Ana Ortiz is a chef and co-director of Fire Made (previously, Country Fire Kitchen) 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 grew up on the Galapagos islands and her earliest memories of cooking are in her grandfather’s beautiful fire kitchen where they would prepare feasts for all the family; they were a large family as he had eight daughters, two sons and twenty grandchildren. They would slaughter an animal on the farm and the family would gather to cook a nose to tail meal over fire. As a young child Ana would get involved helping to stuff the morcillas and this period of her life ignited her passion for cooking and entertaining. Ana’s joy for cooking over fire was further fuelled by her father who became obsessed with Argentinian asado from his travels around South America with work and it soon became a Sunday ritual for the family. It was this passion for fire cookery which inspired her and husband, Tom, to start Fire Made in 2016 having moved to live in England. Ana loves nothing more than to host and wanted to bring the way she and her family cook and enjoy food, to the UK.

Andy has been on the BBQ scene for ten years cooking his way around the UK alongside some of the finest fire chefs around. Andy specialises in Texas BBQ and Modern Mexican food fusing his passion for British produce working with small suppliers and farms.

Anna Higham is an award-winning pastry chef and baker who is opening the highly anticipated Quince Bakery later this year. She is the author of The Last Bite, all about her love of produce driven, seasonal desserts. She spent the last two years at The River Cafe as their first Executive Pastry Chef and was previously Head of Pastry for Lyles and Flor.

Ben Quinn founded Canteen in 2017. Cooking on fire, serving to the centre of long tables, making connections with community and keeping things positive have always been at the heart of all things Canteen and all things Ben. Together Ben, Meredith and Lily hope to make connections at Meatopia that last longer then the food eaten and lead onto positive changes in the people that share time with them at their fires.

Born in Ensenada and raised in Mexico's finest cuisines, Diego is part of a generation that is uniting tradition with a contemporary look at hospitality. With a strong focus on nature, his project restaurant – CORAZON DE TIERRA – has spearheaded the farm-to-table movement in Mexico from the Valle de Guadalupe wine region, bringing sustainability to our food scene and has become a node for innovation. His cuisine is sincere, intuitive and spontaneous, he deeply feels our terroir, letting the ingredients express their culinary uniqueness in a beautiful game that shows: culture, simplicity, experience and the pure joy of cooking. An outstanding career of 22 years in the restaurant industry has kept Diego on the edge of innovation by now founding his company - Corazon de Tierra hospitality- which adds to his catalog of concepts a new farm restaurant, a cocktail bar inspired on the japanese kissaten culture, a natural wine bar, a catering company and two seafood restaurants one in the city of Tijuana and one in Venice, Ca. In the peak of his culinary career, coming projects includes a hotel and the re opening of the famed restaurant Corazon de tierra in 2025. Chef Diego Hernández studied gastronomy at the Culinary arts school in Tijuana and was trained by Benito Molina (Manzanilla, Ensenada), Guillermo González (Pangea, Monterrey) and Enrique Olvera (Pujol, CDMX). Chef Diego Hernandez has been awarded with the national award for innovation and auteur cuisine by the national restaurant chamber and Corazon de tierra has been one of Latin America best restaurants award 6 times and has been named one of the best 1000 restaurants in the world by the french ranking Le Liste.

I started my journey as a chef when I was 20 years old. I came to London running from home wanting independence and freedom and I find a way of expressing myself through my cooking. I worked in a couple of restaurants in central London where I developed classic techniques with a modern twist. I had the pleasure to work in one particular open-kitchen restaurant where all the meat was cooked over fire, using different grills, a smoker and just open flames. I also learned to butcher a whole carcass and develop many other butcher techniques. If the meat is prepped right, it will be cooked perfect! Sharing the fire cooking passion with my husband, we decided to start our own company, The Dragon Flame.

Edson Diaz-Fuentes was born and raised in Mexico City. His love of good food started at an early age, and he started to help his grandmother in the kitchen from the age of 5. He realised he was not quite like the others among his friends when he would spend time from a young age observing meticulously how food was made, served and presented. Edson has spent time living in New York, London and Oaxaca City. It was in Oaxaca where he spent time in the kitchen of Alejandro Ruiz, at Casa Oaxaca, learning about the diversity of some of Mexico’s most treasured ingredients and its slow food cooking techniques. Edson set up Santo Remedio in London in 2015 with his wife Natalie to recreate the flavours he grew up with in Mexico. What started off as an idea in New York and later a food stall in East London, evolved into a critically acclaimed restaurant, now situated in London Bridge and a recently opening Santo Remedio Cafe in Shoreditch. Edson’s first cookbook, Ciudad de Mexico, was published in 2021 by Hardie Grant and won praise from Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver, who featured it in his cookbook club in 2022. Edson enjoys travelling and particularly enjoys getting lost in markets anywhere he visits. As he is no longer bothered by the English weather Edson now considers himself a true Londoner.

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.

