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Primary and secondary cancers of the liver contribute considerably to the global cancer burden, with a steadily rising incidence and mortality, as per data from the WHO Global Cancer Observatory. 1 Surgical resection remains the gold standard treatment option for these cancers, but in recent years, the addition of interventional radiological procedures such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA) has allowed curative-intent treatment options for more patients, with emphasis on using both modalities in the theatre.2 A bimodal approach facilitates a parenchyma-sparing hepatectomy with resection of superficial lesions and thermal ablation of deep lesions thereby reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with major hepatectomy.3 4 Ablation alone offers a minimally morbid treatment option when surgical resection is considered high risk due to patient comorbidity or as an adjunct to resection when multiple tumour locations or sizes preclude a radical resection-only approach, which is commonly seen in colorectal, neuroendocrine or breast metastases.5 6 These advantages have ensured the establishment of MWA as a commonly used modality of treatment for liver cancers and it is therefore essential that hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) surgeons are adequately trained in intraoperative MWA. Unfortunately, there is currently no formal training pathway for MWA for liver surgeons, who instead may resort to being self-taught or rely on assistance from interventional radiologists. While both these approaches are valid, the training curve in both these scenarios can be long, and there is already published evidence on the efficacy of simulation to reduce training curves and allow training without the pressure of clinical outcomes in a safe environment.7–9 This article elaborates on a novel method of providing simulation training to surgeons in performing MWA using chicken breasts and chickpeas.