Ashley Bennett has been part of the Ka Pao Glasgow team since its conception in Glasgow's Botanic Gardens Garage in 2020. A crucial part of the kitchen team, Ashley helped see the restaurant toward its first Bib Gourmand awarded in the following year’s Michelin Guide, before being promoted to Head Chef and securing its inclusion in the guide every year since. Ashley is passionate about the food and cooking of Southeast Asia, gaining further knowledge and experience under the tutelage of Sandy Browning at Ka Pao, and through her time spent with Hanuman Aspler at his cook school in Chiang Mai.

Cai Ap Bryn is a Welsh chef, hunter, and fire-cooking specialist known for his bold, honest approach to wild food. Cai developed a deep connection to the land and now champions sustainably sourced game, nose-to-tail butchery, and open-fire cooking. Specialising in venison and wild game, his work focuses on reconnecting people with the origins of their food through ethical sourcing and traditional preparation techniques. Cai is the founder of Game and Flames, offering live-fire catering, butchery workshops, and outdoor cooking events that celebrate the best of Britain’s wild larder. A regular face at national food shows and on the FieldSports Channel, Cai’s energetic demos and hands-on teaching style have made him a respected voice in the game and field-to-fork community. He’s twice been awarded the Eat Game Influencer of the Year, recognising his work in making wild food accessible, sustainable, and exciting. Whether cooking in woodland settings or leading feasts over open flames, Cai brings authenticity, passion, and a deep respect for the food he prepares. His mission is simple: to inspire others to cook, eat, and think more closely about where their food comes from.

Calum was born and raised in Portree on the Isle of Skye and started working in kitchens at the age of 14 and then trained at the City of Glasgow. Chef owner of the four AA Rosette awarded Edinbane Lodge Calum’s deep respect for ingredients together with an appreciation for culinary traditions and heritage makes Calum a truly exceptional chef. His menu at Edinbane Lodge explores the true taste of Skye and experiments with the Isle’s natural larder using traditional preservation techniques to enjoy them throughout the seasons in different guises. Sourcing produce only from a community of family and friends who share the same values and commitment to the produce as Calum makes the most of the island’s crofts, seas, and artisan production and make sure they are protected, preserved, and enhanced for the future generations. Calum has worked at notable restaurants including Kinloch Lodge and spent time at the Two Michelin Star Restaurant Frederikshoj in Denmark where he found great inspiration for his own cooking. Edinbane Lodge is in the ‘exceptional’ tier of the Good Food Guide, on the international well-renowned ‘La Liste’ and was announced ‘Best Dining Experience in Scotland’ in 2023.

Colin Anderson is the Chef Director of Brett in Glasgow, where fire-led cooking, sustainable sourcing, and a progressive kitchen culture define the experience. Since joining in 2020, he has helped shape Brett into one of the city’s most acclaimed dining spots, earning praise from the Michelin Guide, The Guardian, and Time Out, which named it Glasgow’s Best Restaurant in 2025. At Brett, Colin crafts seasonal, fire-cooked menus paired with a dynamic, low-intervention wine list sourced from small producers worldwide. His food philosophy is grounded in honesty, locality, and storytelling — with every dish reflecting its origin. Colin began his culinary path on a fishing boat off Colonsay and later joined the kitchen at the Colonsay Hotel. In Glasgow, he rose quickly, becoming the youngest head chef at The Ubiquitous Chip at 17, before moving to Michelin-starred Cail Bruich. He honed his skills in London under renowned chefs including Clare Smyth and Jason Atherton, and later in Australia at Quay and Cullen Wines, where he earned two Chef’s Hats. Now at Brett, Colin champions sustainable and socially conscious hospitality, empowering his team and leading with purpose — making Brett not just a restaurant, but a reflection of meaningful modern dining.

Craig Grozier is a Scottish chef and the founder of Fallachan, a unique culinary venture that blends private chef services with an intimate chef’s table restaurant experience. Located in the iconic Arches by SWG3 in Glasgow, Fallachan offers an exclusive setting where Craig showcases his passion for wild, local, and seasonal Scottish cuisine. Driven by a deep commitment to sustainability and authenticity, Craig works closely with local farmers, butchers, and fishermen, sourcing the finest ingredients for his carefully crafted menus. His approach to cooking goes beyond the kitchen—he often forages for wild produce, ensuring that each dish is a true reflection of Scotland's rich natural terroir. Whether preparing meals for private clients or curating exquisite experiences in his Fallachan Kitchen, Craig brings a ferocious passion for the land and its ingredients, creating unforgettable dining experiences that celebrate the best of Scotland’s wild larder.

