Chilli Festival Planning 2012

It is the start of another year and the excitement of planning ahead for another year 
of hot sauce, chili growing and chili festivals. Will Grim Reaper Foods win yet another award this year at the Fiery foods festival? Will any new producers appear with great sauces?


Here are a few dates below, I will keep these up to date on the chilli festival tab at the top of the page. If your festival is not listed please let me know an ill add in a link.


This year for me sadly The great West Dean Chilli Fiesta have decided to alter their regular date so I will not be able to attend but I hope to at least be at, Chlli Fest Shoreham, The fiery foods Festival in Brighton and the Upton Cheyney Chilli co this year. See you there!



  
Lakes Chilli Festival at Levens Hall and Gardens
TBA

Day of Fire and Spice at Simpsons Seeds
26 May 2012

Grill Stock
30th June July 1st 2012

Chilli Fest Shoreham by Sea

West Sussex
July 14th and 15th


West Dean Chilli Fiesta 2012
July has been cancelled and the event moved to 25th to 27th of August the hopefully sunny bank holiday weekend
(2011 festival information)

Arley Hall & Gardens 
TBA

Great Dorset Chilli Festival 2012
 St Giles House, Wimborne St Giles, Dorset
4th August to 5th August

Nottingham Chilli Festival
11th August


The Great Oxford Chilli Fest
August 18th and 19th

Frosts Garden Centre Chilli Festival
25th August to 27th August


Bennington Lordship Gardens Chilli Festival 
26th and 27th of August 10am to 5pm

Waddesdon Chilli Festival
1st September

Upton Cheyney Chilli Co Presents Chilli Fest 2011

8th and 9th September 2012
Manor Farm, Upton Cheyney, Bristol, BS30 6NQ

Fiery Foods Festival, Brighton

September 15th and 16th September

The Manchester Chilli Festival
7th October

Festivals Outside the UK

41st Annual Hatch Chile Festival 

September 1st and 2nd  2012

Taylorville Chillifest, Illionis USA

16th October 2010 to 17th October 2010

NZ Chilli Eating Champions

find more information from http://firedragonchillies.com/

West Dean Chilli Fiesta 2011

@westdeanejf annual chilli fiestia at West Dean Gardens in Sussex  is fast approaching us. I have been going to this event for over 6 years now and each year it just gets better and better! The event has become so popular that for the first time year West Dean Gardens are given over to chilli madness for three days. Taking place on Friday 5, Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 August.  Opening hours: 10.30 – 5pm (last entry 4.30pm).



Chilli Room

There will be over 150 chili related stalls this year! The west Dean website also reveals that the Cambridge Chilli Farm will be launching their ‘Lucky 7 Sauce’ at The Chilli Fiesta. It is the first to be made in the UK using ‘Yellow 7 Pot’ chillies. Alongside all of the stalls and tasters you can also attend a number of talks and events taking place throughout the grounds you can take a look at these on the official programme by clicking here. If you get hungary too there will be plenty of stalls on hand to satisty your need. I have made the mistake every single year of being too excited about the chilli stalls that by the time I make it to the hog roast they have closed. This year I will not be making the same mistake!!

If you plan to attend then you can pick up advanced tickets that go straight to your email by clicking here 

When there make sure you wonder throughout the whole garden and grounds you will find magnificently restored Victorian Glasshouses where you can admire a vast array of over 200 chilli peppers grown in pots in theand displayed in pristine rows in every shape and size ranging from serene green through to red hot. How many chillis will you discover this year? take a look at a few photos I took from the chilli green house at last years show here.



Veg Patch in the walled garden



@CPPete New Brighton Shop Opens Saturday 23rd.

Check out the sneak peak picture here of Chilli Pepper Petes new chilli shop below which opens Saturday 23rd in Brighton on 73 Trafalgar street in the North Lanes. I have been following the developments since the first news of the possible move from the Brighton Marina.

The shop is currently being packed full of sauces from all over the UK and USA as well as Chilli Pepper Pete's own range of fantastic sauces like Chillipepper Pete's Dragon's Blood

If you local or know need a chilli fix and willing to make a very worth while journey head on over to Brighton this weekend to check out the shop. Rumours are that Pete has also made a special sauce to celebrate the opening. Will you get your hands on some?

Print of this map below if you need it to help you find the shop. See you there!

The Upton Cheyney Chilli Farm

@chilli_farmer run the wonderful Upton Cheyney Chilli Company. They even a have a farm you can visit too. The farm is open throughout the growing season from March to November. They are a friendly bunch there eager to share their chilli expertise and enthusiasm with you offering tours through the chili tunnels. Currently there are 2 poly large tunnels. One (a 15ft x 20ft tunnel) is used for germination and propagation, whilst the other (a 20ft x 60ft tunnel) has been used this year for the main growing crop. 

Throughout the tour and at any part during your visit useful the staff are on hand to provide you with great advice on growing your own chilli plants and to cap it off a great range of taste samples at the end! Click the picture below to go straight to the farm shop and treat yourself.

