Continuing with our Meet the Producer feature, this month we are off to meet with the owners of South Devon Chilli Farm, who are passionate about all things chilli!
GR – South Devon Chilli Farm originally started out as a hobby. How did you make the transition from hobby gardeners to full-time growers and retailers?
We started growing chillies as a hobby in our back garden greenhouses when we moved from the city to rural Devon way back in the late 1990s. We never realised that chillies would be so easy to grow, so delicious and so completely addictive!
In 2001, we had an opportunity to rent a polytunnel and decided to give it a go, to see how many different varieties we could grow. Suddenly, we had lots of chillies and didn’t know what to do with them all. Fortunately, at about the same time, farmers markets had started to become popular and so we took our amazing crop of fresh chillies to the markets and some local shows.
We got an immediate positive response from members of the public and realised there was a widespread fascination with chillies; it was great to be able to share our interest and help people discover with us, the huge variety of shapes, colours and tastes of chillies, as well as the varying levels of spicy heat.
In 2003, we gave up our day jobs and started to grow and cook-up chillies full time, employing a few helpers and becoming a limited company. We also created a website so that we could sell our chilli products all around the country. We purchased the current 10-acre farm site in 2005 and in 2011 we built our food manufacturing warehouse and opened our farm shop. More recently in 2023 we added another large crop polytunnel to our existing seven tunnels as well as another nursery polytunnel. Theses are allowing us to grow more plants and introduce more varieties.
GR – As you are based in Devon, does the weather determine which type of chillies you can grow?
Not really, since all the crops are grown in polytunnels which are south facing the plants are all happy despite the weather outside. But good sunshine always helps the plants along.
2023 South Devon Chilli Farm Corporate/Lifestyle shoot
GR – What makes South Devon Chilli Farm different to other similar products on the market and why should people buy them?
Several factors make us unique. Firstly, we don’t use any artificial colours or preservatives in our products and instead use natural preservatives including vinegar, lime juice and sugar.
Our ethos is ‘Seed to sauce – all on our farm’ which means that everything we produce is made from chillies we grow and harvest on the farm. So, in that respect we are unique. We also grow all our crops from our own seeds that we collect on the farm. From a farming perspective we also don’t use any pesticides and employ natural predators such as ladybirds to help with pests.
GR – South Devon Chilli Farm has partnered with other manufacturers such as Burts Snacks to create products that feature your chillies. Can you tell us about the criteria you use when deciding which manufacturers to work with?
We choose to work with other manufacturers that share many of our principles of working in harmony with the natural environment and the people with whom we interact, and who are dedicated to using and promoting the best local produce and ensuring the highest quality products possible.
GR – The chilli chocolate range is particularly notable. I believe you have recently extended this range further into flavoured drinking chocolate so can you tell us what flavours will be available?
We have always had a chilli drinking chocolate which is made with high quality ethically sources cocoa and this year we introduced two additional flavours – an orange chilli drinking chocolate and a mint chilli drinking chocolate. So, these two new flavours compliment well our existing product which has been re-branded as our original chilli drinking chocolate.
GR – The farm was sold last year and is now under new management. Do the new owners have any other plans to launch new products or otherwise?
Since my wife Jenny and I took over the farm in June 2022, we have invested heavily to ensure we are able to keep growing new and exciting chilli varieties as well as continuing to produce our firm favourites. We are getting ready to launch a new white chilli chocolate, which has a delectable creamy taste and a nice warming after glow. This has now passed our quality control checks and are getting ready to start offering this to our customers in the coming weeks. This white chilli chocolate adds another dimension to our existing range of chilli chocolates and we are really excited about it!
GR – For non-seasoned chilli eaters, which products would you recommend trying to start with?
We would have to recommend our chilli jam, not just because of its popularity, but because it is mild and lends itself well to many dishes and can transform any sandwich with just a mild chilli warming.
GR – What are your best selling products?
By all accounts our chilli jam is our most popular product, and it is closely followed by our honeycomb chilli chocolate.
GR – Do you have a favourite product and why?
My favourite product is the hot chilli jam because it has a little bit more heat and tons of savoury jam flavour. I can’t have a sandwich without this!
To view the full range of South Devon Chilli products please click here
