Chilefoundry Newsletter September 2009
A summary of articles from the Chilefoundry during September 2009, click the links to see the full stories.
Hot Headz & Scorchio Top 10 Products? — ? September 2009 — Each month we look at the best selling products from some of the UK largest retailers, this gives us and you an idea of what is selling well (So what we need to review)
Wessex Chilli Festival – Event Report — This is the first year for the Wessex Chilli Festival, which was held in the Cheese and Grain Hall in Frome, Somerset. Matt Simpson the Organiser from Simpsons Seeds had done an great job in getting a range of exhibitors to the event. This is best described as a small local event chilli event (I am sure they all start this way) and all the exhibitors I spoke to had an excellent time with a steady stream of interested customers.
Top 10 UK Chilli Web Sites — September 2009 — Who’s web site draws the most traffic, by looking at this list you cannot help that draw the conclusion that the number of quality links to a site has a significant benefit on it number of visitors (Google we understand uses the number and quality of the links to a site as part of it PageRank™ system), if you look at the content of the sites at the top of the listing you also find that the amount of textural content is also a major factor.
ChilliPepperPete Naga Tested at 85,540 Scoville Units higher that current world record holder — Warwick University has been testing the ChilliPepperPete Naga and it has recorded 1,086,844 Scoville Units (SHU), the current Guinness Book of Records holder is set at 1,001,304 SHU that’s 85,540 SHU lowers..
Blair Launches new 2am & 3am to celebrate 20th Anniversary — The new 2am & 3am Reserves are 20% hotter and in bottles 50% larger than the previous versions originally launched in the mid-1990’s.
Do you make a winning Hot Sauce? — Do you think you can make a winning Hot Sauce,Chutney or even a Chilli Jam, then why not enter you favourite recipe into The Fire Foods — Amateur Scoville Awards 2009 and see how it stands up against the rest.
Chilli Variety — Cheyenne F1 — The Cheyenne F1 is part of the Capsicum Annuum Spices of chillies, it is a compact, bushy, early ripening variety, which grows to about 45cm high.
Blair’s Habanero Crisps back in stock at Hot-Headz! — One of my favourite snacks Blair’s Habanero Crisps is back in stock at Hot-Headz, I have missed these over the past few months, so before they go missing again, try some.
“10 Minute Burn” Hot Sauce Banned from The Fiery Foods Show — Gerald from The Chilli Pepper Company new sauce “10 Minute Burn” was removed from sale at Fiery Foods Show after a number of customers who tried it suffered what was described as “an Episode” and ended up rolling around on the grass in pain.
Video’s Chilli Eating Contest — Fiery Foods 2009 — Video’s Chilli Eating Contest — Fiery Foods 2009 — Thanks to Gabys Hot Stuff for posting these on Youtube
Chilli Seriously Strong Spreadable Cheese — The spread is a light yellow colour with flecks of pepper; it has the texture is thick but spreadable. There is a definite taste of Cheddar with some mild chilli warmth, there is little chilli flavour.
Wessex Chilli Festival 27th Sept at the Cheese and Grain Hall in Frome — Matt Simpson from Simpsons Seeds has started his own Chilli Festival, this will be it’s first year, it is being held in the Cheese and Grain Hall in Frome on the 27th Sepetember.
Crazy Charley – Jalapeno Heaven Pouring Sauce — I love this sauce, we used to sell lots of it but only once we could get customers to taste it. It is difficult to describe it flavour, just imagine Jalapeno’s mixed with Tomato sauce and Worcester sauce and you have got it.
The Chilli Company — Mendlesham, Suffolk — Created by Adrian and Denise Nuttall who started growing and making sauces in 2001 The Chilli Company has grown over the years and in 2006 they moved to larger premises in Mendlesham and opened the Chilli Farm.
Gareth Boughtwood Wins Fiery Foods Chilli Eating Contest- Nine contestants put their bodies to the test to eat the World’s Hottest Chillies at the Fiery Foods Festival in Victoria Gardens, Brighton.
