Wow where has the time gone this year?  It’s as if I’ve blinked & it was Christmas 2015!  Nanna Chillees tells me that it’s a sign of getting older.  Well you can’t argue with that, although I’m sure that one day Chilli will be the Holy Grail of Anti-Aging, Cancer (Oh I truly hope so!), Slimming aid oh & of course the ultimate question of Life, the Universe, and Everything!  Well you gotta dream…… besides we all know that the latter is 42! (Now I’m feeling old!)

Anyway enough waffling already….  So what have we been up to; you guessed it, potting chilli seeds.  To be honest that started a while ago (Did I say I was a bit behind with my blogs, sorry all!) Boxing Day to be exact. 

Throughout Christmas Nick is like a school boy waiting for Father Christmas to arrive, no not for the presents (that is unless they contain more chilli seeds of course) or for the Christmas Day meal, although I must say that was wonderful, local & shamefully not a chilli in sight (Nanna Chillees was present so no chilli roast potatoes, sad moment!) But it was for him to officially start the 2016 growing season by sowing his first chilli seed. 

Now some may think that sad, but I can assure you the achievement when that first seed was lovingly placed in the prewarmed compost was apparent all over his face; just like the cat that got the cream. 
Then the rest of the Boxing Day events of eating, drinking & snoring on the sofa can commence.  That’s the life.

Worry not dear reader…..

The chilli babies did pop through & soon a mini chilli baby forest was being neutered in propagators & lights.

This years’ grow list has increased, yet again (only slightly obsessed!), as you will know, Nick always likes to grow some different varieties each year to try the chillies for their flavour.  So this year along with the usual suspects that we use in our products (Dorset Naga, Bengle Naga, Scotch Bonnet, Jamaican Jerk, Fire, Cayenne, Jalapeno, 7 Pot Yellow, Aji Lemon, Trinidad Morouga, Butch T, Red Habanero & Reapers) he’s also growing a few others, so of which are;

• Primotalii
• Fatalii Jigsaw
• Aji Fantasy
• Hot Fingers
• Golden Cayenne
• Ring of Fire
• Numex Twilight

Some of which are grown for display plants & ones for us to have in the garden too, pretty ones, like Twilight always brighten up a patio area.

If you still haven’t planted your chilli seeds, don’t panic, there are a couple of genuine seed producers, who produce Plug plants & later plants for your to purchase.  Pop over to Sea Spring Seeds (Joy & Michael) or Simpson Seeds (Matt) we happily recommend either company for their quality.  They have years of experience & passion for chillies.

So what now…… the chilli babies are slowly starting to move into their temporary home of the greenhouse, on heated mats and tucked in with lots of bubble wrap, snug as little bugs in a rug.  Then once the greenhouse is busting at the seams, they will be moved into the poly tunnel, once the risk of frost has gone (who knows when that’ll be).

In the meantime, we put our feet up & wait………  Oh sorry there I go dreaming again!  It’s that time of the year when events need to be booked, products need to be made, paperwork never ends & then the nice bit, we get to experiment in the kitchen, woohoo!  It’s like being a big kid again, making mud pies but with chilli ;)  We’re really lucky to have some incredible local growers & their produce’s flavours are second to none.  Selecting the best ingredients to compliment the chilli flavour is my job & I’m a fussy mare, it has to be right, or it just doesn’t go in. 

We’ve also done our first event of the year in Dunster’s Tithe Barn, the Exmoor Food Fest.  A new event for us & it was really lovely to see some old friends as well as meet new ones.  It’s often the case that when working for yourself you can go without seeing others for weeks (awww, get the violins out) so our Farmers’ Markets & events are a chance to get out; or as Nick would put it, when I’m allowed out! Bless him!

This year we have cut back on a number of Chilli events, basically there are now so many of them around, also one every week throughout the summer months, that they don’t have that special feel any longer.  So we have picked what we feel are the best feeling events, great atmospheres & they still have a proper Chilli Festival feel.

So this year it allows us to concentrate on more local events, not easy with chilli firms from other areas taking the available places.  Now this is one of my pet hates (prepare yourselves for a bit of a rant!).  I love Somerset & I’m really passionate about our incredible producers, yet unlike Devon or Dorset events who favour their own county’s producers over another & champion their producers, Somerset organisers seem to let any Tom, Dick or Harry in & don’t show any favour towards their own local producers over mass produced. 

Overpriced events that mean local producers can’t afford the inflated prices & then they have to accept who ever applies just to fill the spaces.  Meaning in the long run that Somerset Producers are finding it more & more difficult to find events that will allow them in, outside of the county & yet duplicate producers from neighbouring counties are on a winner, as Somerset lets in anyone. Shame on Somerset, take a leaf out of Devon & Dorset’s book & start championing our own county (not just Bristol though please, as companies do exist outside of that city).

Right enough of that! 

No.5 has just received a review from Sam & the lads from the Wiltshire Chilli Club.  This is the first review that No.5 has had; currently the hottest in our range.
A no added sugar sauce with Butch T & Trinidad Morouga Scorpion Chillies in to give it a little sting; definitely a builder-upper sauce.  See that the lads made of it.

So what’s next?  Well we have lots to do before our main events season starts in May & new regulations for labelling means more testing & label changes. I may even get around, after 3 years, to create a proper logo; don’t hold your breath though as I’m not good at making decisions! (Hangs her head in shame)

Nick will be lovingly stroking his chillies & talking sweet nothings to them to grow strong & produce lots of chillies. 

Of course he will remain the chief taster to make sure my creations are hot enough.  However he may need some milk for one of them I’m working on……

On that bombshell, as the twit from Top Gear should say… I will leave you until the next blog; will try not to leave it so long this time.


