Dave's Not So Insane Sauces

If you’ve shopped in Asda or Tesco, you will probably recognise Dave’s Gourmet Sauces. You may even have been brave enough to taste the award-winning, and aptly named, Insanity Sauce that made the Dave’s brand so infamous when it was crowned Hottest Sauce in The World during the nineties and became the only sauce to ever be banned from the National Fiery Food Show.

The Dave’s brand is not just about insanely hot sauces. Although you won’t find all of his sauces on the supermarket shelves, you can buy them at The Devil’s Garden. In fact, we have an array of speciality sauces from Dave’s Gourmet range that contain fresh ingredients and simply ooze unique scents and flavours.

In the medium-hot range of sauces is Ginger and Peach, it’s a sweet sauce of medium heat that’s very fruity making it a great compliment to chicken, fish, pork or even lamb. Dave’s Jammin’ Jerk is so mild you’ll be checking the ingredients to make sure there really is Habanero peppers in the bottle. It’s a fusion of seasonings with a Jamaican twist that add up to a great meat marinade or for use as a table sauce at your next BBQ’s. Up the hotter end of the scale we have Hurtin’ Jalapeno and Hurtin’ Habanero, whose names really do speak for themselves! Another favourite is Crazy Caribbean is a zesty hot sauce with tropical vegetables and Rican Red Habanero; add a dash to soups, noodles or rice recipes to spice up your food. For red meats and tomato based sauces we highly recommend Dave’s Roasted Red Pepper and Chipotle sauce or, for a more traditional hot sauce we also stock Dave’s Scotch Bonnet Hot Sauce which will add heat and fragrance to any dish.

With such a huge variety of flavours to choose from, there is pretty much a Dave’s sauce to suit every palette. But you won’t find these speciality sauces on the supermarket shelves; it will take a visit to The Devil’s Garden if you wish to honour your pantry cupboard with their presence...

Chilli Pepper Pete's Dragon's Blood Hot Sauce

Chilli Pepper Pete is renowned for his unique hot sauces that combine not only innovativeness but also great flavour and of course a lot of heat!!
From curry sauces such as Nagaloo or Goan to the Loo, hot sauces such as Dragon Hunter, Sphincter Shrinker or the Naga Headhunter trilogy and many other chilli produce like Jamaican Chutney, Chilli Chocolate Sauce and even chilli pastes like Just Scotch Bonnets or Hotter than Hell, Chilli Pepper Pete seems to cater for every kind of chilli head. His chilli oils such as 12 Naga Pod Oil or Peri-Peri Oil are also of the highest quality although rather scary!
Despite being a bit overshadowed lately by the Chilli Pepper Company set up in Cumbria who has managed to produce evil hot sauces such as 10 Minute Burn and of course Naga Viper Hot Sauce made with one of the hottest chillies in the world, Chilli Pepper Pete is still one of the most known and respected chilli producer in the UK and has roped in a lot of his own family to pursue this line of business with him.
One of Chilli Pepper Pete’s hot sauces that made him famous is of course Dragon’s Blood. Dragon Slayer and Dragon’s Blood Batch 13 quickly followed but Dragon’s Blood is the hot sauce that won prestigious awards as you could say it is the quintessence of what a hot sauce should be.
Made with vinegar, pineapple, fresh naga, naga Bih Jolokia, Aleppo Chilli Flakes, sugar and oh, just a smidget of 6.4 MSU Chilli Extract this hot sauce is definitely not for the faint-hearted!!
A single bottle of 100 ml should last you a while as only a few drops are enough to crank the heat level of your food to the extreme in a jiffy! This hot sauce is definitely one of our bestsellers and our customers at the Devil’s Garden keep coming back for more. Some might think it is just a hot sauce to get in order to pull a funny prank on work colleagues or friends but the flavour of Chilli Pepper Pete’s Dragon’s Blood is also what a lot of people are after.
Quite a lot of our customers like Chilli Pepper Pete’s Red Naga Headhunter hot sauce as the ingredients are more or less the same minus the chilli extract so available to more palates. In Dragon’s Blood the fresh tasting aroma of pineapple counterbalances the chilli extract beautifully and you can carry on tasting it on your tongue long after the burn has gone. The hot sauce itself is of a great consistency, thick and rich but not too intense. Its components also don’t seem to separate in the bottle like so many other hot sauces do which means that the hot sauce keeps its integrity for longer.
We usually have Chilli Pepper Pete’s Dragon’s Blood mixed in stews using tomatoes but also like sprinkling a few drops on cheese on toast for added effect! We also find that it makes a great dip when mixed in mayonnaise or even better: hummus!
Dragon’s Blood is a successful sauce, not only because of its heat and flavour but because of its versatility so do not hesitate to experiment with it. We have used it in numerous dishes and have never been disappointed although cockiness is soon tamed when you think you are used to it and can add that little bit more! Even for an experienced chilli consumer Chilli Pepper Pete’s Dragon’s Blood is still to use with extreme caution!

Dried chillies

Dried Chillies

Fresh chillies are everybody’s favourite but what are we to do during those long winter months when chilli cravings take hold of us, leaving us frustrated and eager for a chilli fix?
The answer is of course to use dried chillies. Many think that the flavour and heat get compromised during the drying process but fret not, this is definitely not the case. We have been drying our own chillies naturally and in a dehydrator for a while now and always get fantastic results. If anything the flavour is more concentrated due to the absence of water. Here are a few tips on how to handle and use them:

The first thing to remember is that, as with any dried goods, dried chillies have to be kept in the right conditions for them to last the distance. Dried chillies can be kept for years if stored right but for best results in flavour we would recommend using them within 6-8 months. Any airtight container will do the trick, a Tupperware being of course the best, but freezer bags work as well as long as kept in a dry, cool and dark place.

