Chef Cúán Greene sampling at Slippurinn Restaurant during Matey Seafood Festival 2023. Photo: Karl Petersson.
The Matey Food Festival started in 2022, and the word is spreading fast. Rightfully so!
Matey is a cherished and very local event—all the restaurants are within walking distance on Heimaey Island in the Westman Islands off the southern coast of Iceland. The purpose is to celebrate this coastal community's rich culinary heritage and tremendous seafood resources by showcasing the finest local seafood and other natural resources while promoting sustainable practices.
Local restaurants such as Næs, Einsi Kaldi, Gott, and Slippurinn bring unique settings and know-how to the event. Each year, visiting guest chefs from renowned kitchens around the globe bring their expertise and creativity to the festival. These chefs are challenged to interpret local and traditional ingredients with their own styles and techniques to create a fusion of cuisine that tastes amazing and celebrates the diversity of methods for preparing seafood.
The Matey Food Festival serves as a platform for culinary excellence and fosters a sense of community and collaboration. It enriches Iceland's culinary landscape by encouraging the exchange of ideas and techniques between local and guest chefs. It inspires new approaches to sustainable seafood and local ingredients for a delicious meal. Matey Food Festival is a must-visit event for any food lover.
(L to R) Chef Adrien Bouquet at Næs Restaurant explaining each course during Matey 2023, Chef Adam Qureshi checking out the fresh fish for his meal, and Chef Einar Björn Árnason, owner and head chef at Einsi Kaldi Restaurant with Chef Francesco. All photos: Karl Petersson.