Originally from East Kilbride, just outside Glasgow, Craig began his culinary journey at Lanarkshire Catering School, where he built a strong foundation in classical cooking techniques. He then honed his skills in well-regarded kitchens, pubs and hotels across Glasgow, as well as several years at Ox and Finch, before moving to London to further his career. In October 2020, he was offered the opportunity to begin working under esteemed chefs Brett Graham, Jake Leach, and Josh Cutress at the renowned Harwood Arms, London’s only Michelin-starred pub. His time in London was driven by a desire for growth and the challenge of working in some of the industry's most demanding kitchens. After several conversations with Scoop MD Jonathan, the opportunity to return to Ox and Finch felt like the right next step. Having started his journey there, he credits the restaurant with opening his eyes to the possibilities within the industry. He values Ox and Finch’s ethos—where food and guest experience are always the top priorities. As Head Chef, Craig is committed to maintaining Ox and Finch’s reputation as a cornerstone of Glasgow’s dining scene. While embracing innovation, he understands the importance of preserving the restaurant’s identity, cultivating a warm and welcoming atmosphere, mirroring the intimate and personal hospitality he admired as a diner at Ox and Finch and later experienced at The Harwood Arms.

Originally from Gateshead, Danny began working in restaurants straight from school. His beginnings and training were centred around the French brigade model and spent 4 years with Brian Maule and Chris Moffat in Glasgow’s renowned Maule’s Le Chardon d'Or. The opening of Ox and Finch in 2016 brought Danny an opportunity to take a leap into a different style of menu and service, and soon thrived, being promoted to Senior Sous Chef and becoming an integral part of the Scoop creative team. Time spent as a stagier with Le Gavroche, Lyles and Acme Fire Cult have offered valuable experience in the shaping of a kitchen team as well as menu development. This wealth of knowledge and variety has allowed Danny to forge ahead with the clear, bold and pronounced combination of snacks and dishes that can be found at Sebb’s, solidly underpinned with detail and skilled cookery. Danny takes inspiration from lots of different cultures and cuisines, with high quality ingredients, attention to detail, utilising great supplier relationships and simplicity always at the forefront. His goal in and out of the kitchen is to eat good food, made locally. This is reflected in his menu at Sebb’s where he and the team serve food they enjoy eating with a little of their own identity.

After failing food tech at school, Dave knew that working with food was his perfect profession. But it took him another 14 years to realise this. The Mexican Viking (aka Gerrard Warrender) on the other hand, Realised this a lot sooner and went straight into kitchens once leaving school. These two then crossed paths in 2022 and shortly realised they shared a passion for good food. Good Mexican food. So in January 2023, THE BIG TAQUERO was born. And since then, these boys have been slinging the goods from their spot in Dumbarton ever since. Sometimes traditional, sometimes far from it. These boys are constantly changing things up on their menu. From the Mexican staple, Al Pastor, to the not so common Big Taq, their take on a Big Mac. Always inventive, always good crack and always passionate about serving a tasty plate of Mexican goodness.

Located at Glasgow’s Cathedral Square, Michelin-bib awarded Celentano’s is an Italian-inspired, ingredient-led restaurant from chef-director Dean Parker and his wife and co-owner, Anna. Built on a passion for sharing good food and drinks with family and friends, Celentano’s is inspired by the couple’s honeymoon in Italy, where they fell in love with the food culture and style of cooking and named their restaurant after a song they heard on repeat whilst they were there. With a nose-to-tail approach and minimal waste attitude, the menu blends traditional flavours with techniques such as fermentation and curing to create innovative yet wholesome dishes.

Having spent time cooking in Australia, Glasgow-born Dominic went on to head up the kitchen at Ondine, working with the best of Scottish waters. He joined The Little Chartroom in 2020 where he is an Executive Chef alongside Chef-Patron Roberta Hall McCarron. In 2024 he took on the additional role of Executive Chef at Ardfern, Roberta’s latest opening next to The Little Chatroom. A café, bar and bottleshop, Ardfern offers a truly relaxed all-day experience, with brunch, bar snacks and heartier dinners. Working across Ardfern and The Little Chatroom, Dominic’s food follows the Scottish seasons, with produce-led heartiness and classic French techniques informing dishes at both restaurants.

Elliot Cunningham of open-fire concept Eat Lagom is a rising star of the UK’s food scene. Having worked in kitchens including Barbecoa, Yosma, Smokestak and Pizza Pilgrims as well as a stint at butcher’s Turner & George, his expertise around food and meat in particular is both instinctive and well-honed, leading him to create some incredibly exciting dishes in the kitchen at his permanent residency at Hackney Church Brew Co.