Now one might be tempted to think that since chillies are dried they are ok to handle and are not as harmful as fresh chillies. We have learned at our expense that this is not the case at all and would advise you to wear gloves or at least rinse your hands with lemon juice, either fresh or concentrate, after handling the dried chillies. For the hotter chillies such as Bhut Jolokia, Trinidad Scorpions, Scotch Bonnets or Habaneros you should really use a mask too as the micro particles coming out of the dried chillies can be pretty potent and irritate eyes.
The great thing with dried chillies is that you can use them whole, ground or chopped up but they can also be re-hydrated. To do so, immerse the dried chillies in a bowl full of hot water (not boiling as this will scorch the chilli skin) and leave to re-hydrate for at least 10-15 minutes. If your kids do not like chilli bits in their food you can always ground whole dried chillies using a small coffee grinder although if you want finely ground dried chillies we would recommend that you buy them as powder (such as Blair’s Death Rain shakers) or flakes (Dartmoor Chilli Farm’s ones are superb) as it can be pretty time-consuming and arduous to do it yourself. Professionals have specialist tools that turn dried chillies into really fine powders so why not leave it to the best?

A question that a lot of people ask us is how much dried chillies to use. Well of course it depends on how many people are coming round for dinner and what dish you are making. Milder dried chillies such as Pasilla, Guajillo, Ancho, Mulato or New Mexico can be used whole and even stuffed or roasted but hotter ones such as dried Chipotle, Habanero or De Arbol are to be handled carefully depending on your resistance to chilli of course. Half a habanero would be plenty for a 4 people meal for example while 1 or 2 De Arbol will really fire up your belly!
Versatility is immense with dried chillies so do not hesitate to try out various combinations of flavour or heat with your food until summer comes round again, bringing you gorgeous fiery pods!

Bim's Kitchen

Writing a simple blog about Bim's Kitchen is just impossible. This is the kind of brand that requires pause and carefully chosen words so we are already offering penance for the sin of quickly going over some of Bim's products without the proper attention it deserves.

After all, this is the brand that brought us the amazing African Pepper Spice Mill (and its handy refill!) as well as the African Herb and Spice Rub which takes pride of place amongst our many spices. We have had so many compliments for our food when using these spices it's unbelievable and although we'd like to take credit for it every time we have to give back to Bim's what belongs to Bim's!

The Spicy African Ketchup is just about the best ketchup there is currently out there and with definitely less chemicals and a deeper flavour than supermarket counterparts. One condiment that we use and abuse on a daily basis is Bim's Kitchen African Lemon, Garlic and Pepper Sauce as it encompasses staple ingredients that are necessary in any risotto, stir-fry or marinade worthy of the name.

We were seen keeling over when we tried Bim's curry pastes, may it be African Bean and Nut or the Melon Seed one. They are that good. Both are widely different but the fantastic thing about them is that they are more versatile than a simple curry. You can really use them as they are over vegetables or poured over chicken or lamb (good God the lamb!) at the last minute.

Again, it is too hard to go over everything in just a few words when it comes to Bim's Kitchen so this is why we highly recommend for you to check out this astonishing range so you don't miss out on any of it!!

Dried Chillies

 Dried Chillies

Fresh chillies are everybody’s favourite but what are we to do during those long winter months when chilli cravings take hold of us, leaving us frustrated and eager for a chilli fix?
The answer is of course to use dried chillies. Many think that the flavour and heat get compromised during the drying process but fret not, this is definitely not the case. We have been drying our own chillies naturally and in a dehydrator for a while now and always get fantastic results. If anything the flavour is more concentrated due to the absence of water. Here are a few tips on how to handle and use them:
The first thing to remember is that, as with any dried goods, dried chillies have to be kept in the right conditions for them to last the distance. Dried chillies can be kept for years if stored right but for best results in flavour we would recommend using them within 6-8 months. Any airtight container will do the trick, a Tupperware being of course the best, but freezer bags work as well as long as kept in a dry, cool and dark place.
Now one might be tempted to think that since chillies are dried they are ok to handle and are not as harmful as fresh chillies. We have learned at our expense that this is not the case at all and would advise you to wear gloves or at least rinse your hands with lemon juice, either fresh or concentrate, after handling the dried chillies. For the hotter chillies such as Bhut Jolokia, Trinidad Scorpions, Scotch Bonnets or Habaneros you should really use a mask too as the micro particles coming out of the dried chillies can be pretty potent and irritate eyes.
The great thing with dried chillies is that you can use them whole, ground or chopped up but they can also be re-hydrated. To do so, immerse the dried chillies in a bowl full of hot water (not boiling as this will scorch the chilli skin) and leave to re-hydrate for at least 10-15 minutes. If your kids do not like chilli bits in their food you can always ground whole dried chillies using a small coffee grinder although if you want finely ground dried chillies we would recommend that you buy them as powder (such as Blair’s Death Rain shakers) or flakes (Dartmoor Chilli Farm’s ones are superb) as it can be pretty time-consuming and arduous to do it yourself. Professionals have specialist tools that turn dried chillies into really fine powders so why not leave it to the best?
A question that a lot of people ask us is how much dried chillies to use. Well of course it depends on how many people are coming round for dinner and what dish you are making. Milder dried chillies such as Pasilla, Guajillo, Ancho, Mulato or New Mexico can be used whole and even stuffed or roasted but hotter ones such as dried Chipotle, Habanero or De Arbol are to be handled carefully depending on your resistance to chilli of course. Half a habanero would be plenty for a 4 people meal for example while 1 or 2 De Arbol will really fire up your belly!
Versatility is immense with dried chillies so do not hesitate to try out various combinations of flavour or heat with your food until summer comes round again, bringing you gorgeous fiery pods!