The Chilli Garden — Scotch Bonnet Sauce — The sauce tastes salty with a hot with a fruity tang from the Scotch Bonnet it is a typical Louisiana style sauce, excellent as part of a dressing or a condiment with roast potatoes.
Chilli Art by Rachel McCullock — Rachel has had her work published in Calendars and on Christmas Cards and has exhibited her work around the UK, she started painting for pleasure and has rapidly generated a lot of interest in her work with its bold, vibrant and energetic paintings.
She does not just paint Chillies, but her paintings include wildlife to majestic coastal scenes as well as representational images and textural abstracts.
Video Interview with Sarah Wain at West Dean 2009 — Sarah’s horticultural career began in Australia where she trained for three years and obtained a Diploma in Horticultural Science at Burnley Horticultural College, Melbourne.
Darth Naga Video Interview with Gerald Fowler — The Chilli Pepper Company — The Chilli Pepper Company’s root go back about 10 Years, When Gerald grew chillies and harvesting the seeds, he’d passed these on to friends and family, this grew by word of mouth, now they even supply West Dean and Kew Gardens. The seeds are now imports, as they use all the chillies they grow in their own sauces and powders.
Bar King Nuts – Chihuahua Chilli Nuts — The blurb says “Nuts with more bite that bark” while the nuts taste great, a good mixture of Peanuts, Cashews and Almonds, the coating has very little bite, they need a good dose more Chipotle to be at all interesting, these are very mild and it is hard to find the smoked Chipotle flavour.
ChilliPepperPete — Dragons Blood Video Review — The label on this bottle of “Dragons Blood” is colourful and has the new “chillipepperpete” branding and logo all over it, it has the now famous picture of a dragon against a nice green and red background, the label also claims this to be “an extreme heat product” and given that this sauce has come from the award winning “Chillipepperpete” i don’t doubt the claim for one second!
ChilliPepperPete’s — Red Headhunter Sauce — I will however say that i had the awesome chance to meet the gentlemen at the recent West Dean Chilli Fiesta and it was a very good experience, Hot Juan introduced me to Pete who was happy to do a video interview for the ‘foundry and we had a nice chat about all things hot. When you first meet him he kinder reminds you of a hippy dude who just loves chile’s and everything to do with them, you’ll be able to see the interview here at the ChileFoundry in time, but for now let’s get on with the sauce!!
Cottage Delight– Habanero Chilli Steak Sauce — The sauce I bring to you all today is made by a company that was conceived way back in 1974 by a man named Nigel cope, the “Cottage Delight” brand was first placed on their popular fudge range, and nowadays thirty odd years down the line they have over 700 products in their range a lot of which are made in house.
Beelzebubs Breath — Hell and Back — Hot Chilli Sauces — Ahhh another day means another quality review for the Chilefoundry!! and today I’m reviewing a sauce made from my favourite pepper, the Naga Jolokia of course! This sauce comes to us from a company based here in the UK and known to the world as “Hell and back — Hot chilli sauces”, the company was started by two brothers a while back who decided to build a website where you could buy the hottest and most flavoursome of both UK and US hot sauces, mustards and other things, therefore in essence creating a one stop shop for all things hot!!
Joanna Plumb’s — Cheesy Chilli Cauliflower Soup — Joanna Plumb from Edible Ornamentals has sent us a recipe for a Cauliflower Soup that sounds very interesting and should be quick and simple to make, it uses their Pure Heat Chilli Sauce, which is you don’t have it can be substituted with some fresh chillies.
ChilliPepperPete’s — Satan’s Shit Video Review — I’ve said all the prayers necessary..lined my stomach with bread and milk..left all my worldly possessions to Hot Juan…now it’s time to man up and try this stuff..
Chilliqueen — Relaunched with New Products and Branding — Chilliqueen is being relaunched with a new design of packaging and a new range of products with designs from famous Scottish illustrator, Clare Mackie.