After failing food tech at school, Dave knew that working with food was his perfect profession. But it took him another 14 years to realise this. The Mexican Viking (aka Gerrard Warrender) on the other hand, Realised this a lot sooner and went straight into kitchens once leaving school. These two then crossed paths in 2022 and shortly realised they shared a passion for good food. Good Mexican food. So in January 2023, THE BIG TAQUERO was born. And since then, these boys have been slinging the goods from their spot in Dumbarton ever since. Sometimes traditional, sometimes far from it. These boys are constantly changing things up on their menu. From the Mexican staple, Al Pastor, to the not so common Big Taq, their take on a Big Mac. Always inventive, always good crack and always passionate about serving a tasty plate of Mexican goodness.

Having cooked at Edinburgh’s Timberyard and London’s Dabbous, Hamish joined the team at Roberta Hall McCarron’s The Little Chartroom in 2019. Following The Little Chatroom’s relocation to Bonnington Road, Hamish took over the reins of Eleanore, which opened in the former site on Albert Place. A neighbourhood restaurant with a mixture of high-top and table-top dining, Eleanore serves creative, great value set-menus from its open kitchen, highlighting the best of Scottish produce. Hearty, yet refined, Hamish’s dishes take stock of the sea and land, incorporating Asian influences and charcoal cooking.

Smoke n Flame came about during the second lock down as head chef Iain Gourlay and sous chef Stuart Palmer had a notion to initially sell smoked meats on a market in Peebles. We started the company as one of my suppliers at the hotel (Cringletie in Peebles) had said we could use his space to create and as stu was freelance and therefore not entitled to furlough we jumped on the opportunity as a way to make some income. As a chef I am driven and like to push myself as hard as I can and in my own business this was no different. We went from smoking meats for the market to having a BBQ on the market and that quickly turned into a full blown takeaway from the production kitchen at TVV unit. We butchered all the meat we used in our burgers and sausages and brined and made all the condiments and sauces for our ribs and wings, we also smoked out meats in a smoke chamber. I have to say watching chefs like Nathan Davis and what he does with fire is very inspiring and in fact I entered the national chef of the year and made the final twice only to be judged by Nathan along with a lot of the very best chefs in the UK and it was an absolute high point of my career. I was gutted we had to fold our business due to having to go back to work after lockdown but with the help of TVV we get to bring it back at Meatopia and hopefully we can resurrect Smoke n flame from the ashes.

Raised just outside of Glasgow, JR has spent over a decade working in several of the city’s restaurants. He spent a year working in New Zealand, where he further honed his skills before returning home. He joined the Winged Ox team in 2019 and stepped up as Head Chef in late 2024. Since then he’s completely revamped the menu, introducing a well-received, Southern-style comfort food offering. With the addition of Traeger equipment, JR has brought his love of wood-fired cooking to the East-end of Glasgow. With a passion for bold flavours and hearty food JR, along with his team, are constantly striving for excellence with ever-evolving ideas and concepts.

Japanese entrepreneur and chef Kaori Simpson opened one of Edinburgh’s most popular Japanese restaurants, Harajuku Kitchen in 2013. Simpson was born in Hong Kong into an expat Japanese family of merchants and grew up helping in her mum’s restaurants, learning the family recipes and eventually cooking in the kitchen, so it was almost inevitable that she would one day bring those Japanese flavours back into her life. When she moved to Edinburgh she worked for Tom Kitchin at his Michelin-starred restaurant, The Kitchin in Leith. She fell in love with Scottish cuisine and produce which gave her the idea to open a street food stall at Stockbridge Market serving pork and chive gyoza, made using her mother’s recipe, and udon noodle stir-fries; due to its popularity she decided to open a bistro create authentic Japanese comfort food using seasonal Scottish produce. Kaori prides herself in providing a unique and exciting Japanese eating experience, adhering to the fundamentals of the country’s cooking, which is underpinned by a deep respect for ingredients and their natural flavours. As well as its popular pork gyoza dumplings, Harajuku Kitchen has become known for its sushi, created by Japanese sushi chef Nobu.

Maureen Tyne is a chef and owner of Maureen's Brixton Kitchen in Brixton. A stalwart of the local food scene, Maureen has become a star chef thanks to massive attention on social media, drawing massive queues for her brilliant food. She has been serving the community her Jamaican food for more than 20 years, becoming one of the standout food businesses in London.