Fire cooking has always been a very big part of my life. Growing up back home, my grandmother had to cook everything over open fire in a small barbecue area we had in the garden. I remember taking that old rusty barbecue for every single family celebration and inviting over some neighbours to share proudly the food she cooked. That passion for cooking with fire just grew on me.... I started my journey as a chef in 2005 and I have worked in different restaurants around London with different styles of cooking. Learning the basics and developing modern techniques. Overall, cooking over fire has been my preference and sharing the same passion with my wife we decided to open our own company, The Dragon Flame.

Mondo Sando began with Jack and Viggo, two best pals who started slinging subs to those in the know in SE5 over the pandemic. By April 2021 they were based out of Camberwell’s Grove House Tavern, and now they’re running a second site at The White Horse in Peckham. The food is always changing but the goal remains the same - stacked sandos made with eclectic ingredients, bold flavours and a big hit of creativity.

Executive Chef of Babur, Jiwan Lal, is a highly creative, skillful and distinctive senior chef, whose passion for modern Indian cooking has made him one of the most well-respected practitioners of Indian cooking in the UK. Since taking his position with Babur almost 20 years ago, back in 2005, Jiwan has been integral in helping the South East London restaurant achieve its status as a beloved neighbourhood gem as well as a huge number of accolades, most recently Best Asian Restaurant in London at the 2022 Asian Restaurant Awards. Jiwan trained with India’s prestigious Oberoi Hotel group and over the years has developed his trademark cooking style of taking tried and tested Indian dishes and giving them a modernist spin. Subtle spicing, quality British ingredients and flavour combinations that are both familiar yet unexpected are all brought together with fine dining-levels of presentation.

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.

Born and Bred on the south Coast of england , Laura has worked and traveled all over the world. Bringing her inspirations from travel and home . Her heart is by the sea. after 15 years in restaurants she moved into the food truck 10 years ago and hasn’t looked back

Established in 2019 and based in South Wales - Bab Haus is run by Leyli Homayoonfar and Rebecca Goad, our food is an eclectic mix of modern Mexican / Middle Eastern and American BBQ, a fusion of Leyli’s Persian background and Becs experience living on the West Coast of America, mostly flavours and cooking techniques which center 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 and Newport Market focus on Mexican BBQ and SMOKE SHOP in Caerphilly with a focus on Mexican and Texas BBQ both with hints of Middle Eastern flavours and cooking techniques.

Lily Coates heads up the kitchen at Canteen at the Eco Park in Cornwall. Lily is the force behind the daily changing menu, our sustainable sourcing policies and sustainable social policies and most of all Lily is our Northern Power house at the heart of the Canteen team, Canteen would not be what it is without Lily. Together Ben, Meredith and Lily hope to make connections at Meatopia that last longer then the food eaten and lead onto positive changes in the people that share time with them at their fires.

I am Dorset based chef, classically trained at Bournemouth & Poole catering college when I was 18. 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 Country Fire Kitchen and restaurants such as Sophies in Soho. In 2019 I started Cross Fire cooking, we cook what I call British smoked barbecue and live fire cooking. We use American smoking and cooking methods but adapt it to a British audience using only the highest quality native & rare breed, high welfare meats and local produce, using alternative cuts of meat in our cooking to really get the best out of using and respecting the whole animal. We have a takeaway kiosk that we open on Fridays serving our smoked meats which sells out often and I also teach barbecue classes at our site in Wimborne.

Meredith Rowlands found her way to Canteen’s kitchen via her love of live fire cooking, not a tablecloth insight and a connection to cooking, eating and celebrating the produce on the land it is grown, reared and caught. Meredith is a positive example for change in our industry and champions a simpler, kinder approach to hospitality. Together Ben, Meredith and Lily hope to make connections at Meatopia that last longer then the food eaten and lead onto positive changes in the people that share time with them at their fires.

As a Whitstable native and lifelong oysterman, Oli cut his teeth in the iconic Whitstable Oyster Companies restaurants, oyster farms and purification facilities, before renovating a derelict seafront forge, turning it into the companies most profitable eatery. In 2020, he joined Simon Lamont at Rocks Oysters. This year, Oli and Simon have hatched new joint project, Events by Rocco, an events company with an expansive seafood offering that forefronts Rocks' incredible oysters and really brings the Party.

Paris Barghchi is the other cheek of Quince Bakery. She has worked across the hospitality industry from cheese to wine, pubs to fine dining. Paris was most recently operations director at We Are Noble restaurants and now works across the wine industry with companies like Wines Under The Bonnet, Ortos Vinos and Offbeat wines while Quince Bakery gets off the ground.

Phil’s love of food started at an early age and led to him leaving school at sixteen to begin his career training under Simon Radley at The Chester Grosvenor Hotel. After extensive travel around the world working in many countries including France, Austria and New Zealand he decided to make the move to London where he has spent the best part of a decade working for Hawksmoor, with Richard Turner initially and now current Executive Group Head Chef, Matt Brown. Phil has worked with Hawksmoor and the Meatopia festivals both at home at abroad, bringing to life his passion for live fire cooking, using the best ingredients and cooking them simply. His exclusive Hawksmoor Meatopia recipes are a festival highlight that sell out every year.

