Meatopia London reveals largest ever chef line-up for 2026 festival at Tobacco Dock

Meatopia London has confirmed its full chef line-up for its 2026 show, with more than 85 chefs scheduled to cook over live fire across four days at Tobacco Dock in east London this September. The announcement completes a roster first trailed in April, and organisers describe this year’s gathering as their largest to date.

The festival, which began in London in 2013, sees chefs prepare specially created dishes, cooked exclusively over fire. It was founded in the US by Josh Ozersky and brought to the UK by a group of food enthusiasts. It now also runs in Glasgow, and proudly states that it sources meat, fish and vegetables responsibly. For the show, a new menu is presented each day, drawing on a rotating selection of cooks from the UK, Europe and further afield.

Among the names confirmed are Sam Evans and Shauna Guinn of Hangfire BBQ, the Welsh pair credited with helping to popularise slow-cooked, wood-smoked American-style barbecue in the UK. They built their reputation after converting a former Pumphouse at Barry docks in the Vale of Glamorgan into a barbecue restaurant.

Meanwhile, Genevieve Taylor, founder of Bristol Fire School, returns after a year’s absence. The cookbook author is regarded as one of the UK’s leading authorities on live-fire cooking. Mark O’Brien of Snake Oil Barbecue also appears, following his recent run on MasterChef: The Professionals, where he reached the final three. The Dublin-born, Margate-based chef draws on time spent travelling across barbecue regions of North America.

Budgie Montoya, of London restaurants Sarap and Apoy, brings his focus on Filipino cuisine to share with the revellers. Similarly inventive are Ana Goncalves and Zijun Meng of TÓU, the birthplace of the Ibérico Katsu Sando, who combine their Portuguese and Chinese backgrounds in their work. Scott O’Byrne and Tom Maher of Original Patty Men, a Birmingham burger operation with a sizeable following, also feature on the bill.

Danielle Heron, chef-owner of Osma – the Prestwich restaurant that has since relocated to Manchester city centre – makes her Meatopia debut. She trained at L’Enclume in Cumbria and the three-Michelin-starred Maaemo in Oslo, and her restaurant, which opened in 2020, has been recognised by the Michelin Guide. 

Meatopia 2026 describes itself as “the legendary festival for fire-cooking lovers” – and this year’s edition promises not to disappoint.

Food Desk

Meatopia London takes place from 3^rd until 6^th September 2026 at Tobacco Dock, Wapping Lane, London E1W 2SF. For further information or to book tickets, visit the festival’s website here.