A new growing season 2012

Over recent months my work has unfortunately taken over all of my blogging time but has not quite taken away my chili time yet. I have worked my way through around 30 bottles of chilli sauce since my last blog and have begun this years growing in February.

This year i hope to be successful growing my own jalapeño, habanero, chilly willi chilli, Hungarian black chilli, yellow scotch bonnets, cayenne peppers, ring of fire and Serrano Picked up from the wahaca restaurant in London.

I am also attempting this post using an iPod for the first time so I hope it looks ok too

Support Award Winning @grimreaperfoods

Please support my good chilli friend at Grim Reaper Foods – Specialist Chilli Products – Heat That Comes For You…

Grim Reaper foods is applying to enterprise nation to gain some funding to be able to bring new and more products to you the good people of chilli land. Click the link below to register your vote and help him reach that magic number  to continue exciting your taste buds!

http://www.enterprisenation.com/funding-applications/grim-reaper-foods-ltd/#comments

Our family run business based in Herts create chilli sauces, chilli chocolates, and soon locally pressed chilli infused rapeseed oils. This year we have been invited to a local chilli festival in Bedford on fathers day, however we have no marquee, banners, tables etc which are essential to have for a stall. Also, our website is just a holding page, and requires attention (and funds!) We would love the £500 to boost us towards making these projects a reality, so we can increase the heat in the chilli world, face to face and via the web.

To pick of some of the Grim Reapers products now click this link Grim Reaper's Chilli Chocolate Trio: Hell Raiser, Black Widow and Purgatory and go exploring, enjoy!

Thank you for your support!

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/

Chilli Pepper Plant Pictures from West Dean Gardens

Here are some pictures taken from the chilli fiesta at West Dean Gardens in 2010. How many of these had you heard of before? Hopefully these chili plant pictures will give you some inspiration of what seeds to pick up at this years festivals and garden shows to grow your own at home.

Aji Brazilian Chilli Pepper





Yellow Mushroom Chilli Pepper







Venezuelan Cone Chilli Pepper

Tricolour Variegata Chilli Pepper

Black Cuban Chilli Pepper



Chilli Pepper



Baloon Chilli Pepper

Purple Tiger Chilli Pepper

Conchos F1 Chilli Peppers

Clavo Chilli Pepper

Esplendor Chilli Pepper

Iranian Round Chilli Pepper

Golden Nugget Chilli Pepper

Top Ten chilli Hot Sauces

I came across this article from the independent news paper listing the 'top ten hot sauces' I have to say this list was probably not complied by a true chilli head. It got me thinking what my top ten sauces would be, I have so many that I am finding it hard to choose. There is an excellent collection of lists from some true chilli heads here on Scott Roberts site Thinking through what would be in my top ten and decided that I cant rank them in my mind but these sauces are usually stocked in my chilli shelf at home. Leave your comments below what would be in your top ten!

I have added a link to each Hot Sauce so you can pick some up for your self or find out more

The Evil One Hot Sauce by Grim Reaper foods - UK

Hatari Acid Rain Sauce by Hatari Hot sauces - Canada

Oak Smoked Chipotle Sauce Upton Cheyney Chilli Company - UK

The Rookie Goblin by Grim Reaper foods

Chillipepper Pete's Naga Headhunter Sauce

Pleasure & Pain Smokin' Scotch Bonnet & Mustard Hot Sauce

CaJohn's Holy Jolokia Hot Sauce

Mad Dog 357 Extreme Mustard Sauce

Tazmanian Devil Sauce - Chilli Pepper Pete - uk

Dave's Gourmet Ghost Pepper Naga Jolokia Hot Sauce

There are also so many sauces I have yet to try and so many new quality producers springing up everywhere so this list and my shelves will grow