Thousands attend this year’s Great Dorset Chilli Festival 2014

Last weekend saw the Great Dorset Chilli festival return for the fourth year with over 10,000 people attending the chilli fiesta. Taking place in St Giles’ Park, Wimborne, over 100 traders and caterers showcased their varieties of chilli plants, sauces and seeds as well as cooking demonstrations taking place over the weekend.

With talks from local experts, live music and Falconry displays organisers have deemed this year another success with festival Director Miles Halton reporting that: “Torrential rain on Saturday morning failed to cool the heat of the chillies and we had a fabulous weekend.

“We are so pleased that visitors and traders alike commented on the wonderful atmosphere that has become a hallmark of the event.”

The atmosphere is really unique, with a Mexican Mariachi band performing amongst the crowds, alongside a stilt-walking fire breather. Traders came from across the country to sell their chilli products, whilst artisan food producers and spicy street food vendors served a huge variety of cuisines, from Vietnamese baguettes to Vegetarian Pakoras.

Over the course of the weekend, the tasting tent was busy with a steady stream of visitors wishing to cast their vote to determine which traders produce the best chilli sauces, chutneys and jams.

The results were as follows:

1^st Mild Sauce – Serenity, Simpson’s Seeds

2^nd Mild Sauce – Fruity, The Wiltshire Chilli Farm

1^st Medium Sauce – Sweet Chilli Sauce with Garlic, The Garlic Farm

2^nd Medium Sauce – Hot Lemon, Fat Man Chilli

1^st Hot Sauce – Scorchio, Fat Man Chilli

2^nd Hot Sauce – Dan’s Hot Sauce, Edible Ornamentals

1^st Chutney – Hot Chilli Chutney, The Cherry Tree

2^nd Chutney – Chilli Piccallili, Adam’s Tasty Chilli Sauces

1^st Jam – A Bit Chilli! Lemon Drop Curd, A Bit Chilli!

2^nd Jam - Garlic Jam with Red Chilli, The Garlic Farm

All of the winners were delighted with their prestigious rosettes, but none more so than Sarah Nias from The Cherry Tree who entered her Hot Chilli Chutney simply to test the response – she hasn’t even begun selling it yet!  Shawn Plumb was also delighted with winning second place in the first sauce competition he had ever entered his products into.

As always, the Chilli Eating Competition drew huge crowds towards the end of each day. Ten brave competitors from as far afield as Manchester took on ten rounds of increasingly hot chillies.  With the support of the crowd they suffered through the pain. James Harrold of Bournemouth, the reigning 2013 champion, retained his title on Saturday, whilst Steven Kingsley from the aptly named ‘Charmouth’ scooped first place and the goody bag on Sunday.  Both will be able to wear their Chilli Eating Champion T-Shirts with pride!

The dates for 2015 have already been set so make a note in your diaries that Dorset’s Hottest Weekend will be taking place on Saturday 1^st and Sunday 2^nd August!