Mexican-born Adriana grew up in Mexico City and often visited her grandparents in a small village called San Felipe Ixtacuixtla where food is an integral part of day-to-day life - fresh produce such as corn, tomatoes and avocados are staples of the region. Brought into this world of food from a young age - Adriana was inspired to enter the industry by her Grandma who owned a street food business selling Antojitos Mexicanos. Her first role in cookery came at the age of 17 as an apprentice at Nicos in Mexico City. Here, she honed her skills on the bakery section before moving on to her first full-time paid job at Pujol - currently ranked at #13 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants - at just 19. She also worked alongside Ferran Adria as Chef de Partie at El Bulli in 2011 and later with Eduardo Garcia at Lalo!. These restaurants are famed for their ongoing revolutionary approach to Mexican cooking, which Adriana cites as key in shaping her approach to food. Adriana moved to the UK and her debut restaurant Cavita opened in May 2022 to a host of outstanding reviews. Her first cookbook ‘Cocina Mexicana: Fresh, vibrant recipes for authentic Mexican food’ was released in 2023.

Drawing upon his extensive culinary background and travels , Alasdair crafts one-of-a-kind sausages that are a true reflection of his passion for food and cultural interests. Working his way up the ranks in various kitchens for 15 years as a chef, he would regularly take time off to further his knowledge by doing stagés in Michelin and fine dining restaurants. He left behind the kitchen work to teach himself how to smoke meats, BBQ and master open fire cooking which he felt commercial kitchens (at the time) was lacking. Deciding there was a huge lack of sausages suitable for BBQ and low and slow cooking, he went about creating a range of sausages that combined prime cuts of sustainably farmed pork, modern techniques and bold flavours from all corners of the globe designed to educate and inspire the customer.

Ana Ortiz is a chef and co-founder of Fire Made which she runs from Somerset with her husband Tom Bray; the pair design and produce fire cookery equipment for chefs, restaurants, and consumers worldwide. As well as running experience days and training in all things asado. Ana is also a talented chef specialising in Ecuadorean cuisine and fire cookery. She can be found popping up at restaurants and food festivals both in the UK and globally. Ana grew up on the Galapagos islands and her earliest memories of cooking are in her grandfather’s beautiful fire kitchen where they would prepare traditional feasts for all the family. They would slaughter an animal on the farm and the family would gather to cook a nose to tail meal over fire. In the most wonderful of ways. Ana can regularly be found popping up at festivals and guest chef nights around the country, known for her vibrant Ecuadorean food.

Ben Quinn founded Woodfired Canteen to make life time memories in unusual locations. Over 10 years later and Ben and his team are renowned for bringing live fire cooking to guests on his long tables. Ben founded Canteen in Cornwall as a home for these events. Ben’s food is all about keeping things simple and flavourful but the real test of Ben’s success is the connections that he has made with others at the table. From feeding thousand of NHS workers to telling his story on the TED stage. Ben continues to use what he loves to make lasting change well after the fires have gone out.

Born in the Philippines, raised in Australia, Ferdinand ‘Budgie’ Montoya moved to London in 2012 where he decided to swap his IT career for a life in the kitchen and has never looked back. Since 2017, Budgie has been championing Filipino cuisine in London and the UK, setting up his acclaimed pop up restaurant Sarap and recently opening Apoy Filipino BBQ in Market Halls on Oxford Street, focussing on street food and classic Filipino dishes like Lechon and Pork BBQ. Apoy is due to open it’s second site this Summer 2024 in the new Dalston Yard development. Budgie appeared on season 18 (2023) of BBC’s Great British Menu, representing London and the Southeast region where he wowed veteran Michelin starred chef Tommy Banks and host Andi Oliver with his unique cooking style showcasing his Filipino heritage. His relentless passion for flying the flag for Filipino cuisine has seen him pop up around the world like Seattle, Alaska & Manilla.

