Meatopia On-Fire London is the legendary festival for fire-cooking lovers. The huge, four day event brings together the very best chef talent from across the UK, Europe and the wider world. Each and every dish is bespoke to Meatopia; a chance to taste some truly remarkable food for the first and last time.
Kept under wraps for months, Meatopia are thrilled to announce the exciting line up of chefs day by day.
Andrew Clarke of renowned live fire restaurant Acme Fire Cult returns to Meatopia. You could call him a rock star chef with musician credentials to his name, but it’s Andrew’s expansive chef career of more than 25 years in kitchens that gives him the edge. Acme Fire Cult’s menu is almost entirely cooked over open flame, with a focus on ethical sourcing and seasonal produce.
SESTA, headed up by Drew Snaith, was one of East London’s most exciting openings last year. Drew’s technique driven, playful cooking has already received attention from the Michelin Guide who listed the restaurant this year.
Manchester has built an incredible restaurant scene and one of the hottest players is Stow. Chef Jamie Pickles cooks elements of every dish over fire focusing on ‘the simplicity of great ingredients’ mirroring Meatopia’s ethos. It’s no surprise then that Stow received rave reviews since opening in November. This is Jamie’s debut appearance at Meatopia.
HUMO is the one Michelin starred wood-fired dining concept in London’s Mayfair. This year Robbie Jameson is bringing finesse and a Japanese influence to Meatopia.
One to watch, Josh Dallaway is Head Chef of Tasca, a kitchen residency with partner and Sommelier Sinead Murdoch. It opened earlier this year to glowing reviews. The menus are influenced by Iberian cuisine with Josh adding playful touches. He has been cheffing in London kitchens for over 15 years and learnt his craft under Sebastian Myers at Sager + Wilde.
Chef Keshia Sakarah is a self taught Caribbean chef and food educator. This year she published her first cookbook, Caribe; a historical culinary journey through the Caribbean. She’ll be cooking alongside Food Behind Bars at Meatopia; a charity dedicated to transforming food in British prisons. Produce for their dish will be sourced from prison farms that work with the charity.
Rasheed Philips from Georgia (US) is known for competing on internationally-watched Netflix’s The American Barbeque Showdown. Meatopia will be the very first time he’s cooked in the UK. He’s a prominent figure in the American barbecue community and brings traditions of his Jamaican heritage to his food characterised by distinctive use of spices and marinades. Don’t sleep on Rasheed’s dish!
Also joining the festival all the way from the United States, are two chefs with impressive accolades to their names. Isabel Coss of Washington DC’s Pascual and Valerie Chang of Miami’s Maty’s. The two join forces at Meatopia to collaborate on a very special dish to showcase Isabel’s Mexican background and Valerie’s Peruvian heritage. It’s sure to be the most hyped dish of the festival.
Meatopia also does dessert! In addition to Terri Mercieca of Happy Endings, Anna Higham of Quince Bakery will be providing the sweet treats. Undoubtedly one of the UK’s most exciting pastry chefs, Anna has experience at River Cafe, Lyle’s, Flor and the Gordon Ramsay Group. Anna specialises in British baking at Quince with tempting bakes such as the iconic brown butter bun. Also joining is Fred Casterton of Fred’s Bakes who delivers mouthwatering handmade bakes across London. Think seasonal tarts, meringue pies and chewy chocolate chip cookies.
