MEATOPIA 2023

August 31st - 3rd September

The Chefs

Tom Zahir Browne, Decatur

Tom has been cooking the cuisine of Louisiana and New Orleans in London for nearly a decade, focusing on bringing a taste of the South to homesick Americans across the capital, via the specialities of Creole and Cajun cuisine.

Ana Da Costa, Mama Da Costa

Ana is a home cook and self-proclaimed hot sauce queen with a passion for Macanese, Portuguese and Chinese cuisine.

Rebecca Goad, Bab Haus

Rebecca established Bab Haus alongside friend Leyli Homayoonfar in 2019 and brought the eclectic mix of Mexican, Middle Eastern, and American BBQ to South Wales.

Tom Zahir, Decatur

What is your preferred way to cook with fire?

What I love most about cooking over fire is that it's so manual. Through manipulation of coals and airflow you can create completely different cooking environments - it's just so versatile - from smoking meat slowly until it reaches tenderness over wooden logs, to a hard sear on a steak with white hot Binchotan charcoal, or even baking bread in a ceramic barbecue - it can all be done on fire provided you know what you're doing!

While I'd love to say my favourite way to cook over fire was at work in some capacity, I think realistically, like most people my favourite way to cook is on late summer afternoons in the garden, with the sun on my back, listening to some good music with my people and drinking some frozen daiquiris. I'm perfectly happy with a simple ocakbasi style barbecue and making sure that I use every last coal to good effectcharring vegetables while the fire is raging and settling to make salads and dipsgrilling meat over white hot coals, letting the fat hit the fire and fill the garden with smoke, toasting bread in fresh lamb fat and letting it crisp on the barbecue - and using the dying embers to braise and slow roast firm veg like carrots and sweet potatoes.

Around the world, which culture is the best at cooking over live-fire and why?

Honestly I respect the way that so many cultures use fire - I'm half Pakistani and I would struggle not to take a plate of

Ana Da Costa, Mama Da Costa

What is your preferred way to cook with fire?

My perfect setting would be on by a beach on a late afternoon with a small disposable bbq and a couple of fresh sardines and few cold beers.

Around the world, which culture is the best at cooking over live-fire and why?

I am a big fan of the Japanese robata,

Seekh Kebabs, Lamb Chops and some Freshly fired Naan Bread to the gravebut it would be remiss of me not to say the American South - right? From the slow smoked barbecue that everyone knows, to North Carolina style whole hog barbecue, mopped in vinegar and cooked for hours - to tossing fresh Oysters on the grill and charbroiling them - the depth of technique and variety of cooking for me is unparalleled - and I really think the south turned live fire cooking into an art form and a science for so much of the Western World and deserve's all of its props - it's synonymous with smoke and fire for a reason - and really, there is nothing like pulling up to a sleepy town somewhere in Texas and smelling that post-oak smoke in the air, knowing you're about to get down on some incredible food.

Whose food are you looking forward to sampling the most at Meatopia? Have you tried it before and why are you looking forward to it?

God there are so many good chefs at Meatopia I am basically looking forward to trying everything! I love Ana Da Costa and Andrew Corbin's approach to East Asian cooking - and I hear Andrew is making Babi Guling - a Balinese Spiced roast pork dish that I love. I also cannot wait to eat Karla Zazueta and Ronnie Aronica's food having had incredible meals at Karla's house and Bench in the past few months! Also gotta shout out Milli Taylor, Reuben Dawnay, Melissa Thompson and Nathan Chapman of Quality Chop House - they're all the homies!

I think the simplicity of the preparation of dishes make the ingredients shine.

Whose food are you looking forward to sampling the most at Meatopia? Have you tried it before and why are you looking forward to it?

I am super stoked to see Zé Paulo from O Velho Eurico, he is a dear friend and I’ve tried his food many times so I know we won’t be disappointed.

Rebecca Goad, Bab Haus

What is your preferred way to cook with fire?

Direct heat, beautiful produce, and simple touches. Using a great charcoal such as Whittle & Flame, means the produce you are grilling doesn't need much more than a splash good olive oil, (I cannot express enough how this will change your life) and sea salt.

Around the world, which culture is the best at cooking over live-fire and why?

I think it's hard to say one culture does it best, so much of modern BBQ/fire cooking is a fusion of cultures, using different techniques and styles, taking influence from a variety of backgrounds.

Whose food are you looking forward to sampling the most at Meatopia? Have you tried it before and why are you looking forward to it?

Elliot Cunningham of Lagom, I first started following Elliot on Instagram back in 2019, visiting Hackney Church Brewing Co. later that year. Our order included his coal roasted chicken, featherblade bun, a sexy pork rib and beetroot carpaccio, the produce and cooking methods speak for themselves. I've been at Meatopia 2 years with Elliot, but never had chance to eat his dish at the festival, so he is top of my list this year!