UK Chilli Fiesta
West Dean Chilli Fiesta on 5-6 August 2006 turned out to be a popular Sussex tourist attraction and a big draw for chilli fans!
There was a choice of chilli plants growing in pots for festival-goers to purchase [including Prairie Fire, Cheyenne, Twilight] a large food show with lots of market stalls and a bit of live music thrown in for good measure. A wander through the West Dean greenhouses gave us the opportunity to look at many other chilli varieties and we munched our way through some tasty food.
Stall holders included Chillipepper Pete, who supplies me with dried chillies on a regular basis, Peppers by Post and Cool Chile. There were the usual food show suspects like Munchy Seeds, Waitrose and other recognisable names. I was a little disappointed by the lack of fresh chillies available to buy but the West Dean Fiesta takes place a bit early for a lot of chilli growers and most of the fruits are not ripe yet.
This festival is worth a visit though, very busy on the Saturday and some great chilli products on sale. I managed to get some fresh Hungarian Cherrys, Whippets Tail and Dorset Naga chillies so mustn't grumble!
CLICK ONE OF THE PICTURES TO SEE AN ENLARGED VERSION AND FOLLOW THE LINKS TO SEE THE WHOLE GALLERY!
 Fresh Chillies |
 Chillies Galore |
 Big Jim Chillies |
 Chilli Ceramic Clocks |
 More Chillies |
 Crowds round Chilli Stall |
 Demonstration of How to Grow Chillies |
 Buying Pepper Plants |
 Buying Chilli Plants |