Don Nguyen was born in Saigon and grew up in Houston, Texas. He is recognized for spearheading the movement of incorporating ethnic ingredients & dishes with the techniques of Central Texas barbecue. He founded Khói Barbecue, which means “smoke” in Vietnamese, in 2017. Don honors the barbecue traditions of Texas while propelling its evolution with deftly smoked brisket, beef ribs, and handcrafted sausages interwoven with ingredients from Vietnamese cuisine fish sauce, tamarind, and fermented seafood pastes. Taught how to cook by his mom, his food is a reflection of what he grew up eating in Houston’s Little Saigon and trips to Vietnam visiting his family in Đà Nẵng. As he continued to hone his craft and examine the role of Asian-Americans within the fabric of America, Don fell in love with the Carolina whole hog style of cooking. He learned the craft directly from renowned pitmaster Rodney Scott, who says Don’s food “blew my mind.” From the early days as a pop up, to evolving into its own culinary corner in Houston, Khói been acclaimed by Eater and lauded by chefs Brooke Williamson, who expressed Don’s work is a “breath of brilliant barbecue air” and Bobby Flay, who remarked Don is “disrupting American barbecue in the best way.”

Evan LeRoy incorporates elements of fine dining and responsible sourcing into his seasonally changing menu, shining a new light on traditional cuisine at LeRoy and Lewis. Ranked #5 in Texas Monthly’s Top 50 BBQ Joints 2021 and featured on Netflix’s “Somebody Feed Phil,” Austinites line up for New School Barbecue cuts like beef cheeks and bacon ribs. Known for his unique takes on Texas barbecue, Evan innovates in more ways than one, building the original food truck’s offset pit and butchering whole animals specifically for smoking. Evan’s culinary experience ranges from fine dining, to bread baking, to volume barbecue. He has traveled to Australia, China, and Finland, to train and work with prospective pitmasters and has been known for his openness to teaching and sharing smoking secrets. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Evan started a LeRoy and Lewis Patreon page, producing, shooting, and editing instructional bbq videos for followers all over the world. Evan has appeared on The Food Network’s “Burgers, Brew & Que”, Tastemade’s “From Scratch,” and in 2014, took home the title of “Austin Grill Master” on the Travel Channel’s American Grilled Texas episode. Evan has held guest chef appearances at Ludlow House NYC, Paws Up (Montana), Windy City Smokeout (Chicago), Hot Luck, Red Dirt Festival (Tyler, TX), Texas Monthly BBQ Festival, Yeti Flagship (Austin), SXSW, and his food has been showcased by The New York Times, Food & Wine, Cooking Channel’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate”, GQ, and more.

Live fire and BBQ expert Genevieve Taylor is the author of 12 cookery books including the bestsellers Foolproof BBQ, Charred, a complete guide to vegetarian BBQ, The Ultimate Wood-fired Oven Cook book. A proud omnivore, Genevieve is on a constant mission to prove that great BBQ isn’t just about Man vs. Meat, although that said, her latest bestselling book, SEARED (April ’22) focuses on the science of cooking good meat over good fire. She also runs the Bristol Fire School, a cookery school with the principal aim of helping people light better fires to cook better food. When she’s not cooking outside, Genevieve can usually be found outside walking her dogs in the woods, growing a few good things to eat on her Bristol allotment and listening to an awful lot of music a little bit too loud. She writes regularly on live fire cooking in the national press and a BBC Food Programme regular.

Graham has an impressive 32-year career in pastry, beginning in London’s top hotels like The Lanesborough and Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park. He’s earned accolades such as UK Pastry Chef of the Year in 2007 and multiple UK Tea Guild Best Afternoon Tea awards. As Group Pastry Chef for the Michelin-starred Hakkasan Group, Graham played a key role in expanding the brand from four UK locations to forty-seven restaurants worldwide. His expertise in flavour balancing and mentoring top pastry chefs has made a significant impact on the global scene. Graham earned the UK Group Chef of the Year award in 2014 and has led training sessions, demonstrations, and restaurant openings across six continents. Known for his professionalism and innovation, Graham remains a prominent figure in the pastry world. He has judged prestigious competitions like the UK National Chef of the Year and the World Chocolate Masters Final, continuing to shape the future of culinary excellence.

