No smoke without meat... What started in a crossroad in southern Sweden in 2014 has in just a few years transformed to a destination where people travel far to experience the noble art of smoked meats. We have our roots in American barbecue in general but Central Texas is where our heart is. Just as much as we love big cuts of meat smoked for hours with simple seasoning we constantly fall in love with kitchens from all over the world as long as live fire or smoke is involved. Holy Smoke BBQ was founded by JOHAN FRITZELL, who up until the smoke signals began to emerge from Bräcke used to work in his printshop. He was shortly thereafter joined by Johan Åkerberg, who has broad experience from many kitchens around the world.

John has been been cooking barbecue professionally for 20 years in a career that has seen him cook at both private dining and public events across the UK, Europe and the States, focusing on dishes inspired by fire cooking culture around the world, where he has built a reputation amongst some of the best in the business. He now runs ‘Smoke on the Waters’ at his farm in North Devon, a traditional barbecue joint, cooking home grown meats and other produce for hundreds of guests every week in what is one of the most authentic country smokehouse experiences in the UK. They also smoke meats and supply a huge number of restaurants, hotels and caterers across the country with wholesale trade supply barbecue. John’s knowledge and experience of both recipes and traditional barbecue methods, including his classic signature ‘Whole Hog’ barbecue has seen him cook alongside some of the true greats in the industry, at home and abroad, introducing thousands to what real barbecue is all about.

Pit Master at smokestak for the past 8 years, with a love of Texas barbecue, Joe has started his own Barbecue business wanting to bring a more ethical view to slow smoked meats.

Josh has been cheffing for 15 years, with two formative years spent under Sebastian Myers at Sager & Wilde, followed by his first Head Chef role at Silver Lining. Over the past seven years, he has worked nomadically, leading kitchen residencies across London, Portugal, and France. Notable projects include 107, Bar Bruno, Giacco, Half Cut Market, and the Gallifet Art Centre in Aix-en-Provence. Josh’s cooking has since developed a distinct identity of its own. In 2024, he launched Tasca with partner and sommelier Sinead Murdoch, marking a new chapter with the much loved residency at Cav in Bethnal Green and Giaccos in Highbury. Drawing inspiration from the Iberian Peninsula and their travels through the South of France, Spain, and Portugal, his food is underpinned by classical French technique, alongside a deep love for fermentation, curing, and whole-animal butchery.

Karel is Head Chef at Blacklock Canary Wharf, where his cooking is defined by bold flavours, confidence and a real love for the energy of a busy kitchen. He thrives in the rhythm of service, where instinct, timing and teamwork all come together. His approach to food is straightforward and expressive, focusing on strong, satisfying flavours and cooking that feels both generous and honest. He has a natural affinity for cooking over fire, embracing its unpredictability and using it to bring depth and character to his dishes. Karel’s personality comes through in his food. He values simplicity done well, believing that great cooking doesn’t need to be overcomplicated to be memorable. At Meatopia, he brings that same energy to the fire, delivering dishes that are bold, comforting and made to be enjoyed.

Born and raised in the Philippines in a family of home cooks, Kleng's passion for food began at home. After moving abroad, missing the flavors of Filipino cuisine inspired Kleng to pursue cooking and baking professionally. Kleng started as a home baker before expanding into catering and opening a food stall in 2016, where she became known for her empanadas and soft, pillowy ensaymada. In 2021, she entered a professional kitchen, marking a major step in her culinary career. Since then, she has worked as a baker, pastry chef, head chef, and general manager, gaining experience across multiple areas of hospitality. Kleng has worked with several Filipino restaurants in London and Brighton, helping introduce Filipino cuisine to a wider audience. Through her work, she has showcased flavors such as ube, calamansi, adobo, inasal, and kare-kare, contributing to the growing popularity of Filipino food in the UK. Among her proudest achievements is launching London's first Filipino brunch concept, helping to present modern Filipino cuisine in a fresh and exciting way. Kleng currently serves as General Manager at Bintang, the oldest Filipino restaurant in London, part of the Maginhawa Group led by Omar Shah.

LAP-FAI LEE, British Chinese cult favourite cook, mentor, and the creative force behind the viral instagram account @oishinboy. Known for his deeply personal cooking that folds together his Cantonese heritage with a modern British outlook, Lap-fai crafts dishes that are playful, unexpected, and rooted in soulful technique. Lap-fai has spent over a decade as a specialist BBQ teacher, crossing worlds from glossy Cantonese duck and char siu to deep, smoky American pork ribs and peppery beef. He’s as comfortable pleating delicate dim sum as he is breaking down whole pigs for the pit. His skill has seen him collaborate with Michelin-starred chefs, develop menus for restaurants all over the UK and Europe. Lap-fai is a Meatopia veteran with his outfit Fire + Rice and will be sure to bring the most deliciously smoky Asian bbq dishes and techniques to Meatopia Glasgow this year.

Laura is a proud seafood slinger and is based on the south coast of England. She’s been in the industry over 25 years (we know – she doesn’t look that old) and flamed all over the world with great cooks and the best producers. Her love for fusion and fire is fuelled by travel which she has done extensively over the years. Boca Loco food truck is based in Sussex.

Established in 2019 and based in South Wales - Bab Haus is run by Leyli & Soraya Homayoonfar and Rebecca Goad, our food is an eclectic mix of modern Mexican / Middle Eastern and American BBQ, a fusion of Leyli and Soraya’s Persian background and Bec's experience living on the West Coast of America, mostly flavours and cooking techniques which centre around fire. Our food is constantly evolving but the one thing that remains is the aspect of cooking over fire which is key to the flavour of our dishes. Our food sites; BAB HAUS MEX in Goodsheds, Barry, Newport Market and Ffos Caerffili with a focus on Mexican and Texas BBQ both with hints of Middle Eastern flavours and cooking techniques.