Even butchers are astounded by the quality of the Ballards' beef patties, writes Richard McComb.

From their small farmhouse kitchen in rural Worcestershire, Miranda and Roland Ballard are on a mission: to reclaim the beef burger.

Tainted with the dietary excesses of the fast-food industry, the young couple want the humble meat pattie to be what it initially was: a nutritious, quick, tasty dish that didn’t have anything to do free toys and a Happy Meal.

They use only quality cuts of beef, such as topside and silverside, for their 100 per cent Aberdeen Angus burgers. There’s no superfluous filler or rusk.

The classic burger contains Warwickshire beef, garlic, fresh parsley, black pepper, tomato puree, a pinch of salt and a fifth of an egg to bind. All the burgers in the range, which include caramelised onion and mozzarella and goat’s cheese and sundried tomato, are gluten and wheat free.

Miranda says butchers think they are mad for using such expensive cuts in their burgers but she and Roland think it is crucial for a premium product.

The Ballards have come a long way in a short period of time since they set up their business, Muddy Boots, in the village of Shrawley, north of Worcester.

They gave up whizzy media jobs in London – Miranda was PA to Sir David Frost and Roland worked in the film industry for Working Title – to relocate to the middle of nowhere and realise their dream of becoming burger tycoons.

There have been major sacrifices. The £30,000 deposit they had saved to buy a flat in Wandsworth was sunk into the business. They have drawn a salary for only four months since they started making ready meals in December 2009 and that was only £250 each.

Roland’s father John gave them a spot on his farm to start their homespun food production business. Initially they made their ready meals for farmers’ markets but soon discovered their burgers were the run-away biggest seller.