Meatopia: Scottish chef line-up revealed for fire-cooking barbecue extravaganza at SWG3

The fire-cooking extravaganza, Meatopia, will make its Scottish debut at SWG3 in Glasgow from June 6 to 8, 2025. While the full list of celebrated chefs from around the world set to feature is still under wraps, organisers have unveiled the first wave of talent — featuring some of the biggest names in Scotland’s food scene.

Glasgow’s Scoop hospitality group of restaurants will be strongly represented, with Robin Aitken of Margo, Danny Carruthers of Sebb’s, Craig Nelson of Ox and Finch, Thomas Greer of BABA, and Sandy Browning of Ka Pao all set to showcase their skills.

Dean Parker, co-founder and head chef of Celentano’s in Glasgow, will also feature. A regular at Meatopia, Parker honed his craft under the renowned Robin Gill in London, where he led acclaimed restaurants such as The Dairy and Darby’s before returning to Glasgow to establish his own celebrated venture.

Joining them is El Perro Negros’ Nick Watkins, a two-time winner of the UK’s best burger title, Edinburgh’s Hamish McNeil, the innovative head chef of Eleanore, Edinbane Lodge’s Calum Montgomery who was Scottish Chef of the year in 2023 and Craig Grozier, the creative mind behind the immersive dining experience Fallachan, which is also based at SWG3.

Completing the stellar Scottish line-up as the festival makes its first foray north of the border are chefs from Mirin and Haraijuku kitchen, as well as Roberta Hall-McCarron and Dominic Greechan, the duo behind The Little Chartroom and Ardfern, both renowned for their refined takes on Scottish cuisine.

The festival’s ethos centres on quality, sustainability, and the drama of live-fire cooking, where visitors can enjoy dishes prepared before their eyes using only wood and charcoal, as well as craft drinks and live music.

Creative director Mat Kemp said: “I'm a huge fan of modern Scottish food, and these chefs are leading the charge. Scotland produces some of the world’s best meat, fish, game, and seafood so I'm really excited to see and taste these guys' dishes. We’ll announce the full line-up in the coming months – we can guarantee an eclectic mix of global culinary talent to complement these Scottish heavyweights.”

El Perro Negro founder, Nick Watkins added: “Everyone in the food scene knows that Meatopia is an event not to be missed, so when we heard it was coming to Glasgow, we knew we had to be involved.

“We’re already testing and trialling dishes and we can’t wait to test ourselves against some of the very best in the game. The atmosphere will be incredible and given Glasgow’s amazing food scene, this is the perfect destination for Meatopia to expand to.”

Tickets are now on sale, with a second wave recently released. To book tickets, visit Meatopia.co.uk.