There’s something special about cooking over fire. It’s primal and yet requires the utmost skill to do it well. It’s also somewhat beautiful, with the roaring flames kissing the food and imbuing it with incredible flavour. So, it’s no wonder, then, that one of London’s most popular food festivals, Meatopia, is dedicated to fire cooking. And it’s coming back to London in just a matter of days.
Taking over Tobacco Docks from September 3-6, Meatopia is an enormous event that brings together “smoking hot chef talent from across the UK, Europe and the wider world”. Over 85 traders will be taming the embers and the smoke to deliver attendees somemouth-watering meaty morsels. And every single dish is unique to the festival, with traders cooking up bespoke dishes just for the event.
As if that wasn’t enough, many of the dishes will be unique just to that specific day! Each day features a fresh menu, with some of the chefs cooking up brand-new fare. This is in response to the festival’s driving ethos of sustainability. Only the best, responsibly-sourced ingredients are used – meaning availability could change each day, resulting in all-new dishes.
Meatopia
Meatopia was originally founded in the US by the late Josh Ozersky, before being brought over to the UK in 2013. Ever since, it’s been attracting scores of renowned chefs from far and wide to cook bespoke dishes over live fire.
Among this year’s vendors at Meatopia are the likes of:
- Sam Evans & Shauna Guinn (Hangfire BBQ): “the Welsh duo who did more than almost anyone to convert the UK to slow-cooked, wood-smoked American-style barbecue.”
- Genevieve Taylor: “founder of Bristol Fire School, acclaimed cookbook author and one of the UK’s foremost authorities on live fire cooking.”
- Mark O’Brien (Snake Oil Barbecue): placed in the final three on MasterChef: The Professionals; learned about BBQ while travelling across America’s BBQ belt.
- Budgie Montoya (Cafe Kowloon, Sarap, Apoy): “almost single-handedly put Filipino cuisine on London’s culinary map.”
- Ana Goncalves & Zijun Meng (TÓU): the culinary forces behind London’s iconic Ibérico katsu sando; weaving together their Portuguese and Chinese heritages.
- Scott O’Byrne & Tom Maher (Original Patty Men): “with a fierce cult following in Birmingham for their consistently brilliant burgers.”
- Danielle Heron (chef-owner of Osma): having trained at two and three Michelin-starred restaurants, “Danielle brings extraordinary technical skill and a distinctly Nordic sensibility to her cooking.” MEATOPIA DEBUT
Tickets are still available, but the meaty festival may well sell out soon. So be sure to grab your ticket before it’s too late!
📍 Tobacco Dock, Wapping Lane, E1W 2SF.
🚇 The nearest station is Shadwell.
