“In scenes straight out of Dickens, smoke billowed from grills in the converted Victorian warehouses as chefs dished up burgers, pulled pork and grilled chicken for the crowds.”
Xanthe Clay, The Telegraph
Meatopia takes place each year at the hallowed London location of Tobacco Dock, Shadwell. Built in the early 19th Century as a hub for precious cargo arriving into London from the New World via the river that runs alongside it, the timber frame and brick vaults of Tobacco Dock have witnessed everything from Victorian trade deals and tiger attacks to music festivals and, of course, some of the world’s best live-fire chefs arriving to cook at Meatopia. Today it has a reputation as one of the ultimate event venues in London.
At Meatopia 2022, over 70 of the world’s best live-fire chefs cooked exclusive dishes over the course of three days, using nothing but sustainable wood and charcoal and responsibly-sourced, quality ingredients — that means meat, fish and veg. Our alumni of chefs include Francis Mallmann, Niklas Ekstedt, Amninder Sandhu, Yotam Ottolenghi, Dave Pynt, Aaron Franklin, Fergus Henderson, Bryan Furman, and Lennox Hastie.
All that smokey, flavour-filled food is thirsty work. Luckily for you, Meatopia has a mind-boggling array of quenching beverages on offer. From meeting the craft brewers in the TAPtopia hall to sinking a few sundowners on the dock, all manner of spirits, cocktails and liquid delights are on offer.
The finest, most sustainably sourced wood and charcoal is the star of the show at Meatopia, so gather around the fire and let your inner cave-person be mesmerised by it. From simple grills to imposing smokers and roaring fire-pits, every method of fire cooking imaginable is on show at Meatopia, and at the helm of the flames are some of the world’s most skilled chefs.
Live musicians, roaming brass bands, DJs and soulful singers can be found in every corner of the festival, and a crowd to go with them. We’ve had everyone from infamous party-starters New York Brass Band to legendary last-man-standing Bez of the Happy Mondays play to our punters, keeping the good vibes going through day and night.
The legendary on-site newspaper handed to every Meatopian who visits the festival is now online. Feast your eyes, ears, brains and brawn on recipes, news, pieces from the archives and videos live from lastyear’s Cutting Room stage here.