Hector Garate, a Pitmaster in the Craft-Barbecue scene, specializes in creating sustainable farm-to-table barbecue using old-school wood fire techniques infused with Puerto Rican influences. Born in Puerto Rico, he gained early exposure to whole animal cookery, which has profoundly influenced his culinary journey. Hector's expertise lies in smoking beef cheeks, whole hog, and crafting house-made sausages. In his quest to produce the finest barbecue, Garate has dedicated his spare time to constructing custom cooking appliances, notably an offset smoker and a whole hog smoker. Partnering with Peculiar Pig Farms and Creekstone Farms, Hector sources the most sustainable farm-to-table smoked meats for Charleston, SC, under his award-winning brand, Palmira Barbecue.

Jim Thomlinson originally hails from South West London. Jim has 20 years of experience in the food industry, having spent the best part of a decade working in Michelin star restaurants in London before falling in love with the street food scene, operating a number of successful street food brands in London (Prawnography, Moister Oyster co & FryHard) before relocating to Margate and launching The Merman pop-up concept. Jim’s focus has always been on live-fire, and historically the fruits of the sea. His latest project in the Kent coastal town of Whitstable is called Nip & Cluck. A fired-powered chicken shop with locally sourced lobster. Whole chickens are brined and cooked in the wood fired oven, and lobsters are poached before being fired in the same oven and served with a concise menu of sides, sauces and accompaniments.

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.

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.

Introducing Keon Cilly, a grill-chef with a captivating fusion of American and Jamaican heritage. Born in America, raised in Jamaica, and now sharing his love for Caribbean-style BBQ and soul food in the UK. For the past 9 years, Keon, along with his business partner Joe Naughton, has passionately built the acclaimed Rack City Ribs brand and menu, drawing inspiration from cherished family recipes. Rack City Ribs has become a fixture in London's food scene, delighting food enthusiasts with their pop-ups and street food markets across the city. Notably, they hold a permanent spot in London's first Texas-style Honky Tonk bar.

Marie Mitchell is the chef and co-founder of Island Social Club, a sell-out Caribbean supper club aimed at filling the void left by the erosion of London’s once thriving Caribbean social scene. Once a deeply fussy child, nowadays she can often be found cooking, talking or writing about food. Based in East London, she believes that the best conversations are to be had at the dinner table, and she is an advocate for social inclusivity, sustainability, and creating spaces for self-care and mental health awareness.

Dorset based chef, classically trained at Bournemouth & Poole catering college. I have worked my way around numerous kitchens in the Dorset area, working my way up to leading kitchens focusing on local produce. I became obsessive with cooking over fire through working with Meatopia and companies like Fire made uk and restaurants such as Sophies steakhouse in Soho. In 2019 I started Cross Fire cooking, we cook what I call British smoked barbecue and live fire cooking. We use only the highest welfare, local & rare breed meats that we can source and are mindful to use as much of the animal as we can in our cooking. We focus on getting the bets flavour out of our meats and produce by using various smoking and live fire cooking techniques.

Meatopia veteran Mikel is inspired by traditional cooking techniques and original recipes drawn from the relationship between the Basque land & sea. Early on, he learned how to cook traditional and authentic food from his amona (Basque for Grandma), which influenced his career as grill master of Zapiain Sagardotegi, a type of cider-house in the Basque Country where they pay homage to 'txuleton'. Beef from former dairy cows that have been part of the homestead all their life, and seen through their working years before being put out to pasture. Though domesticated, have led a life in harmony with the rural environment, fertilising the land and giving back by grazing on the grass. During which time the beef gains a distinct flavour because of the beautiful marbling and thick layer of buttery yellow fat. His cooking methods are simple with a focus around the parrilla and fire. His traditional Basque parrilla keeps the general set up of the old grill, as well as some modern grilling technologies. It is a reflection of what he has learned over the years - progression without veering much from his Basque DNA. It is his mission to spread his childhood gastronomy to the rest of the world.

