Neil Perry to open five new Burger Projects in Melbourne, Sydney

"Hand-shaped patties make all the difference," states Neil Perry, who is planning to shake up Melbourne's busy burger scene with his slowed-down take on fast food.

Perry is due to open his first Burger Project in Melbourne next March.

He has revealed his plans to open three Burger Project outlets in Melbourne next year – one in the St Collins Lane development in the CBD in March, a second at Chadstone Shopping Centre in August and a third at Crown at the end of 2016.

The celebrity chef and restaurateur who is best known for his high-end Rockpool Group of restaurants, said he was excited about expanding his burger brand following the success of the original Burger Project at Sydney's World Square complex.

The first Melbourne outlet will seat close to 100 people in a 200 square-metre space in St Collins Lane, the luxury redevelopment of the former "Australia On Collins" site at 260 Collins Street.

The licensed burger outlet will open from 11am to 10pm.

Perry said Melburnians could expect a quick-service "slow-food experience".

"At World Square we're serving 600-700 people over lunch on a Friday; only 15 per cent of the customers are opting for take-away, but it's pretty quick turn-around [for the eat-in customers]".

Perry said his staff had fine-tuned the burger-making process and said his niche was turning out a top-quality product in a short amount of time.

"We're pumping out 400 burgers an hour, but this is really high quality," he said. "Our meat is really tender and juicy. We're using Cape Grim [Tasmania grass-fed] beef and the patties are made from whole muscle not trim.

"First we hand cut the meat, then mince it and form it into patties ... and there's nothing added except salt."

Perry said forming burger patties by hand rather than machine ensured a tender product. "In a machine the meat gets overworked and elasticised. All the juice gets pulled out of it and on the grill [the pattie] shrinks."

Perry is also expanding the Burger Project chain in Sydney, with the World Square restaurant to be joined by a food-court version at the MLC Centre on Martin Place in November, and a third outlet to open in Chatswood mid-2016.

He said he was also still committed to a Burger Project in Paramatta, and in Melbourne is scouting for some "high street, freestanding" locations in inner suburbs such as Carlton, and Richmond.

After that, Perry says he'd love to take Burger Project overseas from 2017 with New Zealand, Singapore and the United States in his sights.