Introducing Meatopia 2025’s day by day line up:
THURSDAY:
Ana Ortiz, Fire Made
Ben Quinn, Chloe Knight & Ben Green, Woodfired Canteen
Cai Ap Bryn, Game and Flames
Chris Golding & Dawid Bury, NIJŪ
Ed Watkinson, The Bodega
Edson Diaz-Fuentes, Santo Remedio
Fred Casterton, Fred’s Bakes
George Wood, Brix & Bones
Jad Youssef, Lebnani
Johan Åkerburg & Johan Fritzell, Holy Smoke BBQ
John Gower, Smoke on the Waters
Konstantinos Vais & Marios Miliorellis, essi
Livia Alarcon
Mark O’Brien, Snake Oil Barbecue
Michael Thomas, Cantaloupe
Rajen Patel, The Homie’s Kitchen
Rob Hallas, Bastards Bistro
Sam Bryant & Alicja Bryant, Whole Beast
Simon Lamont, Rocco
Terri Mercieca, Happy Endings
Tomasz Pulcyn, Brix Ldn
FRIDAY:
Adriana Cavita, Cavita
Agata Tomczak & Giorgio Santorsola, Solan Table
Ana Ortiz, Fire Made
Anna Higham, Quince Bakery
Andy Frankzeskos & Neil Campbell, ROVI
Ben Quinn, Chloe Knight & Ben Green, Woodfired Canteen
Edson Diaz-Fuentes, Santo Remedio
George Brown & George Husband, Gorka
George Wood, Brix & Bones
Jad Youssef, Lebanani
Joe Roussel, Smoke n Grill
Johan Åkerburg & Johan Fritzell, Holy Smoke BBQ
John Gower, Smoke on the Waters
Konstantinos Vais & Marios Miliorellis, essi
Liam Barker & Osei Blackett
Lukasz Kielbasinki, Salt Yard Group
Marie Mitchell & Tintin Jonsson, Swilipino
Melanie Brown, The Laundry
Mikel López de Viñaspre, Sagardi
Richard Turner, Bodean’s
Rob Hallas, Bastards Bistro
Simon Lamont, Rocco
Terri Mercieca, Happy Endings
Theo Zarikakis, Bacchanalia
Zach Farr, Junsei
SATURDAY:
Anna Higham, Quince Bakery
Arthur Bonham Carter, The Prince Arthur
Ashley Bennett, Ka Pao
Brad Carter, One Star Döner Bar
Drew Snaith, SESTA
Ellen Parr, Lucky & Joy
Elliot Hashtroudi, Camille
Fran Martinez, Fazenda
Isabel Coss, Pascual x Valerie Chang, Maty’s
Johan Åkerburg & Johan Fritzell, Holy Smoke BBQ
Joseph J Carvell, Meat Market Barbecue
Khadim Mbamba, Little Baobab
Laura Sylvester, Boca Loco
Leyli Homayoonfar & Rebecca Goad, Bab Haus
Lukasz Kielbasinki, Salt Yard Group
Melissa Thompson & Maureen Tyne, Maureen’s Brixton Kitchen
Michael Bagnall, Senza Fondo
Mikel López de Viñaspre, Sagardi
Nirmal Save, Gunpowder
Rasheed Philips, Philips Barbecue Co.
Richard Turner, Bodean’s
Ruben Dawnay, Ruben’s Reubens
Stewart Down, Black Bear Burger
Tasos Gaitanos, Brother Marcus
Terri Mercieca, Happy Endings
Tom Zahir, Decatur
SUNDAY
Andrew Clarke, Acme Fire Cult
Anna Higham, Quince Bakery
Ben Tish & Michael Lenton, The Grazing Goat
Betty Fox
Brad Carter & Lap Fai Lee
Ellen Parr, Lucky & Joy
Fran Martinez, Fazenda
Harneet Baweja, Empire Empire
Holly Middleton-Joseph, Hausu
Jamie Pickles, Stow
Joe Couldridge, The Prince Arthur
Johan Åkerburg & Johan Fritzell Holy Smoke BBQ
Joseph J Carvell, Meat Market Barbecue
Josh Dallaway, Tasca
Keshia Sakarah & Food Behind Bars
Leyli Homayoonfar & Rebecca Goad, Bab Haus
Marta Sandini, Table & Candle
Nick Fitzgerald, Tacos Padre
Paddy Maher, Pearly Queen
Rasheed Philips, Philips Barbecue Co.
Robbie Jameson, HUMO
Sam Grainger, Madre
Stewart Down, Black Bear Burger
Terri Mercieca, Happy Endings
Zana Millen, Passa Passa London
How Meatopia Works:
Admission is ticketed and pre-booked here. Each day of the festival chefs cook a bespoke dish over live fire, in front of your very eyes. Eat as many as you like using Meatopia’s Meatbucks, purchased before the festival with ticket bundles, or from the roaming MeatBucaneers during the event.
About Meatopia:
Meatopia is the legendary festival for food and fire-cooking lovers with festivals in London and Glasgow. As one of the longest-running food events, it attracts over 70 renowned chefs from far and wide to cook bespoke dishes over live fire. Each show is a feast for the senses with the promise of delicious fire-cooked food, drinks and entertainment over a whole weekend.
Founded in the US by the late, great Josh Ozersky and brought to the UK by a trio of passionate food enthusiasts, Meatopia wholeheartedly commits to Josh’s pledge to showcase sustainability, quality and flavour.
Meatopia stands for conscious sourcing: only high quality, responsibly-sourced ingredients (meat, fish and vegetables) make it onto the Meatopia menu, which is painstakingly put together over the course of the year with countless chef tasting sessions and refinements made to each and every item.