How HOT can you take it? — Now prove it — Leading up to the Firey Food Event in Brighton the organisers are running a number of special event to find a chilli eating champion.
Video Interview — Stuart McAllister from Hot-Headz — At West Dean this year, Darth and Mrs Naga visited a few of the well know names and made a number of short video interviews, This one is with Stuart McAllister of Hot-Headz AKA Dr Hotz.
National Chilli Awards 2009 — the finals! — The National Chilli Awards is taking place at the Fiery Foods UK Event in Brighton on the 19th September. When you go to the event you get a voting slip so you can help decide which products are getting into the final, once you votes are counted the top three from each category are then put forward to the judges who select a winner.
Jamaican Jerk Paste Recipe — There is a unique taste to Jamaican BBQ, and that comes from the Jerk Seasoning. I developed this from a dry powder recipe I found a long time ago, like most recipes they develop over time, I have added some cloves to my version, but you could leave this out if you wanted, there are also a number of optional ingredients you could add dependent on your tastes.
The Fire Foods — Amateur Scoville Awards 2009 — This years Amateur Scovile awards will take place at the Old Courthouse pub in Cove, Farnborough, Hampshire. GU14 0EU. on October 17th at 20:00.
Zhoug / Zhoog or Zhug — The Yemen Green Chilli Sauce — Zhoug is a green chilli sauce from the Yemen where they believe that eating zhoug daily keeps away illness and strengthens the heart (Latest medical evidence probably support that).
Darth Naga to be Judge at National Chilli Awards 2009 — Our very own Darth Naga is going to be Judge at the National Chilli Awards 2009, which are part of the Firey Foods Show in Brighton. Judging will take place at the Old Steine Fiery Foods in September from 6pm on the Saturday. You are more than welcome to stay and watch the judges try all the finalists..There should be tears!!
Chile Pepper Company — Be Damned Extreme Chilli Sauce — the sauce i have here is the newest sauce to come from the Chile Pepper Company, and its known as “Be Damned” and by crikey judging from the label and colour of the contents alone I will be!!! The bottle itself sports a very colourful and glossy label with a picture of Beelzebub himself on it, it also has the CPC name and website address and “Handmade in Cumbria” proudly emblazoned on the front!
Edible Ornamentals becomes a regional Food Hero — Edible Ornamentals, Shawn and Joanna Plumb have been voted as regional finalists in the Local Food Heroes competition staged by Good Food cookery show Market Kitchen. Based in Chawston they have been selected by a panel of expert judges as one of the top three food providers in the Anglian region and will be featured in the next series of the show, due to be broadcast in November.
Levi Roots — Reggae Reggae Sauce — The sauce I’m tasting today comes all the way from Jamaica, and from a man by the name of Levi Roots. His legacy started with his grandmother over 35 years ago, where she was making the sauce with “secret” herbs and spices, she handed the recipe down to him and in 1991 he took the sauce to the Notting Hill carnival where it became so popular that its now an annual fixture!
Chillies could be used to prevent & treat diabetes and cardiovascular disease — At the UTAS School of Human Life Sciences a research team is investigating the biological activity of the two active ingredients of chillies – capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin.
Fire Foods — Chilli Innovation — Nick Woods (Woody to his friends) started Fire Foods after being give some chilli plants, soon he was hooked on the heat and disappointed in the locally available products he started to make his own, based in Grantham Lincolnshire, the business uses only the finest ingredients fresh ingredients.
ChileFoundry Traffic Report — August 2009 >17,000 Pages — We have been growing very quickly since we started the blog, in August we served over 16,000 pages a large jump on the month before during which we served 6000+ pages and over 2000 the month before.
Chilli Festival Benington Lordship 2009 — Who knew chillies were so popular? - The 4th annual Chilli Festival in the picturesque village of Benington took place on the 30th and the 31st of August this year.








