed how he has managed to keep the cost at the rock-bottom price of £1 after 20 years in business.

Higgitt's Las Vegas Arcade Blackpool & £1 Burger Bar has been nestled behind the bustling promenade in Blackpool since 2006.

The iconic store's owner Chris Higgitt, 58, says despite the rising costs of living, electricity, and ingredients, he has managed to keep it the same price as two decades ago.

The £1 burger includes a bun, a patty made from English beef, sauce, and onions.

He says he saves money by bulk buying stock and increasing footfall, attracting customers to the stand through TikTok and YouTube.

The grandad says it is so popular that when he opens the shutters at 11:30 am a queue has already formed and during peak times customers can wait up to an hour and a half to get hold of one.

Chris, who lives in Blackpool, said: "I am very proud of being able to keep the price for this long, but for me it all comes to hard work and dedication.

"It is more popular than ever, where else will you see someone queue over an hour for one?

"People love the burgers and the businesses and I have designed it to be as efficient as possible - I don't think there is anything more I can do."

Chris worked as a processing and quality engineer in Telford, Shropshire., before moving to Blackpool in 2003.

He ran a bed and breakfast alongside his wife Karen, 61, before deciding to buy an arcade in 2006.

Chris said: "The arcade wasn't performing very well and Karen and I were talking about what we could do and we thought of a burger bar.

"So from this off-the-cuff conversation, I sat down and did the maths and figured out I could sell them for £1."

The dad-of-two said at first it wasn't particularly popular but once the word got around, business began to boom and it soon took over from the B&B.

He says now the business is better than ever, thanks to TikTokers and YouTubers vlogging their experiences trying one.

Chris's bar is open seven days a week, eight months a year from March to November.

He says a burger are freshly made" and costs him 50p to make, including ingredients and electricity.

According to Chris he can make a burger every 20 seconds revealing he used skills he learnt from his time as an engineer to ergonomically design his kitchen which he built himself.

He said: "I treat it like a production line moving from right to left.

"On the far right is where the barm cakes are, then is the hot plate where I cook everything.

"Then there is the bain-marie which I am constantly feeding and then is the serving counter.

"Everything is in reaching distance - it has all been placed specifically so I can knock them out very quickly."

But the savvy businessman says there are two secrets to his success, the first being footfall.

He said: "Electricity prices have risen considerably since I started 20 years ago but I have gotten around this is by increasing footfall.

"I run a social media page where I give people an insight into my life and the business, and I have grown a huge community.

"I am always welcoming to food YouTubers or TikTokers who come along and record themselves trying the burger.

"This in turn, brings people to try it themselves or just to see me and enjoy the buzz of the place."

The second is by bulk buying his ingredients which he says saves him a "pretty penny" overall.

He orders 5,000 traditional Penny Lane burgers at a time - he says in peak summer periods would only last him a week.

The buns are freshly made and delivered every Friday before being stored on shelves behind the arcade.

He buys his pop and Spam from Farm Foods - he currently has over 5000 tins of Spam in storage which he says will last him the whole season.

He also buys 22kg bags of onions and his slushie mix by the pallet, which saves him £4 per bottle.

He also says he keeps costs down by only employing himself meaning he tackles the huge queues, which he says can sometimes be present for his whole shift.

Chris still runs the arcade but says 90 per cent of his revenue comes from the burgers.

He also sells hot dogs, spam, and sausage barms.