September Events for your Diary

Meatopia On-Fire – 3rd-6th September

A huge event in the BBQ calendar is Meatopia On-Fire. The London edition takes place this month from Thursday 3rd to Sunday 6th at the Tobacco Dock in Wapping. With a line-up of over 85 chefs from across the UK and beyond, the four-day celebration of live fire invites both newcomers and veterans of the festival to create one bespoke dish exclusively for the event, cooked over wood or charcoal.

This year’s line-up includes BBQ royalty such as Sam Evans & Shauna Guinn of Hang Fire BBQ, Bristol Fire School’s Genevieve Taylor, Mark O’Brien of Snake Oil Barbecue, Budgie Montoya of London Fields’ Cafe Kowloon, and Danielle Heron: head chef of Manchester’s Osma who is making her Meatopia debut this year.

The festival remains true to the ethos of its founder, the late Josh Ozerky, who was committed to showcasing sustainability, quality and flavour. Each day of the festival unveils a new menu, which balances meat, seafood, and global flavours. Guests can enjoy as many dishes as they like in exchange for the event’s official Meatbucks, which can be purchased online or from roaming MeatBucaneers at the festival. Tickets for Sunday are still available, and can be purchased through meatopia.co.uk/meatopia-tickets.

Wing Fest – 4th-6th September

Wing Fest, the UK’s biggest chicken wing festival, returns to Bristol from Friday 4th to Sunday 6th September for a weekend of wings, live music, entertainment and friendly competition. This year is set to be the biggest year yet for Bristol, with the festival taking place at its new home in Bristol’s Prospect Building – a large industrial venue for music, arts and culture.

Part competition, part food festival, the event will see 15 of the UK’s best chicken wing specialists go head-to-head, serving up 60,000 drums and flats across the weekend and battling for Bristol’s ultimate wing crown. Traders will enter into three categories: Best BBQ Wing, Best Buffalo Wing, and Best Wild Wing, with each wing priced at £1.50 to encourage guests to taste as many as possible and vote for their favourites.

On the line-up for Bristol this year is the city’s very own chicken legend, Gurt Wings, alongside newcomers Mollis (from Michelin-starred chef Alex Bond), Kell’s Kitchen and Sujo. Established favourites including London double-winners Peck Peck, KiKi’s Fried Chicken, Hope You’re Hungry, Jus’ Winging It, Chicken Ting, and Hello Oriental will also be there to compete for the title of Bristol’s Wing Fest champion and a place in Wing Fest’s Hall of Flame.

Spicy lava wing challenges, wing eating competitions, bourbon masterclasses, axe throwing, and live music will also be held across the weekend, with each ticket including Wing Fest’s signature complimentary trucker hat. Tickets start at £21.45 for the Friday evening, and £25.85 for the Saturday and Sunday sessions, and can be purchased at wingfest.co.uk/tickets.

SizzleFest – 11th-12th September

SizzleFest is returning for its sixth year this September. Taking place on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th, the event brings together top barbecue brands, brilliant fire chefs, live country music and local craft beers for a weekend celebration of all things BBQ.

Hosted by SoCal BBQ Shop and the Sizzle team, visitors can head down to the SoCal shop in Southampton for live fire cooking demos that offer the chance to see the latest grilling gear in action while picking up some new techniques from talented UK fire chefs. Top barbecue brands will also be showcasing their products, while Saturday’s BBQ Alley will offer visitors the chance to sample complimentary tasters throughout the afternoon. Street food from traders from around the country will be keeping guests’ hunger at bay, alongside a full bar menu of local craft beers and cocktails with live country music playing throughout the weekend.

This year’s brand-new Friday Feast – a ticketed event hosted by Matty’s BBQ Chop Shop and chef Matt George – sees the SoCal BBQ Shop barn turn into the setting for an intimate four-course dining experience. Dishes include lamb mojo tacos, steak with charred greens and cowboy butter, and burnt fig cornbread with smoked whiskey cream alongside cocktail pairings from Witchmark Distillery.

SizzleFest has become a popular moment on the UK’s live fire calendar. Bringing together chefs, brands and barbecue fans, the weekend offers a snapshot of a community that continues to grow each year.

Ludlow Food Festival – 11th-13th September

Ludlow Food Festival is back this September, bringing live fire culture, top chefs and independent producers to the dramatic setting of Ludlow Castle.

From Friday 11th to Sunday 13th September, the castle’s historic Inner Bailey will be transformed into the Fire Arena, where Christian Stevenson (aka DJ BBQ) will return to host the Kadai fire stage. Expect an exciting line-up of celebrated chefs and seasoned pitmasters including Melissa Thompson, Jeremy Pang of Hong Kong Kitchen, James Whetlor, Julian Brown, Andy Stubbs, George Uren and Shropshire Lad, Adam Purnell.

Practical cookery workshops from Millington Hall Farm and Vegify Cookery School will also be taking place across the weekend alongside interactive demonstrations from artisans including butchers and charcoal-makers. Live music, DJs and street food continue into Friday evening, while Saturday’s Fire & Feast Banquet sees the castle’s original banqueting hall return to its former glory in a long-table dining experience that celebrates the theatre of smoke and fire.

Visitors can also explore over 120 artisan food and drink producers from the Marches and beyond, and join discussions on topics including food sustainability and effortless entertaining at the festival’s Talks Tent. The Slow Food Garden will showcase local producers, while the Kids’ Kitchen will be there to entertain younger food lovers with hands-on cooking and activities. Tickets for the event are still available and can be purchased from ludlowfoodfestival.co.uk

Rogue Sarnies x Hon’s BBQ – 25th-26th September

East London sandwich slinger, Rogue Sarnies, is hosting a two-night collaboration with Hon’s BBQ this September, bringing the Hackney Wick restaurant’s barbecue menu to the Bethnal Green sandwich shop for a night of fire-cooked food and music.

On Friday 25th and Saturday 26th September, the collaborative menu will consist of an opening sharing snack of chilli salt corn ribs, followed up by a choice of two sandwiches served on Rogue Sarnies signature crispy wood-fired rolls. Guests can choose from a filling of Hon’s BBQ’s smoked ox cheek with pickled red onion, chilli slaw and black peppercorn dip inspired by Hong Kong diners, or sliced rich pork belly finished in a ginger and black vinegar glaze with fresh cucumber and pickled daikon. Rogue Sarnies’ fried smashed potatoes complete the menu, tossed through Hon’s BBQ honey and black pepper glaze.

The first night of the two-day pop-up will run as a ticketed evening from 6-10pm, and include a sandwich from the collaborative menu. DJs will provide the soundtrack to the evening, with Tim Reaper, Deft, and Hon himself playing a back-to-back vinyl set throughout the Friday night. Saturday 26th September runs from 6-10:30pm with the same menu, but served on a first come, first served walk-in basis until sold out. Tickets for Friday are £20 and available via https://order.storekit.com/rogue-sarnies-3/menu.