Meatstock Bendigo 2025
It was always going to be huge, but cooking on the Heatbeads Meat Wagon? That took things to another level. Two days of BBQ madness, searing heat, and more smoked meat than you could poke a pair of tongs at. If you were there, you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you missed it… mate, let me tell you what went down.
Meat, Fire & The Meat Wagon
The Heatbeads Meat Wagon is the stuff of BBQ legend. It’s not just a cooking station, it’s a rolling temple of smoke and fire, and I had the absolute privilege of throwing down on it alongside some top notch pitmasters. With a crowd of 5,000 on Friday and a staggering 15,000 on Saturday, the pressure was on to feed the masses and put on a show.
And we delivered.
Over two scorching days (35°C on Friday, 37°C on Saturday), we cooked up a feast fit for a king (or at least 20,000 BBQ-hungry legends). The menu? A meat lover’s dream:
🔥 Double-headed pigs on the spit (because two heads are better than one)
🔥 Lamb on the Asado cross, slow-roasting to perfection
🔥 Crispy-skinned pork belly, crackling that snapped like a campfire twig
🔥 Massive tomahawk steaks, seared and sizzling
🔥 Chicken wings & thighs, smoky, juicy, and packed with flavor
🔥 Smithaway Farms fresh snags, because what’s an Aussie BBQ without top-tier snags?
🔥 Ribs that fell off the bone and straight into eager hands
This wasn’t just about throwing meat on a grill, this was about live-fire cooking at its best. Big flames, bold flavours, and the kind of BBQ that makes you weak at the knees.
Powered by Heatbeads: Why Quality Fuel Matters
When you’re cooking at this scale, you can’t afford to mess around with inconsistent fuel. You need heat that’s steady, reliable, and burns long enough to keep the fire raging without constant babysitting. That’s exactly why Heatbeads is the go-to for both backyard BBQ warriors and pitmasters throwing down on the big stage.
The Heatbeads briquettes came through strong, giving us consistent, even heat across the spit, the asado cross, and the grills. Whether we were slow roasting lamb for hours or firing up the tomahawks for a searing finish, we had complete control. No wild temperature swings, no unexpected burnouts, just solid, predictable heat that let us focus on the food instead of stressing over the fire.
And then there’s the Heatbeads lump charcoal, absolute gold when you need that clean, smoky heat for high temp cooking. We threw it under the pork bellies to get that perfect crispy crackle, and it worked like a dream. The best part? It burns without the acrid smoke or overpowering flavours that some lump charcoals can bring. When you’re working with quality meat, you want the fuel to enhance the flavour, not dominate it, and that’s exactly what Heatbeads delivered.
If you’re serious about BBQ, don’t skimp on your fuel. Trust me, your meat will thank you.
Seasoned to Perfection with Coast n Smoke
You can’t have world-class BBQ without killer seasoning, and we went all in with the full range of Coast n Smoke rubs. Their seasonings didn’t just complement the meat, they took it to a whole new level.
We hit the pork bellies with their brand new K-Pop Dust Korean rub, and mate, it was a game changer. That perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and umami gave the pork an insane depth of flavor, and when that crackling crisped up over the Heatbeads lump charcoal? Absolute perfection.
For the lamb on the Asado cross, we reached for 13th Apostle Gyros rub, packed with herbs, garlic, and that classic Mediterranean punch. After hours over the fire, the lamb came off juicy, crispy, and loaded with flavour that had people coming back for seconds.
The double-headed pigs on the spit got the full Coast n Smoke treatment with a heavy dose of The Rip. This rub is made for whole hog cooking, giving that great bright colours while letting the natural pork flavours shine through.
When it came to the tomahawks, we kept it classic with a solid hit of SPG – salt, pepper, garlic. Simple, bold, and exactly what you need when you’re working with thick, juicy steaks cooked over fire.
And then there were the wings. Oh, the wings. These beauties got absolutely smothered in Winki-POP Dust, because let’s be real… you can’t beat Winki-Pop Wings. That perfect sweet heat, balanced with just the right amount of smoky kick, made these an instant crowd favorite. Crispy skin, juicy meat, and flavor that hit in all the right places, pure BBQ bliss.
From whole pigs to seared steaks, Coast n Smoke had a rub for everything we threw at the flames, and they delivered every single time. If you’re not already using their rubs, sort it out now. Your BBQ will never be the same.
The Meatstock Experience: BBQ, Sweat & 36,000 Steps
Meatstock isn’t just about cooking, it’s about the energy, the people, and the BBQ culture. And let me tell you, this year was on another level. The smells of sizzling meat mixed with the sounds of live music, beer flowing, and BBQ fanatics swapping stories and techniques.
Between tending the fires, plating up epic feeds, and talking all things BBQ, I racked up a whopping 36,000 steps over the weekend. If that’s not proof of how full on it was, I don’t know what is.
But the best part? The crew. Huge thanks to Heatbeads for the opportunity, as well as @flaminmongrelsbbq and @barbecueasylum for making it all happen. And shout out to the legends who made it so much fun:
🔥 Doug & Tyson from @bigbarkhunterbbq
🔥 Brad from @the_smoke_syndicate
🔥 My CleaverCrew mates: @fireandflamebbq & @mikeysbbqsafari
Final Thoughts: BBQ, Community & Doing It All Again
Meatstock Bendigo 2025 was hot, hectic, and absolutely unforgettable. Cooking on the Heatbeads Meat Wagon was an absolute privilege. If you were there, thanks for stopping by and sharing the experience. If you weren’t… don’t make that mistake next year.
Got a question about the cook? Want to know more about the gear, the rubs, or the techniques we used? Hit me up in the comments or over on Instagram @ollies_q!
Until next time, keep the fire burning, keep the meat sizzling, and never trust a BBQ without smoke.
