At the end of August The Culinary Food Group attended Meatopia in Tobacco Dock  – the premier event venue space in London.

Originally founded in the US by the late great Josh Ozersky, Meatopia was brought to the UK by chef Richard H Turner (Hawksmoor). Quite simply, Meatopia is an amazing festival of high quality, ethically sourced meat all of which is cooked over ethically sourced wood and charcoal by some of the world’s top chefs.

With many chefs invited from different parts of the world such as Asia, America and throughout Europe, it was truly a savoury feast of food! A sell-out event for all three days, it was another weekend that will live long in the memory of meat-lovers. The success of Meatopia has also led to the creation of Meatopia Dublin– which we also attended recently.

The attendee perspective

Very much a foodie environment- it was a great opportunity to see renowned chefs showcasing their skills. This melting pot of different culinary influences all in the one place really was a treat for attendees. A key feature for the attendees too was ‘food on the move’. There is very little in the way of seated dining, so weren’t stuck in the one spot for long!

So what were some of the highlights and key trends from this year?

• Sustainability is a fundamental component of the event! By using sustainably sourced meats and charcoal, the event stayed very much true to its original ethos.
• Simplicity – one of the key beliefs espoused at the event is not to over-complicate things and to have a very healthy respect for high quality ingredients. For example, Salt Marsh lamb was used, which is only available for a select number of weeks in the year.
• There were also some very clever and innovative flavour pairings such as Anchovy Ricotta, Smoked Chilli Sambal, Pomegranate & Liver and English Tomato Salsa Verde. These combinations played off each other very well to make for some very interesting dishes and flavours we have never come across before!
• Bone marrow was a big feature also at Meatopia London. It was featured across a number of dishes – through interesting combinations like gravy and mayonnaise and it was even ground into burgers.
• Provenance was behind many of the dishes – especially the meat. This included Tamworth and Mangalitza pigs, Belted Galloway cow and Shropshire lamb.
• Meatopia in general is a great showcase for the often-forgotten less popular cuts such as heart and liver.

Final words on Meatopia 2019

Overall it was another excellent event by Meatopia! With a diverse and tantalising array of recipes and high-quality ingredients…it’s safe to say that Meatopia definitely kept their ultimate promise:

“To stay committed to creating new and exciting experiences with the best chefs around. Meatopia will always evolve with the times – this is not about fashions or trends but a thoughtful showcase of innovation and progression”.

We’re already looking forward to the next one!

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