If you are a chilli lover the West Dean Chilli Fiesta in East Sussex is an event worth visiting. Held over 3 days in August, you can see: over 300 chillies and peppers on display in the glorious glass houses; join the chilli growing and cooking demonstrations; taste all things chilli including chilli ice cream and beer; buy chilli products and plants.
Our own cherry bomb peppers
Readers of this blog will know by now that we grow our own chillies and have a green house full of different varieties, including the wonderful cherry bomb peppers which are thriving at the moment. I came back from the festival with 2 new chilli plants, a masquerade and a medusa. I also bought chocolates, sauces, smoked chilli flakes and a few other chilli items for my collection. One of my favourite stands was Edible Ornamentals, growers of more than 40 different varieties of chillies - my idea of chilli heaven!
Edible Ornamentals - beautiful peppers and chillies
Poblano peppers from Edible Ornamentals
The huge glass houses at West Dean Gardens, where they grow chillies, tomatoes etc
Chilli varieties on display
Plants in the glass houses
Beautiful gardens at West Dean
How to look after your plants
Leave your plants safely in the creche while you enjoy the festival
Chilli paraphernalia
Long queues for chilli chocolate ice cream from the delicious Choc Star Van
Raspberry, white chocolate & chilli truffles from Montezuma's, mmmm...
One of my new plants - "chilli masquerade"
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16 comments:
This is definitely chili heaven Nic.
Wow - thats a whole lot of chillies! Hubby would be there for sure, if it wasn't the other end of the country. Looks like so much fun and a great idea to focus on one simple ingredient like that - great concept!
Wowo that is what i call a chillie feast indeed, i so wish we had something like this here.
this is most definitely my kind of festival. i love me some chiles in any shape, color, size, or degree of heat. :)
WOW! I have just completed a project on chillis at work, this festival would have been perfect to go to for my research! Oh well! I am very sad habaneros are out of season as they were at the top of our wishlist. Seems like the perfect fest for you fellow chilli and chocolate lover :)
An original fiesta and an impressive number of chilli varieties !
Oooh I would have loved to have been there!
Thanks for sharing this festival with us!!
Lovely pictures too! I also have 1 large red chili plant at home & I have about 30 to 40 chilis!! Yeah!!
I would love to go to this tasty festival to learn more about the variaties, etc!!
Valli - it is! I was in my own chilli heaven, lol!
Chele - shame you don't have one near you, but they are springing up everywhere nowdays!
Happy Cook - aww, sorry you don't have any near you.
Grace - chilli heads unite!!
Hazel - that sounds interesting, what sort of project was it?
Vanille - it was most impressive and it gets bigger each year.
Jan - wish you could have come too!
Sophie - that's a lot of chillies! How wonderful, are they turning red at the moment?
Hey, love your blog, am also a big chilli fan (perhaps we can link and write for each others blogs if you like) - I went to West Dean and thought it was awesome - was it me or when you walked through the sunken greenhouse - were you tempted to help yourself? My girlfriend had a stern watch on me to make sure I behaved (which I did!)
Chilli-Alex - thanks and welcome!
Ha ha, I would loved to have snuck some of those chillies into my pocket, they were truly beautiful!
I have added you to my links page you can get to it on the right hand side bar.
Aren't food festivals great? I recently attended a mango festival. Love the look of those pepper chocolates - yum
I'm so glad to finally get a glimpse of the chilli you're aptly named after adn I love your purple ones. I would have LOVED this festival because I love chili and because I've started learning a bit about the nuances of the different varieties. What fun.
I would have spent all my time at the chilli display.
i love chillis! wish i could be there!
I love the chili masquerade and pinned it to my pinterest board :) http://pinterest.com/pin/354447433143985283/
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