From cell-cultured salmon to mushroom-made bacon, science is making tremendous strides towards foods that are nutritious and sustainably produced. While many urban eaters are embracing meat-free alternatives, global meat consumption is rising by 1% a year, a huge threat to worsening climate change. At the same time, scientists are closer than ever to solving the ‘scaling’ challenge of cultured meat, reducing both costs and energy use. But in the age where farm-to-table dominates food culture, are consumers ready for pork grown without pigs, steak without cows? What can we learn from diverse cultural relationships with meat, how these have evolved in the past, and where tastes are going next? What other global trends in society can help us see where public appetite is heading? What role will chefs and food culture leaders play in driving or stemming adoption?