Vestmannaeyjar seems to be hell bent on keeping that “festival town” tag intact. Hot on the heels of Þjóðahátið — the biggest music festival in the country, now in its 150th year — comes the third edition of the Matey Seafood Festival. From September 5 to 7, all of Vestmannaeyjar will turn into one big roving feast.
The brainchild of Frosti Gíslason and chef Gísli Matthías Auðunsson, Matey has garnered the support and respect of patrons and purveyors in equal measure. After last year’s successful outing, this year promises to be an equally delectable affair, spanning a weekend of endless wining and dining in the food chest of Iceland.
Heartening diversity
On the roster are chefs Adriana Solis Cavita from Mexico, Rosie May Maguire from the U.K., and Renata Zalles from Bolivia. They will be taking over the kitchens at Gott, Slippurinn and Einsi Kaldi, respectively. In addition to the chefs bringing their A-game, techniques and tastes from their homelands, the organisers promise a weekend of feasting across the many eateries and breweries in town.
Between them, these powerhouse chefs boast of experiences at Pujol and El Bulli via Adriana, while Rosie May brings time at Mana and a deep insight into modern british cuisine, and Renata lends a craft honed under culinary legends like Wolfgang Puck, José Andrés, Gaggan Anand, Garima Arora and Kamilla Seidler.
After the furore over the all male line up at Food and Fun earlier this year, this is a heartening and much needed development to showcase the breadth and diversity of chefs.
How to Matey
My professional advice would be to treat Matey like a music festival that requires some logistical finagling. So make reservations ahead of time and book accommodation, call in a favour with your island relatives or lay claim to a campsite post haste.
To get to Vestmannaeyjar, drive to Landeyjahofn and take the ferry over to the archipelago. You can take the car over, or park overnight for a small fee. If you are car-free, then you can take the bus from Mjódd in Reykjavík to Landeyjahöfn. It is a comfortable, scenic drive and you’ll get to see the grassland vibes of southern Iceland along the way.
Once in Vestmannaeyjar, there is plenty to do before dinner! So dress appropriately for some outdoorsy fun that promises to be just as spectacular as the dinners that await you.
Off the grid
Last year when I was there, the weather gods shone on us the entire weekend and I made the most of my days exploring the archipelago by ATV (not for the faint hearted!) and walking around the Eldheimar Volcano Museum and the Sagnheimar Folk Museum, which has gloriously shied away from anything digital while throwing in curveballs like jewellery made entirely of human hair.
If you’d like to spend time indoors, then the SeaLife Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary offers a first hand look at the local bird life and boasts of a couple of rescued belugas and puffins.
If you’d like to explore the great outdoors, I cannot recommend the Ribsafari enough! It was probably the highlight of my visit last year. And being outdoors, getting up close and personal with the many islands and cliff faces definitely drummed up an appetite.
Tuna and possibilities
When it is time for dinner, I would dine at a different place for the duration of the festival. The menus are yet to be announced, but diners lucked out last year with an accidental by-catch of a massive bluefin tuna — a rarity in these parts and one we were lucky enough to try at each participating restaurant.
Food festivals allow for broad experimentation and throws open possibilities that wouldn’t otherwise happen in more traditional settings. It’s also a chance to try the best of Icelandic seafood seldom seen here.
Leaning into the role women have played in shaping the history of maritime Iceland, it seems fitting that as Matey grows, their commitment to centering these community stories and connections take centrestage.
The Matey Seafood Festival takes over the Westman Islands September 5 to 7. Check out Matey.is for more information and to make reservations. See you there!
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