Prince Durairaj is co-founder and executive chef of The Tamil Prince. Born in Tamil Nadu, Prince was introduced to the hospitality industry through his uncle's prominent restaurant business in Janjaul, the main city of the region. In pursuit of broader culinary horizons, Prince moved to the UK with his wife, immersing himself in British and French kitchens. His philosophy has always been to excel in diverse cuisines rather than compromise on his culinary principles by cooking traditional dishes in uninspiring settings. In 2022, Prince, along with his business partner Glen Leeson, opened The Tamil Prince in Barnsbury. The Tamil Prince combines British pub culture with food from Prince’s hometown region. Dishes include roti, Channa Bhatura, Thanjavur chicken curry and Gulab jamun among others typical of the region. With the combination of South Indian curries and pints proving overwhelmingly popular, the pair launched a sister restaurant, The Tamil Crown, in November 2023.

Eat Good, Live Good'. That's the mantra The Homie's Kitchen has been living by for almost 5 years. Rajen has been grafting, learning & exploring his way through restaurants, pubs and pizzerias. Now finding himself founding and running The Homie's Kitchen. A brand that stands for family style cooking, made for everyone to gather around the table or fire to enjoy. Heavily influenced by his Indian heritage and love for Mexican cuisine, Rajen's ambition is to proudly represent Third Culture BBQ in South London where he was born and raised. Creating dishes made with bold flavours & cooking techniques that require care, time & patience. If you ever have the pleasure of trying his food you can expect classic Indian and Mexican dishes adapted by smoke and fire, and always a little bit of heat thanks to his obsession with spicy food. Losing his Meatopia virginity in 2023, Rajen is excited to be back again this year with his squad adding to his successes of pop-ups, supper clubs, private and corporate events. Understanding how food connects everything and everyone around the world, he's feeling blessed he gets to play a small part in fuelling the emotions of friends, family & strangers through food. Never forget the mantra.

Rob Hallas / Leeds / The North Style - Decadence & Gluttony Street Food to Fine Dining

Yorkshire Native Ryan Telford first honed his skills at some of London’s finest restaurants gaining experience in various Michelin starred venues building a foundation on fine French cuisine. Throughout this though there was always a burning desire to cook over real fire back in the homeland. Hearth was started out of a street food trailer dragging an offset smoker and bags full of flavour to those lucky enough to find them. It soon developed into a restaurant and bakery situated in Hull’s historic old town that was featured in the Michelin Guide and Good Food Guide only a year after opening its doors. Customers can expect huge flavours spread over the ever changing sharing style menu packed with dishes with influences from around the globe, a story told with the finest local ingredients and cooked over locally sourced hard wood.

Sandy Browning grew up in Edinburgh and first joined the Scoop Restaurants Group family at Ox and Finch in 2015. Sandy is passionate about the food and cooking of South East Asia, and in 2018 he spent time working, travelling and doing lots of eating around Thailand. He worked a stage in the world renowned Nahm in Bangkok and spent time training at a respected professional cook school in Chiang Mai. Ka Pao first launched as a pop-up residency in Glasgow’s SWG3 in September 2018 with Sandy running the kitchen. He opened Ka Pao Glasgow as Head Chef in 2020 and the restaurant was awarded a Bib Gourmand in the following year’s Michelin Guide. Ka Pao Edinburgh opened in 2022 and Sandy now oversees the kitchens in both restaurants.

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.

Terri Mercieca is an ice cream maker, chocolatier, dessert chef and the founder of Happy Endings LDN, a dessert business made famous by their signature ice-cream sandwich. As a chef, desserts have always been Terri’s thing. She loves the process, observing how things transform, building something precise and beautiful. Leaving school at seventeen to apprentice at a sandwich shop, she has worked in all corners of the food world – gastropubs, fine dining at Sydney Opera House, making ice cream sundaes at McDonalds as a teen. The common denominator? Making ice-cream sandwiches. In 2014, she put down roots in London and founded Happy Endings LDN – since then, she has won the YBF Baking Award and been nominated for CODE Hospitality’s Most Influential Women in Food 2023. She also regularly contributes dessert recipes to food magazines and appears on TV, most recently MasterChef Youth. She still owes her love of comfort food to her grandmothers on both sides – one Italian-Maltese, one old-school white Australian – one savoury, one sweet, in that order.