Established in 2019 and based in South Wales - Bab Haus is run by Leyli Homayoonfar and Rebecca Goad, our food is an eclectic mix of modern Mexican / Middle Eastern and American BBQ, a fusion of Leyli’s Persian background and Becs experience living on the West Coast of America, mostly flavours and cooking techniques which center 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 and Newport Market focus on Mexican BBQ and SMOKE SHOP in Caerphilly with a focus on Mexican and Texas BBQ both with hints of Middle Eastern flavours and cooking techniques.

Richard H Turner is an award-winning chef, butcher, restaurateur and food writer. He's cooked and consulted for Hawkmoor, Blacklock and Pitt Cue Co among others, and as well as being one half Turner & George he's also one of the founders of Meatopia London itself.

Rob started his culinary journey after working and managing bars, restaurants and nightclubs from for 15 years he decided to follow his real passion for cooking. Begining with helping friends with street food he progressed to working his way up in a Michelin guide kitchen in the space of 2 years. While doing this he started Bastards Bistro on the side of his other jobs and had a number of pop ups. Bastards Bistro expanded through lockdown and beyond and became a sole focus. Open and eclectic in terms of cuisine and style, they are never pigeonholed and are comitted to creativity and flavour. They have been creating a stir in the north of England, through their street food pop ups, kitchen takeovers and 5 course dining clubs.

My name is Robert Trif, 26 and Executive Chef for the LeBab group, I joined LeBab 2 years ago with the idea of creating the best Kebab in the UK . My background is in Michelin stars restaurants, started off under James Sommerin as commis chef and ended up working with Tom Philips which is the Bocuse D'OR UK Coach. A fascinating journey and a massive opportunity ahead of me in such a competitive industry.

I’ve started my culinary journey when I was 12 at my parents home in Nepal . Once I’ve moved to UK with studies I’ve continued my culinary journey in some of the top restaurants in London. I’ve been with LeBab for last 2 year and been a massive contributor to development of the business.

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.

Thalia Barrios García is a cook originally from San Mateo Yucutindoó, Sola de Vega, Sierra Sur, Oaxaca. Her cooking originates from her childhood, when she helped her grandmother cook, prepare and sell tamales. With a lot of practice, the knowledge of the ancestral cuisine was transmitted to her and she decided to dedicate herself professionally to traditional Oaxacan cuisine. In 2017, she graduated with a Bachelor of Gastronomy in the Technological University of the Central Valleys of Oaxaca. In March 2019, she organized the first cooking meeting tradition of her community, San Mateo Yucutindoó. In July 2020, she opened "Levadura de Olla", a project focused on presenting the different dishes of her community, thus becoming a restaurant committed to safeguard the gastronomy of the Oaxacan peoples, promoting local commerce, having as one of its objectives to reactivate the consumption of native products of the Oaxaca state. Thanks to her hard efforts and with the help of her team, in the year 2021 Levadura de Olla obtained recognition from by Marco Beteta, a gastronomic and style reference platform of life most recognized in Mexico, in the same year he was mentioned in two New York Times articles published by Ana Furman “In Oaxaca, a meal to celebrate the legacy of an artist Pioneer” and “Tracking Mexico’s Complicated Relationship with the rice” by Aatish Taseer. In 2022 and 2023, Levadura de Olla was recognised as one of the 250 best restaurants in the Mexico Gastronomic Guide. In February 2021 she inaugurated “Cocina de Humo”, a space where the experience of eating in a kitchen is offered traditional of the sierra, where the comal, the metate and ancestral cooking techniques to prepare the dishes are offered in the center of the table. In 2022, she was considered one of the best restaurants in America Latina by New Worlder's. In 2021 she was named by Food & Wine as one of the new best chefs in Mexico (Best New Chefs 2021). In the year 2022, she was recognized and mentioned in “Fire” Great Mexican Chefs from Larousse Kitchen, being a unique work that exalts fire as the axis improvement and where the work of the characters are recognized highlights of Mexican cuisine. She was a participant and winner, in the most important gastronomic event in Mexico, Millesime GNP, where Chef Thalia was recognised as best young Chef. She received a nomination in MexBest by Quien, where she was awarded as the best in hospitality and gastronomy in Mexico. She participated in the Oaxaca episode of the Netflix series “Somebody feed Phil”, where the best of food was presented as Oaxacan. In 2023, she was presented by Culinaria Mexicana as Chef Revelation of the year 2023 in the Guide of the 250 best restaurants in Mexico in its ninth edition. She has also been nominated for Food and Travel Reader Awards 2023. She has been invited to collaborate with great chefs including: to cook at Cavita restaurant in London by Chef Adriana Cavita, with chefs Óscar Segundo and Xrysw Ruelas from Xokol.

Mondo Sando began with Jack and Viggo, two best pals who started slinging subs to those in the know in SE5 over the pandemic. By April 2021 they were based out of Camberwell’s Grove House Tavern, and now they’re running a second site at The White Horse in Peckham. The food is always changing but the goal remains the same - stacked sandos made with eclectic ingredients, bold flavours and a big hit of creativity.