Mad Dog Collector's Hot Sauces

If there is one thing that the Mad Dog brand has taught us it’s to definitely not mess around with it! Having started making hot sauces in his own kitchen, David Ashley, the man behind the brand, has now made a very honourable name for himself in the chilli world as well as the general public. With infamous chilli sauces such as Liquid Fire, Ghost Pepper or Green Amigo, Mad Dog hot sauces are not for chilli beginners unless you have a good resistance to chillies... and/or have a death wish!

Mad Dog is particularly known for its range of collectors’ sauces, the most famous one being Mad Dog 357 Collectors Hot Sauce. Made with a mere 6 million Scoville Unit of chilli extract, this is a heat you have to experience to believe. It is so potent that Mad Dog provided a miniature sampling spoon that looks more fit for Lilliputians to use rather than actual humans! Despite its heat though you can definitely taste the fresh habanero chilli peppers that have been used as a base to this great chilli sauce.

Mad Dog 357 Silver Edition Hot Sauce is slightly different in the sense that cayenne chilli peppers have been introduced along with habaneros to form a tantalising mix that will leave you panting if you are still alive of course after being hit by Mad Dog’s 6 million SHU chilli extract! This is a whole new league of chilli heat and one that should never be underestimated! Again this bottle of hot sauce comes with the iconic bullet-shaped keyring containing the sampling spoon.

Although not technically Collectors’ hot sauces, Mad Dog’s Inferno Reserve Hot Sauce and Mad Dog’s Revenge are well worth mentioning as these are some of the bestsellers at the Devil’s Garden and with good reason.

Mad Dog’s Inferno Reserve Hot Sauce is as subtle as a machine gun and will hit you full on... with pleasure as much as with pain thanks to the mix of habanero chilli extract and Jalapeno chilli pepper whilst Mad Dog’s Revenge is just plain silly when it comes to heat as it is made with 1 million SHU chilli extract, enough to make your kitchen counter smoke if you spill a drop on it! (let it be clear that we are not advising you to try that out by the way!).

Mad Dog is and will remain one of the top players in the chilli world for a long time to come thanks to a wide range of fantastic hot sauces that in our point of view should all be made collectors’ items.

The Wiltshire Chilli Farm - Fruity Hot Sauces

It would be easy to go on and on about Wiltshire Chilli Farm's range of chilli products that ranges from the impressive right down to darn frigging amazing in our eyes! Take their fruity chilli sauces for example. Whether you go for the molten lava that is Wiltshire Chilli Farm's Mango Hot Sauce, the wonderfully orgasmic Sweet Chilli Sauce or Wiltshire Chilli Farm's Fruity Hot Sauce that is in our opinion the best apple-based chilli sauce currently on the market, there is something for every mood.

Wiltshire Chilli Farm's Sweet Chilli Sauce is particularly good as part of a Chinese meal or as a condiment for spring rolls, barbecued meats and definitely chips! The Fruity hot sauce from Wiltshire Chilli Farm as previously mentioned is apple-based and is more reminiscent of a good vintage cider than an apple crumble if you see what we mean. And if you don't just get yourself a bottle and tell us what you think!

We just love Wiltshire Chilli Farm, not only for their hard-working attitude but also because of their fabulous range of chilli salts, chilli jams and of course their savoury and more to the point fruity hot sauces!

Sweet Treats - Chilli Chocolate

Need of a little pick me up? We've got the answer here at the Devil's Garden! If you are a devoted sweet tooth or simply in need of something that will get your spirits up in a jiffy then go for what most of us would give an arm and a leg for: chilli chocolate.

Wether you are a purist and want to go straight to the intense dark kind then you should definitely go for Dartmoor Chilli Farm, Grim Reaper Food or the Chilli Pepper Company's own versions as they are all insane in terms of quality and have a level of spice tailored to anybody's needs.

But if milk chocolate is your naughty weapon of choice then just wait until you have tried “Hell Raiser” from Grim Reaper Foods that has a hint of orange essence or any of the flavoured dark chocolates from Dartmoor such as coffee, orange, mint, almond, apricot, ginger pieces or fruit & nut!

But if after having eaten a whole bar in one gulp you feel rather guilty then we also have the answer to that: get a bag of Hot Headz' Satan's Spawns Gummi Bears! These have been visited by the mighty habanero so they are definitely corrupted and out there to get you! They will first make you think that they are perfectly safe and should be eaten by the crate load but you will soon  rediscover the almighty mix of pleasure and pain that so many of you chilli heads are after!

The Wiltshire Chilli Farm - Chilli Jams

Wiltshire Chilli Farm were really inspired when they created their three chilli jams, namely Mild Chilli Jam, Habanero Gold and Cranberry Kick.

Yes we hear you say, what can set these chilli jams apart from all of the other chilli jams out there? Well, for a team at the Devil’s Garden that can debate for hours about a vague chilli-related technicality let Jupiter strike us if we can find the answer to that question. The only thing that comes to mind is: they just are. In fact they are light-years ahead of other chilli jams currently available to the general populace.

Wiltshire Chilli Farm’s Mild Chilli Jam just makes the world stop. It really does. We have finally found the way to make people stop speaking whilst eating. Just give them some of Wiltshire Chilli Farm’s Mild Chilli Jam and they will stop mid-sentence, wonder for a minute what has just happened to the chemicals of their brain to produce such tingles of pleasure before giving up and relishing in the wonderful taste experience that Wiltshire Chilli Farm’s Mild Chilli Jam brings on every time.

But if you are inclined to have something a bit hotter then just try Wiltshire Chilli Farm’s Habanero Gold Chilli Jam. With a true taste of apricots, the Habanero hits you full in the face after about 5 seconds which is just enough time for your brain to register how great it tastes before you have to surrender to the heat and have a small chilli infused high (can we really not use the word orgasm?).

And to top it all The Wiltshire Chilli Farm created the insanely good Cranberry Kick chilli jam that not only will remind you of all your best Sunday lunches ever but will also provide you with a medium heat intense enough to curb any chilli craving you might have, night or day!