Whats different from other chilli sauce producers and Upton Cheyney is all products manufactured by them use their own organically grown chillies and home grown supply of garlic and onion. The chilli sauces and chilli jams are lovingly made in small batches in the kitchen of our farm shop too. These people put real love and passion into their sauce making so if you get the chance give then some support and visit them at Manor Farm, Upton Cheyney, Bristol, BS30 6NQ. If your around at the right time check out their very own chilli festival on September 10th.

Their website has sooo much more information so check them out on the farm by clicking here

Lucha Future

A Brief slice of mexicana for you my chilli friends. Alongside chilli I find you cant beat a bit if tequila and mexicana! I will tonight be attending LUCHA FUTURE to watch Mexican wrestling, drink Mexican beer and eat chilli covered nachos! If you want to find out more click on the link above or picture below to get some mexican in your life and do something different.

Visit to the South Devon Chilli Farm





@SDCF_co_uk are lovely people who will welcome you when you arrive. Over Easter I paid a visit to them on their farm and it is indeed as I had heard a chili lovers paradise! Following your winding journey you are greeted at the farm by stunning views and a stylish wooden hut.

South Devon Chilli Farm began in 2003 with just a few chilli plants and has since grown to over 10,000 chilli plants every year! Whats exciting about this place is they don't just grow chillis. SDFC have a farm shop too where they sell fresh chillis and make a range of hot chili sauces, preserves and even chilli chocolate.

The good stuff doesn't end there either, there is a chilli cafe where you can eat your favourite food while enjoying the view too. The farm, shop and cafe are now open from 10-4.30 seven days a week.

That's not all either, once you are full of hot chili can go on a tour among the fruiting chilli plants in their show tunnel and see all kinds of different chilli! Also you get to see where the large scale magic of chilli production takes place.

Check out their website for directions, updated pictures and more information here South Devon chilli farm. I would recommend this as a day out to any chilli fan. I have also bought some sauces and hope to get reviews up soon, just click on the south Devon chilli farm link on the left side bar to see some.

Eden Project Chili Pepper Habenaro

During Easter I went on a drive into the country and stopped off at the Eden Project in Cornwall this was a place I had long wanted to see but the drive is too far for a quick visit. With the tropical sections I had hoped to see the chilli pepper represented and grown somewhere in the vast domes. The Eden Project is build in a disused clay mine, transforming it into a rich, global garden where people can learn about nature and get inspiration about the world around them. The view is very inspirational as you park your car and catch one of the buses into the  project itself. you are surrounded by lush vegetation and all manner of 'green' projects.



The Eden Project

 In the reforest Biome near the end of the winding path through the high humidity provides the perfect conditions for for growing spices. I was very please to see that chilli was represented by a large patch of orange Chinese habanero plants. Most of the chillis pictures are not yet ripe but there were hundreds there. So many that i thought they wouldn't miss one and pinched one for the seeds to grow at home. All I need now is to build a biome in the back garden. I will let you know how i get on with growing the Habanero.

Capsicum Chinese Habanero

Chilli Festivals and Events 2011

Here is a list of chili events near you, make sure you try and get to one this year if you can. They have lots of hot sauces to try. plants to buy and grow you own tips and demonstrations as well. 

Chilli Fest Belfast
25th and 26th of June

Chilli Fest Shoreham by Sea
July 9th and 10th

Chilli Fiesta & Fete, Felbrigg Hall, Felbrigg, Norfolk
3rd August 2011

West Dean Chilli Fiesta
5th to 7th August 2011

Lakes Chilli Festival at Levens Hall and Gardens

2011 13th and 14th August

Arley Hall & Gardens 

Tuesday 23 August 2011

Bennington Lordship Gardens Chilli Festival 

2011 28th and 29th August 10am to 5pm

Upton Cheyney Chilli Co Presents Chilli Fest 2011

Manor Farm, Upton Cheyney, Bristol, BS30 6NQ

September 10th 2011


Fiery Foods Festival, Brighton

2011 17th and 18th of September

Chilli Fest Shoreham By Sea

I have just discovered that @chilli_festival is comming to my home town of Shoreham by Sea
on July 9th and 10th 2011. Check out their website here Chilli Fest Shoreham by Sea. I have looked through who is confirmed to attend so far and the chilli fest liquid bar looks very interestign as well as a hoast of other exhibitors new to me that I am eager to find out more about. If you are local you may already have seen their cool chile advertising.

The site promises that the  "Chilli Fest (UK) is all about bringing together people for a total fun day out for chilli lovers alike but more importantly fun for all the family whether you like chilli or not. Chilli Fest (UK) events will host a variety of independent chilli traders & growers from all over the UK selling products like chilli plants & seeds, tastings & eating in abundance ranging from special mild to hot curries, snacks, chilli vodka cocktails and chilli shooters. Also mild to the very hot chilli sauces, jellies, salsas, breads, chutneys, relishes, marinades, nuts and crisps, chilli chocolate, chilli ice cream, chilli beer and chilli fruit juices to sample and all on sale"

It sounds like there will be something for everyone at the festival so come and support the local event and help make it a success and get soem chilli in your system. Ill be there and ill let you know what I think about the two days when ive been.

See you there!

Chilli Fest Shoreham by Sea July 9th and 10th