Post-horsegate, the beef burger has got the bit between its teeth again.

If you don't believe me, witness the George Osborne set-up picture, in which the Chancellor was seen with a take-away burger at his elbow while preparing his comprehensive spending review. It was swiftly pointed out that his evening meal (minimum price £6.75, with fries an extra £2.95) was posh, and definitely not a 99p cheapo.

The intended message was that here was a man of the people, getting down with the kids. Beef burgers, the original fast food, do have an on-trend street food vibe these days: squeaky-clean ethical sourcing, transparency of provenance and slick presentation are key factors.

People power is gaining momentum. Sales of frozen beef burgers slumped by 43% during the horsemeat scandal as consumers steered clear of products they feared might not be quite what they claim on the label. Data from the market research firm Kantar Worldpanel shows sales of frozen ready meals have also been hit, down 13% since the Food Safety Authority of Ireland said in mid-January that it had found horsemeat in beef burgers destined for sale in British supermarkets.

A Quality Meat Scotland survey of about 300 members of the Scotch Butchers Club revealed 92% of butchers had experienced increased footfall and that they believed this trend would continue over the next 12 months. McDonald's, which sources its beef from 17,500 farms in Britain and Ireland, conducted its own poll of 2000 UK adults and found that almost three-quarters said they preferred to buy food that is produced from farms with high standards of animal welfare in place. The world's largest fast-food chain has also switched to 100% Freedom Food pork from British farms that meet strict RSPCA animal welfare standards across its entire UK menu.

Next week in Glasgow a new beef burger idea opens for business, with two young men from Michelin-starred Scottish restaurants in the saddle. Ben Dantzic, most recently the manager at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie in Gleneagles Hotel, and his chef friend James Forrest, who met while working at Geoffrey Smeddle's Peat Inn in Cupar, Fife, say they spotted a gap in the market in Glasgow for "posh" burgers: a classic burger at Burger Meats Bun will cost between £7.50 and £9, with an additional £3 for chips. The boys spent months sourcing what they reckon are the best artisan suppliers, such as the Aberfoyle Butcher for beef, Gartmorn Farm in Alloa for chicken, and the Big Bear Bakery in Glasgow for brioche and gluten-free buns. With a drink (local craft beer optional), a tray meal will cost around £15. They've taken their influence from London street food outfits and burger passionistas Patty & Bun and Burger Bear, and talk eagerly of such burning issues as how long the beef has been aged, its fat content, and how their chicken burger will be a flaked confit of tasty thigh and leg meat.

Burger Meats Bun will be close neighbours of the Meat Bar, another recently opened, right-on burger joint.

The stable door has closed. The burger has bolted.