Kampala’s party landscape might be going through a transformation that could shape our relationship with dining in the near future. Somewhere in the background, away from the public eye, young people pay top dollar just meet and eat meat, as a worthy excuse to get wasted. Whether or not this trend is there to fill the gap that was left behind by the demise of discotheques is something we are yet to confirm. Or just maybe Kampala’s party culture is coming of age, and moving away from just kudugaza emeeza – drinking until they drop.
Today, food is slowly earning a spot at the table. Food pairing is fast becoming a thing. Young party goers gravitate towards bars with serious food, and events that front meat as an excuse to sell alcohol, tend to sellout. One such event is Meatings. This new culinary experience was born in the minds of a few friends during lockdown. Because they were unable to go to work during the pandemic, this gang would meet regularly in an outdoors spot to roast meat, drink a few pints and talk through the hard times. In a short while, more and more people started regularly joining in, until it looked like a viable business idea to a one Brian Owomugisha.
Owomugisha and a few friends proceeded to market and host the first Meatings event in 2021, but then, lockdown was lifted and people went back to work. People then focused on rebuilding their tattered financial lives with little time to party. The idea was shelved until this year. This past weekend, Meatings happened for the third time this year and attracted more than 500 attendees, which was 10 times the number that attended the first one in June. It was hosted at the usual venue, The Gazebo, a lush garden in Najjera.
Each attendee paid Shs50,000, ensuring they enjoy a professionally done BBQ of choice and a few cocktails, courtesy of Tusker Apple Cider. By 12pm, the first DJ was already on the turntables, crafting the right vibes for the event that would go on untill past midnight. ‘We have different types of meat. We always have chefs to ensure the meat is worth every penny because we know this is why people come to these events. But, of course, there is no party without a good soundscape. So, we always have DJs who come through,’ Owomugisha says.
He adds: ‘Our idea is ‘come for the meat, stay for the vibes’. On top of the meat and the conversations, these creative young people have introduced the element of board and card games to get people to incentivise interaction. The idea, as it turns out, is to unplug as many attendees from their smartphones as possible.
Meatings is a play on two words; meetings and meat and talking to fellow attendees is highly incentivised. This is a neat move because once you have attended a few of these trendy parties, you get to know that most people who attend want to meet and hookup with new people. Or, a break from their addiction to their phones.
‘Meatings is a culinary event for young people. Ugandans love a good time. So we are always there to give people a good vibe, yeah. Although Meatings is about the meat, it is equally about great music that young people love. So the DJs have to be on point as well,’ he says. At the next event, which is slated for December, the organisers hope to bring some exotic excitement into the party by inviting a chef from Kenya or some other country. The plan is to ride on the trend and create bigger meat event, where several chefs can be hosted simultaneously to highlight more special dishes.
While the party is marketed as daytime event where people come to eat and meet, people stay long after the meat is done and the music pushes the party deep into the night. One thing is clear, the organisers struck gold when they decided to market and host the event in Najeera. Few neighbourhoods are as popular with the young professionals of this city than Najeera. Long past midnight, the tent was still teeming with happy drunkards. The bartenders were as busy at midnight as they were at 5pm. They had come for the meat during the day but they were still here long past midnight.
Is it worth the pennies
Meat and good music. ‘We have different types of meat. We always have chefs to ensure the meat is worth every penny because we know this is why people come to these events. But, of course, there is no party without a good soundscape. So, we always have DJs that come through,’ Brian Owomugisha, proprietor