Rating
In a nutshell
“Meat, Drink, Fire, Music”
Appeals To
This would appeal mostly to blood thirsty carnivores.
If you’re a vegetarian or a vegan, this is actually your worst nightmare and I’d strongly recommend waking up as Freddy Krueger is at the foot of your bed with a pulled pork sandwich… and ALL the trimmings.
MEAT, GLORIOUS MEAT
It’s a lovely warm day in September, I’m outside Wapping tube station waiting for Jack to arrive, and I have absolutely no idea where I’m going. Although when I think about it, the giant plume of smoke is a bit of a giveaway – I think best to follow the smoke. And the signs to the Tobacco Dock would certainly help as well.
Whilst only in its second year of being held in London, Meatopia has actually been running for much longer. Set up by American food writer and historian, Joshua Ozersky, Meatopia was originally held in New York and has been organised annually for the last nine years celebrating all that is food, drink, music and of course… meat.
The setting for the London event was wonderful. The Tobacco Dock is beautiful Grade I listed building in South East London (equidistant between Shadwell and Wapping tube stations), and I honestly loved the parallels between the smoky atmosphere and the history of the building – I chuckled to myself a fair amount.
The organisation of the event was very good. Considering how popular it is, you never feel as though you’re queuing for hours, although the more well known stalls (yes, Hawksmoor!) are usually busier. It’s also very lively with regular performances from different bands throughout the day, with a lot of it being very Cajun in style.
However, all of this does come at a price; £50 for a ticket will gain you entry as well as coupons for the first three courses, so in essence it’s £35 for entry and £15 worth of food – the drinks are purchased on a separate coupon system. This is a steep price to pay for a food festival, and if you’re travelling from somewhere outside of London then it could work out to be an expensive day.
The Refreshments
We started the day off by visiting our hosts from Sailor Jerry’s in order to sample a few of their cocktails. I tried two from their menu: one with ginger beer and another with stout and cola; both very pleasant and refreshing, although I wouldn’t recommend the latter if you’re not a fan of strong beers. If you’re interested, you can actually make the cocktails yourself as Sailor Jerry’s provide the recipes on their website.
The staging area was lively with music and two barbers providing haircuts on the day. I was tempted to ask for a stylish haircut, but being follically (probably not a word) challenged you always want to hold on to as much as possible!
The Food
Rather than getting a full meal, one token will buy you a sample, so three courses is definitely needed. I won’t bore you with long descriptions about what we had, so here’s a list of the dishes along with a few pictures to give you a better (everyone loves a good ol’ list, right?):
• Korean BBQ Pork Belly with all the garnish by Judy Joo from Jinjuu
• Meatopia Double Smoked Cheddar Dog by Mark Rosati from Shake Shack
( Ed: picture seems to have gone missing :v )
• Slow cooked Beef fore-rib with Sailor Jerry BBQ sauce by Danny Cheetham from White Rabbit
All of the dishes were great in my opinion: good quality cuts of meat, cooked well and great complementing flavours. I couldn’t fault it really.
The Verdict
Overall, I really enjoyed Meatopia. There were some fantastic chefs creating very interesting dishes; the entertainment and atmosphere was very lively and fun; and it was well organised.
I will say that the price was definitely on the expensive side for me personally. I think £50 is a lot of money to pay for a food festival, and I will say that – based on the prices of the course and drinks – that you could easily end up paying £90 for the day. However, it is fantastic value for the price and you will have a great day if you end up going.
Now I hope you’ll excuse me while I eat nothing but salads for the next two months. Note: my salads usually include a pork pie.