Melissa Thompson is a barbecue chef who specialises in live-fire cooking. She writes recipes for Good Food magazine, Waitrose magazine, The Financial Times Weekend and many more. She is the author of Motherland: A Jamaican Cookbook, published by Bloomsbury and is an expert on jerk.

Nick Watkins is the founder of the Multi award winning burger joint El Perro Negro. Nick started his business as a pop up back in 2014, not coming from a cheffing background but having a drive to produce high quality burgers with high end ingredients. It quickly gained cult status in Glasgow with the first shop opening in 2014 and now operates in both Glasgow and in Edinburgh. El Perro has won best burger in the UK twice, as well as recently winning burger chef of the year among other accolades. Nick is no stranger to Meatopia being one of the first Scottish outfits to attend and has cooked at the event three times, serving up his award winning burgers to massive queues. This year he is cooking on home turf with something a little different, Watch this space.

A leader in the industry, Pat Martin is one of few pitmasters still carrying the torch of West Tennessee-style whole hog barbecue and is a dedicated independent restaurateur, author, and tv host with a growing footprint across the country. Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint is rooted in Pat’s lifelong love for the art of pit-cooked barbecue, open-flame cooking, and grilling. The entire menu at Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint is scratch-made, every single day – from sides to sauces, and everything in between. What began as a 950-square foot joint in Nolensville, TN, is today a beloved culinary destination with deep Nashville roots and six locations sprinkled across Nashville, with outposts in Birmingham, AL; Louisville, KY; and Charleston, SC. In October 2024, it was named one of the top 25 Nashville restaurants by The New York Times, underscoring its reputation for excellence. Building upon the success of Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint, Pat opened Hugh-Baby’s BBQ & Burger Shop in 2017 as a tribute to the small town barbecue and burger spots that dotted the mid-South of his youth. Dedicated to simple, delicious food and warm Southern hospitality, Hugh-Baby’s menu covers all the classics, with burgers, Memphis-style pulled pork, hot dogs, fries and hand-spun shakes at its heart. There are three Hugh-Baby’s locations in Nashville and a newly opened outpost in Charleston, SC. In 2023, Pat partnered with his longtime friend and fellow Nashville restaurant owner, Bill Darsinos, to open SweetMilk, serving old-school, traditional Southern breakfast that Pat’s grandmother cooked for her family every morning. SweetMilk bakes a limited number of from-scratch, hand-cut, cast iron-baked biscuits every day and served until sold out. Pat released his debut book, Life of Fire: Mastering the Arts of Pit-Cooked Barbecue, The Grill, and The Smokehouse (Clarkson Potter), in the Spring of 2022. Through beautiful photography and detailed instruction, this procedural book is a must-have guide to open-fire cooking. Here, Martin looks to transform the way you cook by revealing the craft of West Tennessee-style BBQ - a tradition he’s spent a lifetime studying, teaching, and celebrating. In 2024, a continuation of his book debuted as his very own tv show, Life of Fire, with Season 1 airing on The Outdoor Channel and currently streaming on MyOutdoorTV and Tastemade. Pat intentionally features the arduous, old methods of barbecue and live fire cooking, with each having its own unique style and story to tell. He purposefully steers the viewer away from the modern sense of barbecue we often see today, embedding himself with pitmasters, chefs, farmers, and some larger-than-life characters, as they share their own cooking heritage and traditions with him and speak to the importance of keeping those customs alive.

After 20 years in the service industry, you’d be hard pressed to find somebody as versatile as Rob Hallas. From humble beginnings in McDonalds, to running nightclubs and bars, Robs unorthodox path has led him to owning and operating Bastards Bistro. A concept that pushes culinary boundaries, Bastards is an idea that was born from grit, determination and a whole lot of stubbornness. From 5 course pairing nights, to festivals to reinventing the scotch egg in lockdown, Rob has managed to indent his versatility and passion for hospitality into something truly exceptional. His cooking style is unique, putting his own spin on classic dishes. Cooking what he loves to eat and serve to the masses.

