Cory Frayling and Leon Tartaglia: Viral WA BBQ brothers bringing talents to Perth’s Good Food & Wine Show

Headshot of Zach Margolius
Home chefs Cory Frayling and Leon Tartaglia are making such a noise in the kitchen, that their daring exploits in Perth have been heard as far as Gordon Ramsay’s house.
Home chefs Cory Frayling and Leon Tartaglia are making such a noise in the kitchen, that their daring exploits in Perth have been heard as far as Gordon Ramsay��s house. Credit: CheatMeats

Home chefs Cory Frayling and Leon Tartaglia are making such a noise in the kitchen, that their daring exploits in Perth have been heard as far as Gordon Ramsay’s house.

Copping a spray from the foul-mouthed chef in 2022 for their pork lollipop creation, the brothers-in-law behind the viral cooking brand CheatMeats have amassed a following of more than 1.3 million fans on TikTok due to their boundary-pushing creations.

“Come on Cory, big boys like you don’t need lollipops,” Ramsay barked as he reviewed their BBQ adaptation of the sweet treat.

“Fifty shades of pork!” he yelled at another imposing dish before being surprised by the outcome.

Gordon Ramsay reacts to CheatMeats.
Gordon Ramsay reacts to CheatMeats. Credit: CheatMeats

Just like their expanding audience, bigger is always better.

“That’s the thing with CheatMeats, we always bring it to the next level,” Mr Tartaglia said.

Inventing the hot cross ‘fun’ filled with crayfish, and eyebrow-raising Vegemite steak, there’s nothing off-limits for the grill masters.

Beginning their CheatMeats venture six years ago, the Italian half of the duo, Mr Tartaglia, said he landed on a dust-catching goldmine that was right under their noses.

“We found an old Weber in the old man’s shed. Pretty much brand new, never been cooked on. And we just decided to start mucking around cooking some burgers,” he admitted.

“Cory would take some photos and videos to get a bit of attention. And it just snowballed from there.”

The famous pork lollipop.
The famous pork lollipop. Credit: CheatMeats

What began with “a few free hats and stickers” has turned into a fully-fledged enterprise, with the popular locals now doing cooking demonstrations and catering on a larger scale.

With no official training to their names, they’ve relied on a healthy portion of “trial and error” to achieve success — along with strong family ties to good food.

Continuing to work their trade jobs on the side, the enterprising mates are building a meaty empire, with an exciting project brewing in the back end of the year.

CheatMeats on stage.
CheatMeats on stage. Credit: CheatMeats

“We’ve got a new warehouse that we’re going to be fitting out for a kitchen, studio and an event space,” Mr Frayling said.

“Then for when celebrities or creators come to Perth, the ideal scenario is we’ve got a private space we can host and have some fun with it.”

For those keen to catch CheatMeats in the kitchen a little sooner, they’ll be doing smoky kitchen demonstrations when The Good Food & Wine Show hits Perth’s Convention and Exhibition Centre on July 19-21.

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