Live-Fire Chef & Guest Pitmaster at Smoke & Fire Festival 2026
Matt Burgess (AKA Chef Mat Blak) is a longtime friend of the festival, Māori Chef. Director of Kaiwhenua.
Experience spectacular live-fire cooking and open-source grilling with Chef Mat Blak at the upcoming Maldon Smoke & Fire Festival. Known for his legendary beachside barbecuing and raw open-coal mastery, this elite food creator will be showcasing signature techniques and international flavour profiles live on our main demonstration stage.
During the festival weekend, Chef Mat Blak will be sharing insider secrets, professional grilling tips, and unique live-fire seafood concepts that you can easily replicate at home.Matt Burgess is a New Zealand Māori chef based in London, known for flavour-led cooking rooted in culture, connection and place. With more than 30 years in professional kitchens, he has worked across some of the UK’s most recognized restaurants including Soho House, Gordon Ramsay’s Maze Grill, Bluebird and Jamie Oliver’s Threadneedle Street, and played a key role in growing the Caravan group from two sites to seven
A teacher and storyteller as much as a chef, Matt uses food as a way to share culture, spark conversation and create lasting connection.
🔥At Smoke & Fire Festival Maldon, expect bold flavour, generous plates and a South Pacific perspective on cooking over fire, where hospitality leads and everything else follows.
