Closing out our 2026 woodland series with a late-summer bang! Our September edition brought four days of autumn harvest feasting over the OFYR hearth at Teybrook Orchard. From welcome cocktails during woodland strolls to four-course open-fire banquets and cozy glamping under the stars, it was an unforgettable end to this year's woodland restaurant. Read Mel’s blog here

Lamb on the fire, disco balls in the air. We turned up the heat at Meatopia (always London’s best place for BBQ!) for the third year running with open-flame lamb, our signature birdcage setup, and a non-stop party at the grill. Massive thanks to everyone who queued up and devoured the dish!

Mel hit The Fire Pit stage to demo our signature 24-hour ginger-tenderized bavette steak with fire-blistered Green Goddess, before joining forces with fellow Kiwi chef matblak (Matt Burgess) for an exclusive 40-cover Fire Pit Feast in the Smokery….with cherry wood slow-roasted lamb, caramelized scallops, and Eton Mess under the Cotswold stars.

Invited by New Zealand Trade & Enterprise and Tourism NZ, Mel represented New Zealand food and beverage in London for the launch of Gary Barlow and Jason Manford’s NZ food and wine tour. Stepping into a new arena of menu curation and high-profile networking, Mel proudly championed Aotearoa on the global stage during an unforgettable day.

We brought a touch of "Post-Apocalypse Luxe" to an airfield in an off-grid countryside location for The Dog Stars! Celebrating a movie release with an immersive, 4-course feast in a secluded bespoke tipi village. Highlights included 8-hour braised short ribs in cast iron, themed apocalyptic table dressings & spices, and interactive DIY courses.

Bringing a taste of New Zealand to London! The Laundry team took care of the food service for the 10th Anniversary of Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople, served up alongside top-tier NZ wines from Greywacke and Ata Rangi. A brilliant evening with NZ in the UK celebrating legendary Kiwi cinema.

Mel went solo and headed up to Chelmsford, demo’ing at the Fume Pit at State Fayre to serve up some serious Americana fire-cooking. It was fast, smoky, and absolutely spectacular unleashing the full power of the grill for a passionate festival crowd

A glorious summer event at Waitrose’s Leckford Farm on the hottest day of the year! Armed with our favorite flamethrowers from OFYR and BSTRD UK, Mel caused some beautiful live-fire chaos, connecting a brilliant crowd around a 360-degree grill. A true privilege to cook with incredible farm provenance and champion our favourite campfire style.

Mel turned the BBQ Cook School at Taste of London into the ultimate celebration of live-fire magic. Hosting 5 incredible, impeccable guest chefs over the weekend who weren't afraid to get stuck into the fire with us alongside lots of newbies, enthusiasts and experts alike - it was a weekend of pure food, fun, and beautiful, smoky chaos.

May rolled around and our team were thrilled to head back to Browning Bros.' 20-acre organic farm for three days of spring feasting. Cooking over open flames - serving up everything from flame-caramelised scallops in the forest to cedar-plank trout and juniper venison - paired with wild spritzes and boutique wines beneath the canopy. Read more on Mel’s Wild Table blog here

Fire, smoke, and a trip down to the home of Maldon Salt - the finest salt known to man (we think, prove us wrong!). Here’s all the live-fire energy in motion, from roaring open flames to seasoning things flawlessly with the local legends.

When one of your favourite suppliers, of our UK-grown Wagyu Beef Ribeye, nonetheless, asks you to pop on down to Sussex to cook on their farm, we are certainly not the type to say no!

A gorgeous February adventure to Pennard Hill Farm in Somerset - run by the indomitable Pippa and Tom Godber-Ford Moore. Mel was a guest chef for their Farm Feasts series - cooking their own-herd Herdwick Hogget.

Just as we began to head full steam towards the festive season, Mel was asked to cook for OFYR at the UK Truffle Festival! She championed some superb local producers and showcased her adoration of elemental cooking on fire.

We returned to the woods in September, bringing a new energy with the new season - working on growing and sourcing produce within metres - not miles. Our connection to both the land and our hosts (the Browning family) deepened even further as together we curated fire-led honest cooking and a magical atmosphere.

Mel brought whipped NZ manūka smoked feta to a live audience of over 1 million people during her appearance on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen. The dish also featured venison meatballs and pomodorini ragu, which wine expert Olly Smith paired with a Hawkes Bay Chardonnay (of course!) Click to watch!

Rounding off the summer over the Bank Holiday weekend with a return to our gorgeous birdcage at Meatopia 2025, in Tobacco Dock. Flame-kissed lamb ribs, thousands of hungry customers and the best vibes.

How do you recreate a restaurant at a festival? By bringing all the best bits (swagger, a deliciously curated menu and some tables & chairs). We showcased a unique offering with festival dishes given a restaurant spin - across three music-filled days in the Cotswolds. Combined with a demo from Mel on the Firepit Stage, we really didn’t sleep on summer.

Coming in hot to Cherry Tree Farm in early August, we brought London to Devon (by way of NZ-inspired elevated campfire cooking!) Our long table Coastal Banquet was the centrepiece of a weekend-long residency with the Fireside Kitchen a more casual offering.

Melanie joined the London edition of this well-established foodie festival with a wine and food pairing (and a live cooking demo!) on the Firepit Stage. It was sunny, hectic and just downright amazing bringing one of our signature dishes to Gunnersbury Park.

Our season started with our first-ever Wild Table event; setting the scene with a four-day event focused on provenance, collaboration and seasonality under the trees at Browning Bros’ Teybrook Orchard site. You could say that this was the flame that ignited us…