Meatopia London 2025 Wrapped
London, you no doubt brought the heat.
Meatopia rolled back into Tobacco Dock this August for a four-day feast of epic proportions with a long weekend of open flames, outrageous flavours, and extreme high energy. From the very first sizzle to the final bite, The Dock became a smoky, flame-filled playground for our fire-throwing chefs and flavour hunting festival goers.
This year’s line-up brought together aseriously heavyweight cast. From across the UK and beyond, chefs arrived with one-off dishes you won’t find on any menu again. Each plate a story told through smoke and skill. Andrew Clarke of Acme Fire Cult kicked things off with seasonal swagger. Sam Grainger and the Madre crew brought bold Northern energy and a smoked cod chorizo that stopped people in their tracks. Jamie Pickles, repping Stow in Manchester, won hearts with his straight-up fire cooking and unofficially bagged the title of Best Chef Name of the weekend.
Paddy Maher from Pearly Queen in Shoreditch dropped a spicy seafood twist. Tasca duo Josh Dallaway and Sinead Murdoch brought Iberian soul to the pit. Meatopia legend,Richard Turner made a comeback fronting old school ‘Q’ joint Bodeans.
Rasheed Philipps arrived from Georgia, USA and made his Meatopia debut in style. Spice, smoke, and serious power. IsabelCoss and Valerie Chang delivered one of the weekend’s standout dishes with their Mexican–Peruvian fire collab that had queues before they’d even fired upthe grill. And it wouldn’t be Meatopia without the Johans from Holy Smoke BBQ hauling their smoker over from Bräcke in Sweden.
Sweet things held their own too. Anna Higham of Quince Bakery and Fred Casterton of Fred’s Bakes were turning out sticky buns, tarts, and cookies that disappeared as quickly as they landed. And as always, Happy Endings brought the ice cream sandwiches of dreams. There were scoops, there were smiles, and there was no shame in going back for seconds.Every dish at Meatopia is a one-time-only creation. When we say get it before it’s gone, we mean it.
Of course, it wasn’t just about the food. The drinks were flowing from open to close. Big love to Meantime Brewing Co. for keeping everyone refreshed, to Black Barrel Whiskey for that added depth and edge and to Altos and Del Maguey for the best tequila and mezcal laced cocktails in the game, served just right under the late August sun.
Over at the Cutting Room stage, the chefsstepped out from behind the pass to teach, share and inspire. Genevieve Taylorand James from House of Charcoal dropped knowledge on dry brining and why goodfuel means better food. Edson Diaz-Fuentes of Santo Remedio walked us through the Yucatecan A la TikinXik method of fire-cooking fish. And each day, Ger Buckley from Jameson Black Barrel gave crowds a glimpse into his craft as amaster cooper. Since 1977 he’s worked at the Midleton distillery in CountyCork, shaping the barrels that shape the whiskey we love.
Behind the scenes, the flames never went out thanks to House of Charcoal, providing the sustainable British hardwood that powered the pits. Josper, Monolith Grill and Somerset Grill Co kept the gear on point. Maldon Salt added its signature flake to countless dishes. And from the hot sauces of Sriracha Flying Goose to the punchy zing of Tajín, our flavour partners showed up strong. Every brand, every detail, helped make the weekend what it was.
So what’s the verdict? Maybe the best one yet?The people, the plates, the pure energy. It was bold, it was brilliant, and it was messy in all the right ways.
Missed out this year? We get it. The FOMO isreal. But there’s always next year. And after 2025 being our first year headingup north, Meatopia is coming back to Glasgow AND London in 2026. Double theflames. Double the fun.
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Until next fire, Meatopians.
