Experience the Heat: Chefs on Fire Festival in Cascais, Portugal

• Portugal’s best gastronomy festival, Chefs on Fire, will return to Cascais from 20th-22nd September 

• Tickets are available from €90, with a number of food and drink servings included  

• Chefs at the Cascais Food Festival will exclusively cook with fire and smoke, with live performances from Portuguese musicians 

• Sustainability is at the core of the event, with surplus food being donated to Refood and more than 1,000 trees being planted to cover firewood consumption 

From Friday 20th - Sunday 22nd September, Portugal’s best gastronomy festival, Chefs on Fire, will return to Cascais on the Portuguese Riviera for its sixth edition. With the brand now expanding to pop-ups in other parts of Portugal and different countries, next month marks the opportunity to experience where this wonderful festival first originated, at the FIARTIL events space in Estoril. 

Chefs on Fire is the ultimate celebration of delicious food, with the festivals challenging the best national and international chefs to cook exclusively with fire, smoke and firewood around a 90m2 fire pit. As well as providing many delectable things to eat, there will also be musicians performing each evening to entertain the hungry festival attendees. 

Tickets are available from €90 and attendees can choose between a three-day ticket which includes 15 servings of food and 10 drinks or daily tickets which include five servings of food and two drinks. Children are able to enjoy unlimited servings in the kids area.  

Tantalise your tastebuds 

Each day of the festival will see nine different chefs cooking over the fire pit, with many of them cooking their dishes slowly over a 24-hour period to enhance the flavours and textures of their recipes. 

Several of the chefs who will be cooking are usually found at the helms of a number of Portugal’s Michelin-starred restaurants. For example, Vítor Matos from the two Michelin-starred restaurant, Antiqvvm, will showcase his Mediterranean influences and use of seasonal ingredients on Sunday 22nd September, whilst the head chef from the one Michelin-starred Ó Balcão, Rodrigo Castelo, will be demonstrating the very best of Portugal’s fish and seafood on Saturday 21st September. 

Alongside the unmissable cuisine, carefully created and innovative cocktails will be offered, making the perfect pairing to the food on offer. 

Music to your ears 

No festival experience would be complete without hearing some live music, and Chefs on Fire is no exception. On each of the days of the festival, there will be several live performances from Portuguese musicians, providing the perfect soundtrack for enjoying the mouth-watering food and drink.  

From the soulful modern ballads of Portugal’s 2024 Eurovision entrant, iolanda, on Friday 20th September, to the disco and hip-hop inspired tracks of Manga Limão on Saturday 21st September, there will be no shortage of entertainment across the weekend. 

Responsibility at its core 

Chefs on Fire isn't only about the food – the brand has a long-term vision and aims to leave a positive impact, proudly positioning itself as one of the most sustainable festivals in Portugal.  

More than 1,000 trees and counting have been planted to cover the firewood consumption during the event, and there is a zero-plastic policy on site, with all plates, cutlery and glasses made from recycled paper or sugar cane pulp. The product chain of the ingredients used at the festival is carefully monitored, with priority given to local and national producers. The event also works to combat food waste, with any surplus food being donated to Refood, a charity that provides food to those in need in local communities.  

For more information on Chefs on Fire and to book tickets, please visit: www.chefsonfire.pt   

For more information on Cascais, please visit: www.visitcascais.com