Operator Q&A: Tommy Kempton, Buster's

Tommy Kempton, co-founder of the award-winning restaurant Ploussard and cult fried-chicken concept Other Side Fried, on Buster’s – the new burger business in Brixton

The recent launch of Buster’s saw restaurateurs Matt Harris and Tommy Kempton switch from poultry to prime cuts. Located on Atlantic Road, the brand-new burger outfit resides in one of South London’s iconic railway arches, taking over a site formerly occupied by its sister concept, Other Side Fried (OSF). So, how have things been going since the brand transition and is the burger business booming? Dine Out spoke to Kempton to find out.

Dine Out (DO): Where did you and Matt first meet and how did that relationship evolve into today’s dynamic duo?
Tommy Kempton (TK): We met in 2011, while cheffing at Lamberts in Balham. We became good friends, sharing similar interests – our love of food being one.
Since then, we’ve explored many different avenues with food, including festivals, markets and pop-ups. We had the opportunity to open our first restaurant at the railway arch in Brixton in 2019.

DO: What are the biggest challenges and rewards of working together as partners?
TK: It’s been handy as it helps to share the load. We’re lucky as we’re good friends and can rely on each other. We agree on most things business-related so, luckily, don’t have many challenges. We don’t know how people do it solo!

DO: Before Buster’s, there was OSF. How did that come about and what spurred the decision to shift it to a delivery-only brand so the site could accommodate Buster’s?
TK: After a few years of not seeing each other, we randomly met for a pint, got pissed and came up with the idea for a chicken business. With no plan in place, we went on eBay and bought a classic ambulance. We stripped it out and threw in some fryers.
We had no idea what we were doing and almost melted the fibreglass walls, so had to build a chimney. After a few hiccups and oil tsunamis, we managed to get up and running, slinging chicken mainly at KERB markets.
It was popular, so we managed to get a pop-up unit in Brixton. From there we opened more kiosks until, eventually, we got our first brick-and-mortar. Luckily OSF is a great product for delivery, so we’ve kept that running.

DO: How did OSF fans handle the news?
TK: When we opened Buster’s, we realised we’d let a lot of people down. We had a lot of customers coming in asking where OSF had gone – we assured them it wasn’t the end!

DO: Isn’t Buster’s an idea you debuted to family and friends during the pandemic?
TK: We’ve loved burgers since day one – especially the classic double cheeseburger at McDonald’s. It is simply one of the best fast-food options available to date and has been on our minds since the early days.

Serving great burgers since 2024

We had only just opened OSF when Covid hit. It stung us hard, so we had to think of other avenues to make money. We had a delivery-only kitchen in Elephant & Castle at the time, so decided to put a griddle in the kitchen and start smashing burgers.
Earlier this year, we had the idea to bring Buster’s back to life in Brixton. It required minimal work to change the site. We now have OSF and Buster’s, serving two of the best-loved foods on the planet: fried chicken and beef burgers!

DO: So, how have things been going since Buster’s opened in November?​
TK: It’s been going well – the customers love it. They appreciate its simplicity and the quality of beef we use. When done right, all the elements of a burger sandwiched together equals perfection. The cheeseburger – a wagyu beef patty with American cheese and green peppercorn dijonnaise in a buttered potato roll – is by far our best-seller, but we actually prefer the hamburger.

DO: What’s Brixton like as a destination for a burger shop?
TK: Brixton is a great spot for Buster’s. It’s on route to the O2 Academy so we’re getting nice surges of people before and after events. We play the music of whichever artist is performing on the night, which goes down well.

DO: The burger scene in London is competitive – so what makes Buster’s stand out?
TK: We use wagyu because we love its beefy profile, especially with its higher-than-usual fat ratio. To ensure customers really appreciate the beef, we don’t overcomplicate the burger. Simple is best in our opinion – a good, homemade bun, a slightly creamy yet acidic sauce, beef then little pops of peppercorn to elevate it.

DO: What are some of the biggest changes or improvements you hope to see in hospitality this year?
TK: We are really hoping to see a reduction in the cost of produce. Also, if the cost of living goes down, this would enable more people to enjoy hospitality and allow small businesses to thrive.

DO: Things seem to be going well, so the question is: what next?
TK: We’re relaunching OSF back at Buster’s. We were never going to get rid of it; we just needed a little time to settle Buster’s in. We will be offering a similar menu to what OSF used to do, but it will be levelled up and a little more streamlined. We want to be known for cooking some of the best beef burgers and fried chicken sandwiches in London. Also, another little Ploussard concept is certainly on the cards, hopefully nearer the end of 2025.

DO: Where do you see yourselves as a business, say, five years down the line?
TK: We would love to have a mix of different and renowned concepts. We already have fine-dining, fast-food and events catering, so a pub or bar would definitely be one we’d like to tick off the list.

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