Wiltshire Chilli Farm can’t justify the quality of their chilli jams on luck alone. This is just plain talent. This is based on an expert understanding of the delicate balance of pain and pleasure that chillies generate. Now all we ask is for Wiltshire Chilli Farm to create many more varied and delightful chilli jams for us to feast on!

The Wiltshire Chilli Farm

A new brand is now available at the Devil’s Garden and what a treat we have in store for you folks! Wiltshire Chilli Farm started a couple of years ago near Melksham in the south-west of the UK and had a stand at the Brighton Chilli Festival 2011 which is where we met the husband and wife team, namely Jamie and Julie.

We are still astonished at the fact that Wiltshire Chilli Farm has managed to not only create from scratch a neat little plantation housing more than a thousand varieties of chilli plants in four polytunnels but they have also brought to the market a plethora of chilli jams, chutneys, chilli salts and of course hot sauces in what takes certain brands years to produce.

We have seen many a new brand crash and burn after getting a little bit too confident but we can tell from experience that Wiltshire Chilli Farm definitely won’t be one of these. Led by a true passion for all things chilli-related and keen to bring to the general populace chilli products with chillies that are too often left in the background such as the Fatalii or the Yellow 7 Pot, we can definitely say that the future is bright for Wiltshire Chilli Farm.

But if you want the unbiased opinion of chilli heads and chilli virgins that we used as guinea-pigs for a number of Wiltshire Chilli Farm’s chilli products then the overall feeling is that the flavour is always gorgeous, the heat is well balanced and the whole experience of smelling, tasting and ingesting the chilli jams, chutneys, chilli salts and hot sauces is one that should be had times and times again!

Sinful Sauces - An Quick Overview

In less than two years Sinful Sauces have managed to bring forth to the general public a whole range of sweet and savoury hot sauces, chilli pickles and spreads and boy do we love them for it! Far from resting on their laurels Sinful Sauces are always keen to reinvent traditional sauces or turn a chilli pickle on its head for the delight of our senses.

Need an example? Well how does a Habanero and Cardamom Pickle sounds like? Or a Chilli Chocolate Hazelnut Spread? And what if we were to tell you that “Envy” uses the kiwi as a main ingredient or that “Wicked” puts the beautiful Serrano chilli pepper at its forefront?

The 7 Deadly Sins Collection is such a great idea with flavours ranging from sweet to savoury and with wonderful elements such as Clementines, Passionfruit, Pineapple, Apricot or slowly roasted Tomatoes, red onions or applewood smoked garlic.  Chillies of predilection for Sinful Sauces are the Habanero Orange, Naga and Scotch Bonnets but as mentioned earlier the Serrano aslo finds its place as well as the popular Jalapeno.

With Sinful Sauces you can be sure that there is a little bit of something for everyone and we truly hope that they keep taking us on a real chilli adventure in the coming years!

Chilli Queen - Chilli Jellies

It is no wonder that Chilli Queen has been around for nearly three decades. Yes, it might not be the most flashy brand spoken of in the chilli world but one fact remain: that after nearly thirty years Chilli Queen is a contant in many people's lives. It does not follow the whims of fashion, it bases its integrity on tried and tested chilli jellies, ketchup and brown sauce that are simply to die for and don't we love them for it.

Everything started off with the Original Chilli Jelly as its name indicates which later on got some added spice and became the Extra Hot Chilli Jelly. Soon followed other awesome flavours such as Ginger & Lime, Cranberry and Mint but if we have to pick a real winner... well we couldn't actually because there are two that just have to be put on a par, we are of course talking of Chilli Queen's Sundried Tomato and Balsamic Vinegar Chilli Jelly that makes us weak in the knees everytime we have a spoonful of it and the mighty Chilli Queen's Coriander & Shallot Chilli Jelly which is what every stir-fry, curry, sandwich and grilled chicken needs!

It has been commented on many times that this is also a brand that provides chilli products that are suitable for vegetarians, vegans and coeliacs, a fact very much appreciated amongst our customers who have been looking for a long time for a brand that would follow their dietary requirements. 

All in all you can be sure to never go wrong with Chilli Queen. It has been tried and tested and will always be a staple range of condiments to suit everybody's mood and chilli needs!

Bim's KItchen - African Inspired Tastiness

Writing a simple blog about Bim's Kitchen is just impossible. This is the kind of brand that requires pause and carefully chosen words so we are already offering penance for the sin of quickly going over some of Bim's products without the proper attention it deserves.

After all, this is the brand that brought us the amazing African Pepper Spice Mill (and its handy refill!) as well as the African Herb and Spice Rub which takes pride of place amongst our many spices. We have had so many compliments for our food when using these spices it's unbelievable and although we'd like to take credit for it every time we have to give back to Bim's what belongs to Bim's!

The Spicy African Ketchup is just about the best ketchup there is currently out there and with definitely less chemicals and a deeper flavour than supermarket counterparts. One condiment that we use and abuse on a daily basis is Bim's Kitchen African Lemon, Garlic and Pepper Sauce as it encompasses staple ingredients that are necessary in any risotto, stir-fry or marinade worthy of the name.

We were seen keeling over when we tried Bim's curry pastes, may it be African Bean and Nut or the Melon Seed one. They are that good. Both are widely different but the fantastic thing about them is that they are more versatile than a simple curry. You can really use them as they are over vegetables or poured over chicken or lamb (good God the lamb!) at the last minute.

Again, it is too hard to go over everything in just a few words when it comes to Bim's Kitchen so this is why we highly recommend for you to check out this astonishing range so you don't miss out on any of it!!

A new brand you are not going to want to miss!

If you don’t know Rico Picante’s range of chilli sauces yet, believe us, you’ll want to get yourselves some as soon as possible! Five chilli sauces to suit your every cravings, one Peruvian chilli that rules them all, only one end game: to bring forth an astronomically orgasmic feeling to your senses!

