There were more than two dozen burgers on the menu at the so-called Burger Bash held on Thursday as part of this year’s Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Miami.
But one burger had an ingredient that gave it a unique spice: a hot sauce created by Brooklyn Beckham, 26, the eldest son of Victoria Beckham and David Beckham. His recent public criticism of his parents has kept his name in headlines.
Mr. Beckham, who hosted the bash with the veteran television food star Rachael Ray, collaborated with Jose Diaz, the chef at Pastis restaurant in Miami, on a tangy burger. It was topped with a sweet jalapeño sauce from Cloud23, a condiment line developed by Mr. Beckham, a self-taught cook and food influencer.
At the start of the event, a smiling Mr. Beckham mingled with attendees near the Pastis booth, one of many set up inside a big tent erected on the sand behind the Ritz-Carlton South Beach hotel. But after a few minutes, he disappeared from the tent.
Later, Mr. Beckham returned with Ms. Ray to formally welcome the roughly 3,000 burger lovers who came to the bash, where judges and attendees rank the dishes being served.
Mr. Beckham appeared with Ms. Ray once more toward the end of the event, to announce the winner of the People’s Choice award for best burger. The honor went to La Birra Bar, an Argentine restaurant with a location in Miami.
“Brooklyn was nervous,” said Lee Schrager, the founder and director of the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival. (Representatives for Mr. Beckham did not make him available for an interview that night.)
“After all that has happened with his family feud, not everyone would have followed through on this appearance tonight,” Mr. Schrager added.
Last October, Mr. Beckham hosted a Burger Bash with Ms. Ray at the New York City Wine & Food Festival, which Mr. Schrager also founded. He wanted to involve Mr. Beckham in the festivals because Mr. Schrager had been following his social media posts about cooking for years.
“I was encouraged by his sincere interest in food,” Mr. Schrager said.
The way that Mr. Beckham’s family spat has elevated his public profile did not go unnoticed by some at the bash. Rocco Carulli, the chef at R House Wynwood in Miami who served an “Italian Stallion” burger at the event, jokingly said that “with all of this going on in his life, Brooklyn Beckham has become a celebrity chef.”
But many at the bash cared more about the matter at hand — burgers — than they did about Mr. Beckham’s attendance.
The editor and television journalist Gayle King, a judge at the bash, said it was “nice he was here, but I love burgers.”
Katherine Nelson, a teacher in Miami, put it this way: “Sure, Brooklyn’s family drama is fascinating to read,” she said. “But we are here to simply eat great burgers.”
Stephen Flores, a marketing representative in the Miami area and a longtime attendee of the bash, was even more oblivious to Mr. Beckham’s presence.
“Who’s Brooklyn Beckham?” he asked.
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