Cambridge Chilli Farm Visit - Part 2

After visiting Cambridge Chilli Farm’s crop of chillies, we set up camp in Tim’s kitchen, in company of his wife and young son and got talking about, you’ve guessed it, chillies.

Tim made us try some chilli products that are in the making so although it is not our place to divulge anything just yet, be assured that you’ll be in for a treat once these are on the market as they are truly outstanding!

Chilli festival season is upon us so Tim talked to us about all the ones he intend to be at in 2011, one of the big ones being obviously West Dean Chilli Fiesta. We will be there of course, although only as customers, and cannot wait to see what Tim is going to bring to the mix! We hope that Cambridge Chilli Farm will get a good spot as they truly deserve to be recognised for their hard work, integrity and devotion to all things chilli. The weather will also hopefully be better than last year. We don’t know what was worse, the rain or the multitude of wasps that couldn’t get enough of Cambridge Chilli Farm’s products!

Tim unfortunately didn’t have any of his Lucky 7 Hot Sauce to give to us just yet but he said that as soon as his crop is ripe he will make plenty more so we can stock it at the Devil’s Garden. The same applies to Cambridge Chilli Farm’s Voodoo Hot Sauce made with Chocolate Habaneros, a chilli sauce that is truly to die for and one of our current hot sauce favourites!

Cambridge Chilli Farm is one of those up and coming UK brands that is full of promises and anchors its reputation in honesty, value for money and quality at all costs. We cannot wait to see what Tim has got in store in the coming years and all heartedly hope that he and his wife will get the success that they deserve.

Edible Ornamentals: The Tour Part 2

Shawn showed us around his chilli farm ran with his wife Joanna, rightly called Edible Ornamentals. After seeing the most public aspects of the chilli farm we moved on to polytunnels and glasshouses that were more for commercial use. Rows and rows of beautifully kept chilli plants such as Hercules (a popular type of chillies mainly found in supermarkets) were to be found in either polytunnels or glass greenhouses but also tomatillos which seem to be a real winner at the moment especially when sold to restaurants.

We then arrived at a big tank that is part of the ingenious irrigation system. Shawn and Joanna seem to have had a rough time when it comes to setting up an irrigation system that would free up their time and allow for a precise watering of the plants. Each chilli plant is linked to this clever irrigation system that is run by a computer and can even modify the PH of the water that runs through it. With so many chilli plants to look after we are not surprised that Shawn and Joanna went for such a high tech irrigation system albeit a costly one but definitely worth having especially in view of the scale of the chilli farm and its plans for expansion.

The commercial kitchen was definitely impressive. Although set in a container much like the ones you would see on construction sites, this kitchen is well lit, extremely clean and well laid out. Shawn explained to us what happens from the moment the chillies are picked to the moment they are washed, pureed, cooked and bottled up.

There is nothing average about Edible Ornamentals chilli sauces and preserves as we were about to find out by visiting the farm shop which is set up in a small chalet type house. Edible Ornamentals chilli products are of course available but also other items such as Italian pasta, oils and sauces from other brands. Shawn went on to make us try several types of chillies so people could notice the difference in taste and heat level between each type and the tour concluded with most people buying some of Edible Ornamentals’ chilli products or chilli plants.

Overall, it was a great way to spend a Sunday, talking to people that are passionate at what they do. We cannot wait to see Shawn at West Dean Chilli Fiesta in August. We tried to approach him last year but the stand was absolutely mobbed. We understand why now that we know a bit more about them!

Edible Ornamentals: An Overview

Shawn and Joanna Plumb set up Edible Ornamentals back in 2007 on the former site of Cherwood Nursery in the village of Chawston. One of our friends had gifted us a tour of the farm as a Christmas present so we jumped on the chance to see a working chilli farm.

The nursery hadn’t been used for four years when Shawn and Joanna took over so was in a pretty dilapidated state. After a few years of trial and errors they are now the proud owners of a superbly run environmentally conscious chilli farm that is making more and more noise every year that passes.

Although Shawn and Joanna started selling chilli plants at car boot sales, they have now moved on to much bigger things thanks to their hard work and dedication, supplying restaurants with their beautiful crops of chillies, making their own chilli sauces and preserves, growing specific types of chillies for other farms and private customers, allowing people to pick their own mix of fresh chillies at the farm and participating in numerous chilli festivals and farmers’ markets.

One of the integral part of who Edible Ornamentals are is providing not only the best possible crops of chillies such as Orange Habaneros, Dorset Naga, Hercules, Hungarian Hot Wax, Serenade or Jalapenos but also to produce crops of stabilised high yielding breeds of chillies for private and commercial use. There is no fleeting craze behind Edible Ornamentals. Shawn and Joanna are keen to gain a reputation for excellence without giving in to the latest trend. Their tour is definitely one we recommend to anybody remotely interested in chillies. It is a great day out for the family too even if you don’t know anything about chillies as Shawn is always around to share his passion for chillies.