You might think we are exaggerating but just wait until you’ve tried one of these Rico Picante’s chilli sauces, may it be the fragrant Amarillo, the versatile Amazonia, the salivating Smoky, the exotic Andes or the fiery Oops! Each of these sauces has got its own winning particularity but they all have something in common, the Peruvian Aji chilli pepper that cannot be found in any other hot sauce currently on the market.

Our tastebuds are now addicted to this wonderful Aji Yellow chilli pepper that has been crossed in these sauces with the berry flavoured Panca chilli, Rocoto chilli pepper and even Peruvian Black Mint!

Led by a brother and sister team who are nostalgic of their childhood land of Peru, Rico Picante is still a young brand but you could never tell in view of the professionalism and stylish image it displayed from the start.

All we know is this is already creating a hell of a buzz around us so talk to your family about it, introduce one of these five wonderful chilli sauces to your friends, you’ll soon become the most loved person in the room!

The Chilli Pepper Compay Hot Sauces

Who better to go to then The Chilli Pepper Company when you want to sample some of the best hot sauces out there? With the Chilli Pepper Company you can be sure that you are in good hands, especially when trying hot sauces such as The Beast, Naga Mama or the aptly named Be Damned.

The Chilli Pepper Company started off by selling chilli seeds and quickly progressed to making chilli sauces that are now very famous. It was even able to achieve a world record by producing the Naga Viper chilli pepper which was used to make, you’ve guessed it, the Naga Viper Hot Sauce.

The most famous hot sauce from The Chilli Pepper Company has to be 10 Minute Burn though as it is one of the hottest chilli sauces on the market to this day and has also been banned from no less than 3 chilli festivals as people started having “episodes” after trying it out. We have to admit that we were looking a bit worse for wear also when we tried it at the West Dean Chilli Festival in 2010.

The Chilli Pepper Company took advantage of this publicity by creating an even more insane chilli sauce called 15 Minute Burn which could also be called “3 hours running around like a headless chicken trying to extinguish the smoke coming out of one’s ears” but I guess that might be a bit too long to put on the label...

The Chilli Pepper Company is great in that it provides chilli products for everybody so if you are a bit scared of 10 Minute Burn, The Beast, Naga Mama or the Naga Viper Chilli Sauce then try some Organic Chilli Chocolate or Chilli Fudge from the Chilli Pepper Company and you’ll see what we mean!

The Chilli Pepper Company - Spices

The Chilli Pepper Company is known as one of the main players of the chilli business in the UK and rightly so, especially when producing amazing chilli seeds and chilli sauces such as 10 Minute Burn Hot Sauce, Be Damned Hot Sauce and Naga Viper Hot Sauce. Its wonderful chilli chocolate as well as chilli fudge are also some of our bestsellers here at the Devil’s Garden.

But The Chilli Pepper Company is also respected for its constant desire to bring all kinds of spices to the general public like the award winning Flaming Peppercorns or The Chilli Pepper Company Chipotle flakes that are of the highest quality and definitely worth getting for the heat level as well as the flavour!

The Chilli Pepper Company has introduced wonderful spices to the chilli market such as the intriguing Kirmizi Biber, Berbere and Indonesian 7 Seas spice. Each of these blends has a specific flavour and heat level that delights the senses and makes you feel like you are on holiday somewhere exotic.

The world would be a very bland place without The Chilli Pepper Company’s spices so why not get a packet of Flaming Peppercorns, sprinkle some Chilli Pepper Pete's Chipotle Flakes on your pizza or add a pinch of Kirmizi Biber to your Lamb Tajine? Once you go for The Chilli Pepper Company you never go back!

REVIEW - Hot Headz Chilli Chips

We had heard on the grapevine that Hot Headz was soon to release some own-brand chilli crisps which got us all hot and bothered. We eagerly awaited the arrival of these chilli crisps and soon discovered it was definitely well worth the wait.

From the moment the postman landed the package on our hands it felt as if this was going to be something really special. The first thing that hit us when we opened the box was the size of the chilli crisps’ packets. With 142g these packets are big enough to pass around at dinner parties or at the office but trust us you’ll soon want to hide them from view although the packaging will make that very difficult.

Indeed, with a striking glossy appearance you can tell that Hot Headz spent a lot of time and effort presenting their own brand of chilli crisps in a way that would make them remembered. And that they do thanks to the well known and respected Hot Headz Logo imprinted on the front of the packet, the cool lime green of the Chipotle Mustard Chilli Chips and the fiery red burning its way across the front of the Inferno Habanero Chips.

We first tried the Hot Headz Chipotle Mustard Chilli Chips so as to really taste the flavour before compromising our tastebuds with the habanero ones. Reminiscent of Hot Headz’ bestselling Chipotle Mustard the flavour is just out of this world. Not as striking or pungent as a Dijon Mustard would be this is just like licking a spoon that has just been dipped in good quality English Mustard on your tongue before being hit by a wave of smokiness from the beloved chipotle. The heat is subtle but so pleasurable it defies logic. This is a little gem created by Hot Headz and one we didn’t think could be matched. How wrong we were.

Hot Headz Inferno Habanero Chips was approached with a more blasé attitude. Yes, our experience as chilli tasters might make us a bit more unfazed when it comes to more common habanero based products but we were soon put back in our places by these chilli crisps. Just like the Hot Headz Chipotle Mustard Chips the texture of these crisps is worthy of the best homemade brands out there. The crisps are chunky, large and most of all deliciously crunchy down to the last morsel. The great thing is that from the start you get a chance to taste the great taste of the habanero chilli pepper which spreads all around your mouth before the heat kicks in. And kicking it does. Just when you think you are on safe grounds the heat gets bigger and bigger... and bigger until you are left with an excruciating Sophie’s choice on your hands: to carry on and get burned or to be rational and leave them be knowing full well you won’t be able to wait long until the next fix? Well... which option did you think we choose every time?

