GET ready for the meat sweats as a burger challenge has been introduced by a chef from Daresbury.

Institution in Warrington town centre has launched ‘Crack the Vault’ inspired by manager and chef Sharon Johnson’s 25 years’ experience running restaurants in the United States.

President Barack Obama was among those Sharon served when she worked for the major American restaurant chain, Brinker International.

The Daresbury resident returned to the UK to help her friends Ray and Michelle Fox run Institution and now she has brought a taste of America with her.

Crack the Vault includes a 32oz burger – the equivalent of eight quarter pounders – on a brioche bun, pulled pork, two chicken goujons, four bacon rashers, chilli mince and cheese with a side of chips, onion rings and mac and cheese.

It costs £25 but if you can finish it off in 20 minutes you get it for free plus an ‘I Cracked The Vault” T-shirt and a 50 per cent food discount card for life.

Sharon, 48, said: “I’ve spent 25 years in America running restaurants over there.

“Burgers are a big thing in the UK at the moment and I’ve brought my experience from the States as burgers are something they do really well.

“We had a burger challenge in one of the restaurants I had and Man v Food is really popular on TV. It’s just to get our name out there and have a bit of fun.

“A lot of people in Warrington still don’t know we’re here but they love it when they come in.”

The Vault burgers are so thick they have to be finished in the oven after being seared on both sides on the grill.
“It’s quite deceiving,” added Sharon, who used to play hockey in Grappenhall. 

“You think when you look at it that you can do it but it’s a lot of food. It’s two pounds of hamburger meat then you have pulled pork which is so rich.

“Lads get pretty cocky about it but when they have the first couple of bites they start slowing down and saying: ‘It’s a lot.’”

Sharon went to the States when she was 20 to be a nanny for an American couple.

The couple had a coffee business so when their daughter went to school they kept Sharon on to be their sales rep.

From there she waited tables in an Irish bar called O’Quigley’s.

America lived up to its reputation as the land of opportunity because she then ran a new bar when O’Quigley’s expanded before joining Brinker International and working her way up.

She went from Kansas City to Tampa in Florida and when she was at the top of her game she was running the Italian Maggiano’s in Washington DC.

“It was 33,000sq ft. I had 11 managers, 170 staff and we served the President and Vice President,” said Sharon, who makes Institution’s burgers from scratch.

President Obama had a party at Maggiano’s last June when his daughter had graduated from middle school.

Sharon added: “Secret Service closed down the whole street. They booked it under a false name and an hour before the Secret Service came in and said: ‘Your guest tonight will be the President of the United States’.
“You got used to it. That was what life was like in Washington DC.”

Sharon returned to the UK to join Institution in December 2015.

She said: “The problem in America is that the money is really good but they want your life and soul.

“It’s not a 9 to 5 job. I used to work 70 or 80 hours a week just pushing myself to be the best but as you get older the money becomes less important. It’s about the quality of life and being around your family and friends.”

So with the challenge yet to be beaten, could you Crack the Vault?

“We’ve had someone come pretty close,” Sharon added.

“I’ve got a guy who I’m going to dare to do it. He didn’t want to do it before because he was training for a boxing match but if there’s anyone who can it, it’s this kid...”