Much love everyone,

Mrs C  x

Whilst Nick’s off at the North East Chilli Festival in Newcastle, I have some peace and quiet to catch up on the blog, just so you don’t think I’ve forgotten about you all.

Well we are officially past the longest day of the year, can you believe it?  I must be getting old, as the months are just whizzing by; well I prefer to think it’s just that I’m enjoying what I am doing, so the time passes quicker.  ;)

June has been an eventful month for us, we started off with our Niece’s wedding, to a chilli head none the less.  I hasten to add he and Nick get on like a house on fire (no pun intended). 

Then, excitedly the delivery of our new growing system arrived.  Cassie, the #ChilleeDog took guard, until Nick got home.  Talk about a kid in a sweetie shop.  It’s a big old outlay for our little business, nevertheless it’s something that the chillies will love enough to produce lush green plants and lots of delicious pods, we hope.  We’ll take more photos of the set up once we have finished planting, (I know, I know, we are sooooo far behind this year!) when the system is fully in place.

The biggie this month was that, after 30 years with the same group, Nick finally left his job to become a full-time self-employed Chilli-prneur.  A HUGE jump, especially when we know it’s never gonna make us millions, but it’s gonna make us happy.  Definitely something to be said about that, after family loses and health scares this year, the only thing we’ll regret is if we don’t try!

So what else has happened?  Well picked up another award, this time for the Best Trade stand in Show at the Bridport Food Festival.  Nick’s positive that is was down to the person who dropped off the stuff at the event, not the one who set it up and was behind the stall!  Clearly!!!

Apologies if you’d tried to contact us this month, there were a couple of days then the phone was cancelled.  Nick, bless him, lost the phone, so we had to cancel and wait for a replacement SIM.  So apologies if you have missed us.  

Phones were a bone of contention that week; are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin……

The last Friday of the month was National Bring your Dog to Work Day, so we decided Nick (now a man of leisure) and ChilleeDog would join me at Langport Market.  They’d go for a lovely walk and then come back to see me around lunchtime. 
The next thing I knew was Nick walking toward me with no shoes on.  I’m thinking to myself “please put your shoes on, you look unkept!” Then I notice his shorts where dripping wet, so was the dog!  Mud all over his legs and feet; the pair of them looked somewhat bedraggled, to say the least!  ChilleeDog had managed to fall into the River; although she was swimming, her back legs where caught up in the weeds.  The bank, being a good 3/4ft drop, Nick couldn’t reach her. 
She’s now starting to panic and going under, poor little pup, only 8 months.
That’s it, Nick’s jumps, throws her up onto the bank and then thinks, “how the heck do I get out?” Bank too steep, nothing to grab hold of, doing the whole Indian Jones thing as the plants keep feeding throw his hands, so had to resort to “HELP! “  Fortunately a passer-by stopped and offered to pull Nick out.  Nick looked at her very politely said, that she’d not be able to get his “hoffing gurt frame” out (his words not mine).  After spotting a jetty to swim, he eventually clambered up the bank.   
Poor beggar was somewhat shaken, but I was so lucky that I didn’t lose them both, good job Nick’s a good swimmer.  THEN he remembers the phone with the new SIM card he’d installed that morning, along with the van keys where in his pocket!  Takes out the phone, which now is as muddy as his feet; bugger!

Oh we do see adventure in sunny zummerset.  Although it may be just ‘cause we be a bit daft! ;)

Right I best stop my waffling, if you’d made it this far down the page, hope you’ve enjoyed my ramblings.   

Until next time, promise more chilli stuff then, may even be a Limited Edition Sauce to announce too. 

Much love, as always.

Mrs C x

May blossom is out & so are the award this month.

Earlier in the year we entered four of our sauces in the Taste of the West.  When the results where announced, we were over the moon to find each had won an award.

Indian Fire (was Mango Mayhem) - Bronze
Orangatongue Tingler - Bronze
Yellow Peril - Bronze
Smoky Jo - Silver

Then at the Devon Chilli Fiesta the public voted our Yellow Peril the Best Hot Sauce in a blind testing; a wonderful achievement with so many other great sauce producers there from all over the country.  The award means so much, when you know it was voted by the public's taste buds, we were so very chuffed.

Our Strawberry & Bengle Naga Chilli Jam was also runner up for the Best Preserves, coming second to our good friends at Galloway Chillies for their Chilli Burns Preserve, yummy it was too.

Awards are a lovely boost when we strive to bring out the best flavours we can, but our public award meant so very much to us both; after all, it's you we are making it for.  So thank you very much.

Nick & Fran x

Mrs Chillees’ Bread and Butter Pudding

Ingredients

6 slices of bread

75g Butter

Lashings of “Wake up before you Go-Go” Chilli Marmalade

60g Mixed Dried Fruit

50g Soft Brown Sugar

3 Free Range Eggs (if you’re lucky you may get a double yoker)

1 pint of Milk (can use half milk & half cream is feeling really decadent)

 

Method

Butter a 2 pint casserole/pudding dish.

Butter the bread & then spread on Chilli Marmalade.

Cut the crusts off if you want, (but they’ll make your hair curl, so Nanna Chillees always told me) & Cut into Triangles

Place half the bread in the buttered dish & scatter over the dried fruit & half of the sugar.

Top with the remaining bread placed so the points of triangles are pointing skywards.

Beat milk & eggs together & pour over the bread.  The scatter the remaining sugar over the top.

Leave to stand for at least half an hour.  Then place in a preheated oven at 160c, Gas mark 3.  Bake for 35-40 mins, until custard is set & top is crispy.

 

Serve warm with Clotted Cream & a glass of Cider, yum.