So... Hot Headz have done it again. With numerous own-brand chilli condiments, chilli snacks and hot sauces that would make anybody green with envy Hot Headz’ chilli crisps are not just newcomers. We can see them lasting a long long time and God do we hope Hot Headz will soon come up with new amazing flavours of incredibly well crafted chilli crisps!

Bad Byron's Butt Rub and Jubilee Seasoning

Bad Byron’s is more than famous in America. It is truly a staple ingredient in everybody’s kitchen. We might be located far away from there but Bad Byron’s Butt Rub and Bad Byron’s Jubilee Seafood Seasoning are truly the yin to our yang, the Ken to our Barbie, the Mac to our Cheese.

The Bad Byron’s brand has been going for over 16 years now, no mean feat for what was just a homemade seasoning once, albeit from a guy with a culinary degree. Bad Byron’s Butt Rub is a favourite amongst barbecue lovers but can be used in many different ways from grilling to marinating, steaming and broiling. It is even great as an added “je ne sais quoi” in a fresh Bloody Mary! Bad Byron’s Jubilee Seasoning is just as good but very different and somewhat more subtle which suits the more delicate flavours of fish and seafood.

What we love about Bad Byron’s Butt Rub and Bad Byron’s Jubilee Seasoning is that first, they never go out of fashion and can be used all year round and second, they are versatile and good to use at any point of cooking, whether you are going into full marinating mode or simply want to add a sprinkle on your food at the last minute.

Winner of many awards Bad Byron’s Butt Rub and Bad Byron’s Jubilee Seasoning should become as needed to you as salt and pepper, chips and malt vinegar, bacon and brown sauce.

Dartmoor Chilli Farm Hot Sauces

Dartmoor Chilli Farm can be found on the outskirts of Dartmoor National Park, a beautiful and picturesque location in Devon, South England. Solar Panels, Wind Turbines, Rain Water and Compost make Dartmoor Chilli Farm’s carbon footprint minimal. With the addition of bio-degradable packaging, a woodburner to keep young seedlings toasty, and biological controls to encourage natures friendly’s like the ladybird and hoverfly in to the polytunnels. All these environmentally protective methods add up to some very tasty products that include only organic ingredients that have been grown without the use of any chemicals including pesticides, fungicides or herbicides.

At The Devil’s Garden we stock a large range of chilli hot sauces from the Dartmoor Chilli Farm. It is one of our most popular ranges and, once you’ve tasted their hot sauces, you’ll know why!

Beast of Dartmoor

Dynamite Hot Sauce

Hickory Smoked Chipotle Sauce

Hot Fire & Lime Sauce

Sweet Chilli Sauce

All these hot sauces and many more can be found in The Devil’s Garden.

Grim Reaper Foods - Trio of Chocolate

Grim Reaper Foods has done it again. After bringing us the award-winning “Evil One” hot sauce as well as the innovative “Jekyl & Hyde” chilli sauce, a fantastic trio of chilli chocolate has been released for the pain and pleasure of our most chilli mad chocoholics customers at the Devil’s Garden.

It is not hard to see why the Grim Reaper Foods trio of chilli chocolate is fast becoming a bestseller everywhere as each of the chilli chocolate has its own particular flavour and spice level. The white chilli chocolate named “Purgatory” is just out of this world with is intense heat and interesting flavour thanks to a hint of bergamot oil swirled in it.

Grim Reaper Foods Hell Raise milk chilli chocolate is a wonderful experience of just enough spice peaking through the creaminess of the quality milk chocolate while Grim Ripper Foods Black Widow dark chilli chocolate takes you to a mysterious place where only a hint of orange essence will remind you of a world you once lived in.

Grim Reaper Foods is only just starting so we cannot wait to see what else it has in store in the coming months but in view of its trio of chilli chocolates, boy are we all in for a treat!

Chilli Pepper Pete Chilli Pastes

Chilli Pepper Pete has a knack of choosing names that will stay in people's minds which is definitely the case for his chilli pastes, especially Satan's Shit and Hotter than Hell. And spicy they are! With the beloved but feared Naga chilli pepper at the forefront, these chilli pastes burn, scorch, punch, bite and generally speaking form a small hurricane of heat but also flavour at each mouthful. And by that we mean that you should only put a small amount in your food although some advanced chilli lovers do consume them by the spoonful... those who have a living will of course!

Not as hot as Chilli Pepper Pete's Satan's Shit or Hotter than Hell, Chilli Pepper Pete's Just Scotch Bonnets and Harrisa still hold their own in the heat stake. Still much spicier than what you would find in supermarkets, Chilli Pepper Pete's Harrisa and Just Scotch Bonnets are designed to make you sweat... but also salivate thanks to their wonderful flavour, the former being made with the gorgeous cayenne chilli pepper while the latter contains well... you've guessed it, scotch bonnets!

Chilli Pepper Pete's chilli pastes are just what a good chilli paste should be: hot and tasty but most of all they have got Chilli Pepper Pete's stamp of approval (and ours!), so what more could you want?

The Story Goes On.....

The Devil's Garden might have gone a bit off radar in the past few weeks but that's only because our team has been working very hard night and day, 24/7, trying out new wonderful chilli products just for you.

Yes our efforts might one day be recognised and our hard lives as chilli tasters ought to ease up a bit as we climb higher and higher into chilli nirvana but for now though, our feet firmly on the ground, our tastebuds always at the ready and our stomachs craving their hourly chilli fix, no hot sauce, chilli jam or jelly, chilli chutney, chilli snack, chilli chocolate or chilli condiment have gone unnoticed and it is with panting tongues, scorched mouths and chilli sensory overload that we have been able to sift through what the market currently has to offer, the good and the bad, the tasty and the unworthy, the gorgeous and the unmentionable.