Roberta Hall-McCarron opened her first restaurant, The Little Chartroom in June 2018, followed by Eleanore in 2021 and Ardfern in 2024. Working in professional kitchens since the age of 16, Roberta moved to Burj Al Arab, Dubai, before returning to Scotland to work at Michelin-starred The Kitchin. Roberta was offered the opportunity to be on the opening team at Castle Terrace by Dominic Jack, where she remained for six years, three of which were spent as head chef. It was at Castle Terrace where Roberta met now husband and front of house at The Little Chartroom, Shaun McCarron. To date, she has won accolades including Best Newcomer at Edinburgh Restaurant Awards, 2019; YBF Best Chef 2018; Eating & Drinking Award from The List Magazine; entries in Michelin Guides 2019 and 2020; UK’s Top 100 at Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards 2020; Breakthrough Chef of the Year at the Food and Travel Awards; Good Food Guide 2020; 100 Most Influential Women CODE. Roberta has been shortlisted for GQ Best Chef 2022 and in 2023 she became Squaremeal’s Female Chef of the Year. Representing Scotland, Roberta proceeded through to national finals in the BBC’s Great British Menu in both 2020 and 2021, winning the fish course in the latter series and cooking at the final banquet.

Robin Aitken grew up in Glasgow, training at City of Glasgow college. At 19 he caught the travelling bug, jetting to New Zealand, spending time living and working in Aukland and Queenstown. In 2014, he returned to Scotland to join the small kitchen team of an independent events group for the opening of their first restaurant in Glasgow’s up and coming Finnieston area – Ox and Finch. Through those early whirlwind years of the restaurant’s success, Robin progressed becoming integral to the brigade. After 3 years, he was ready for a new challenge and an opportunity to satisfy his wanderlust came in the form of a move to Melbourne with partner Anna. There he joined the team at AGFG Hat awarded Cumulus Inc. A further exploration cooking and eating throughout Vietnam and Southeast Asia followed, before returning to Scotland, this time as Senior Sous Chef at Fonab Castle in Pitlochry. Robin’s homecoming to Glasgow came with the reopening of Ka Pao Glasgow after lock down in 2020, becoming part of the senior team at Scoop Restaurants Group, working across the group’s venues as well as hosting his own successful pop-ups and supper clubs. Taking the reigns as Head Chef at Margo, Robin has earned the restaurant the coveted Bib Gourmand award in February 2025, after only 16 weeks.

Samantha Evans and Shauna Guinn started ‘Hang Fire’ 12 years ago after a 6-month BBQ pilgrimage to the Southern US states, immersing themselves in communities and learning the culture of slow and low BBQ. Their energy, passion and in-depth knowledge of all aspects of barbecue has seen them go on to be lead ambassadors for outdoor cooking internationally. The pair have won many awards for their sustainable, ethical cooking, a highlight being previous winners of Observer Food Monthly ‘Best Restaurant’, winners of Slow Foods UK ‘Best Restaurant’ and previous winners BBC Food and Farming Awards ‘Best Street food’ and winners of NatWest ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award. They created and hosted their own BBC One cooking series ‘Sam & Shauna’s Big Cookout’, regular appearances on Saturday Kitchen and Masterchef The Professionals. They are judges with BBC Food & Farming Awards and The European Street Food Awards. They host, cook and compare many demo stages and fire pit areas across the UK’s most popular festivals every year. They are the writers of the internationally bestselling cookbook ‘Hang Fire; Adventures in American BBQ’ and regularly contribute recipes and articles to National food and drink publications. This is their 9th year at Meatopia.

Founder of Black Bear Burger, Stewart’s cooking style is influenced by growing up on his family beef farm in Devon. Using the best of British produce and focusing on balanced, thought out flavour pairings has elevated Black Bear to being known as one of the best Burger restaurants in the capital and the UK.

Thomas Valentine Greer was born and raised in New Zealand, where a deep love for the culinary world began at an early age. From his first experiences in kitchens, he was drawn to the artistry and precision of cooking, refining his skills across a variety of roles. Eager to expand his horizons, Tom moved to Melbourne, Australia, where the city’s vibrant food scene ignited a newfound passion for Middle Eastern and Asian cuisines. Over six years, he fully immersed himself in the bold, complex flavours of these regions, drawing inspiration from renowned chefs like Ottolenghi. His dedication to mastering these culinary traditions laid the foundation for his distinctive approach—melding the depth of traditional flavours with the demands of contemporary, high-energy kitchens. Known for his fast-paced, high-volume cooking style, Tom specialises in crafting quality dishes that highlight the intricate and dynamic flavours of Middle Eastern and Asian cuisine. Whether through delicate spice blends or fresh, aromatic ingredients, his creations consistently deliver bold, unforgettable tastes. Since 2018, he has been a driving force as Head Chef for BABA, playing a pivotal role in building and growing the team, ensuring consistency, and introducing innovative ideas that define its unique style. He has played a key role in developing much-loved menus that blend tradition with modern culinary techniques, offering guests an experience that is both authentic and accessible. After a brief break in 2023, Tom has returned in 2024, bringing renewed energy and a continued commitment to excellence in the kitchen.