With all that build up you would think we would reveal at least one or two brand names to give you a hint of what we've been trying out lately but no, our cruelty knows no bounds it seems, but do not fret fellow chilli heads as we believe that good things always come to those who wait...

Chilli Pepper Pete - Hot Sauces

With a wealth of experience under his belt, the Chilli Pepper Pete brand is certainly famous but has thankfully not rested on its laurels over the years.

Hot sauces that made its name such as Sting in the Tail Hot Sauce (formerly known as Tasmanian Devil Hot Sauce) and Chilli Pepper Pete Liquid Fire made with no less than 20 chilli varieties created the right buzz and image from the start and as time went by Chilli Pepper Pete managed to find the perfect balance between heat and flavour.

Other now notorious chilli sauces ensued amongst which Chilli Pepper Pete Red Naga Headhunter, Chilli Pepper Pete 2012 Hot Sauce, Chilli Pepper Pete Smokin Devil, CPP Herbicide and ever so wonderful Chilli Pepper Pete Sphincter Shrinker.

Chilli Pepper Pete has a knack at choosing awesome names for its chilli products such as Dragon’s Blood or Goan to the Loo curry sauce but a brand cannot function on a “fun” factor for long and thankfully CPP definitely backed its products up thanks to not only the right attitude in the chilli world and respect that comes with it but also because of a constant will to surpass its latest chilli product.

All we have to say is: Long Live Chilli Pepper Pete!

Dave's Not So Insane Sauces

Insanity Sauce, two words that helped make the Dave’s brand so infamous. Crowned Hottest Sauce in The World during the nineties, Dave’s Insanity Sauce became the only sauce to ever be banned from the National Fiery Food Show.

The Dave’s brand is not just about insanely hot sauces. Although you won’t find all of his sauces on the supermarket shelves, you can buy them at The Devil’s Garden. In fact, we have an array of speciality sauces from Dave’s Gourmet range that contain fresh ingredients and simply ooze unique scents and flavours. From sweet Ginger & Peach to Hurtin’ Jalapeno, there’s a huge variety of flavours to choose from. Dave’s Jammin’ Jerk, Crazy Caribbean, Hurtin’ Habanero, Scotch Bonnet, and our personal favourite, Roasted Red Pepper and Chipotle.

There is a Dave’s sauce to suit every palette. But you won’t find these speciality sauces on the supermarket shelves; it will take a visit to The Devil’s Garden if you wish to honour your pantry cupboard with their presence...

Cambridge Chilli Farm Hot Sauces

If you are looking for a varied selection of chilli sauces from a quality brand that can be trusted then look no further: Cambridge Chilli Farm is the one.

Ran entirely by a guy who seems to think that sleep is for when you're dead, Cambridge Chilli Farm is everything a chilli brand should be and more.

It would take much too long to try and describe Cambridge Chilli Farm’s products and more particularly chilli sauces such as Lemon Drop, Smokey Chipotle, Sweet Chilli Sauce and the most famous of all: Ghost Pepper 10 Hot Sauce.

So instead we'll just tell you that each of these chilli sauces has got a unique flavour with a heat level that is cleverly balanced out throughout and a lot more than pure craftsmanship is put into each one of them although that is for you to decide ultimately.

It is rare to find such a flawless chilli brand and selection of accomplished hot sauces as well as chilli chutneys so put all of your trust and support in what is still a relatively up and coming chilli producer and help it reach the heights it deserves!

Chilli Seeds for a new Season

Even in the colder parts of the United Kingdom it is possible to grow your own chilli peppers from seed, January to February is the perfect time for planting. Although your chilli seeds can be planted any time until May, getting an early start will give your plants more time be ripe for the summer.

When you purchase your chilli seeds from The Devil’s Garden, you can rest assured that you will receive quality chilli seeds, and with free delivery too! All our seeds are from DEFRA registered suppliers to make sure you get the best chance of growing a successful chilli plant crop.

To help your plants produce a better yield we also stock ‘Chilli Focus’, a nutritional feeding program from Growth Technology which is designed to assist your plants in producing bountiful colourful yields.

We keep a large stock of chilli seeds from the Black Hungarian to the Fatalli Chilli. In with all the usual suspects, Jalapeno, Anaheim, Scotch Bonnet and the like... we also have a selection of seeds from unusual plants such as Bishops Crown and Habanero Chocolate. No matter which chilli plant you’re looking for, it’s likely to be here at The Devil’s Garden.

Sinful Sauces Spreads

Tired of the same old jam? Want something a bit different that can answer your sweet cravings as well as give you a chilli fix?

You'll be spoilt for choice with Sinful Sauces chilli spreads whether you go for the Chilli Chocolate & Hazelnut, Chilli Peanut Butter or Chilli Cashew Nut Butter.

All of a great consistency, they rival and easily surpass other popular and well established brands that have been on the market for years. The heat is just right, creeping up as you go along, leaving no corners of your mouth untamed. And as for flavour, well, it is hard to stay impartial but we would say that Sinful Sauces Chilli Peanut Butter and Chilli Cashew Nut butters are definitely one of the best chilli spreads we have ever had whilst Sinful Sauces Chilli Chocolate & Hazelnut is now taking pride of place in our cupboard although it stays out more than it stays in it's that good!

The Sinful Sauces chilli spread trilogy is perfect as a comfort food and also much more healthy than all the over-sweetened chemical supermarket poor-excuses-for-chocolate-or-nut-spreads so the important question is: what are you waiting for?

Sinful Sauces - Pickles

It is easy to see why Sinful Sauces, a brand that is relatively young in the chilli world, created such a stir when it first came to light. With an attractive presentation, a refreshing attitude from its owners and an originality envied by many, it is a brand that we hope is here to stay for a long while, especially since we are absolute addicts of chilli sauces such as Envy, Wicked or Bliss, part of the Sinful Sauces "7 Deadly Sins" collection of hot sauces.

Sinful Sauces has created many more products to tempt the masses from the great Chilli Peanut Butter or Chilli Chocolate and Hazelnut Spread to innovative chilli pickles, namely Sinful Sauces Habanero & Cardamom, Sinful Sauces Scotch Bonnet & Pomegranate and the already notorious Sinful Sauces Naga and Mustard.

All these chilli pickles have one thing in common: quality ingredients, although we would also add that they have incredible flair, great heat and fantastic taste. All of them have got more than 80% chilli content in them, something that is not easy to find in most chilli products and although the 110ml jar might be seen as small from some customers, the flavour and heat are so intense that the jar actually lasts you a while so really we just cannot fault any of these chilli pickles from Sinful Sauces and recommend them highly to anybody who likes to get good value for money and seeks a great combination of taste and spice.

Satan's Spawn - Habanero Gummi Bears

Over the years a The Devil's Garden we have seen pretty weird chilli related items so really it was only a matter of time before chilli manufacturers went all out and touched an area that some might consider sacred: the world of sweets.

Chilli gummy bears have been around for a while now but they are still an item difficult to get so we were thrilled when Hot Headz started producing their own version and although we kind of knew what to expect we didn't actually realise what we were getting ourselves into!

On the outside of course these lovely orange-coloured chilli gummy bears look the picture of innocence but do not be fooled! These angelic little cherubs definitely have a good set of teeth and their habanero chilli bite is the kind that leaves marks for a while...

Of course we have to mention their evil chilli character but to be fair they also do have a sweet side... or at least a fruity one! Hot Headz uses fruit concentrate that contains grape, apple and apricots so it is a lovely sweet taste that develops after popping a few of these bad boys into your mouth, although you soon decide (yet again) to never have another one ever again. But just like alcohol or cigarettes, Hot Headz habanero chilli gummy bears are truly addictive despite their devilish nature and will carry on taunting you until you reach for the bag again (250g)!

CaJohn's Select Puree's

Cajohns Fiery Foods is a US brand that has been around since the 90’s although John Hard the man behind the brand decided to take the reins of his every increasing chilli empire in 2004 with numerous international, national and regional awards to be proud of. Cajohns Fiery Foods now has over 150 products from chilli salsas to hot sauces of course, barbecue sauces and chilli mustards to suit the most difficult and chilli heat resistant palate. His range of chilli purees has long been acclaimed and is aptly named “Cajohn’s Select Chilli Purees”.

The ones any self-proclaimed chilli addict or even chilli beginner should get their hands on are the ones representing families of chillies at their best we mean the famous habanero, the deathly fatalii, the smoky chipotle and the fragrant (and mildest of the lot) Serrano chilli pepper.

Each bottle of chilli puree from Cajohn’s Select Range deserves to be called “puree” rather than simply “hot sauce” as more than 80% of the bottle is crammed full with each particular type of chilli therefore offering the general public a selection for them to choose from, from mild to wild, from savoury to fruity and from gorgeous to insane!

Blair's Extreme Hot Sauces!

Blair's has been around since 1989 so it's no wonder it is now one of the major leading brands in the chilli world.

Blair's superhot trinity of hot sauces in a compilation of sweet and savoury chilli sauces that will make any chilli head exult with joy thanks to its heat of course but also because of its flavour.

The mildest of the trilogy is Blair's Sudden Death Hot Sauce which is made using the fruity habanero, and some cayenne chilli pepper, but also clover honey and ginseng as well as of course a good glug of chilli extract. Many a grown man has been reduced to tears by Blair's Sudden Death Hot Sauce so it is definitely something to handle with care!

Blair's Mega Death, the middle child also has the same base ingredients of habanero and cayenne but is a sweeter sauce thanks to molasses, ginger and surprisingly guava nectar and ancho chillies to complement the flavour and only 550 000 Scoville Heat Units to boost things up!

The last evil sprog of the Blair's Trinity is Blair's Ultra Death chilli sauce which has scared more than one chilli head. This is like pure liquid fire going down your throat. Here again we find habaneros, cayenne but also tomato puree, piri-piri chillies and the beloved Naga Jolokia and this time just above 1 100 000 Scoville Heat Units!

All we know is that we love them all, a feeling matched by a lot of Blair's fans and we definitely can see why!

Eaton’s Jamaican Jerk Seasonings

The weather hasn’t been the best for outdoor barbecues these past few weeks/months in the UK but this hasn’t stopped the Devil’s Garden’s team from enjoying great BBQ chilli sauces and various chilli mixes and seasonings such as Bad Byron’s Butt Rub.

One of our favourite chilli products at the moment is Eaton’s Jamaican Jerk Seasonings. A mild and a hot version are available (we tend to go for the hot one to be perfectly honest...) which means that everybody can enjoy the great jerky flavour.

Eaton’s Jamaican Jerk Seasonings are not to be mistaken for a chilli sauce though. This type of chilli seasoning is more like a chunky coating to use as a marinade rather than a sauce. Eaton’s Jamaican Jerk Seasonings are so pungent that you only need a little bit to produce a big result and you only need about 30 minutes of marinating time for meat, vegetable or fish to take on the flavour.

Although a tad on the salty side (but then again we don’t generally use a lot of salt at The Devil’s Garden) Eaton’s Jamaican Jerk Seasonings are truly delectable. The smell of the spring onion is the first thing that hits you, quickly followed by an intriguing mix of spices and herbs. We absolutely love to marinade some diced chicken in it and grill as kebabs but have also used Eaton’s Jerk Seasonings as a topping for pork chops and with steamed fish.

We would definitely recommend Eaton’s Jamaican Jerk Seasonings to everybody as this is a very versatile product that doesn’t only rely on chillies to make it work. So get your hands on a jar or try some other Eaton’s products such as the delicious Jamaican Jerk Hot Sauce or Eaton’s Original Jamaican Jerk Barbecue Sauce!