How to add some spice to your weekend

So you like it a little hot? 

The Herb and Chilli Festival 2025 is set to ignite Wandin, Victoria, with a celebration of international flavours, live music, and culinary delights on the weekend of March 15-16. 

The weekend will combine innovative food offerings, spirited and spicy competitions, and non-stop entertainment to celebrates the much-loved spice.

Festival-goers will embark on a global culinary adventure under one roof, as this year's festival promises a hot mix of vendors. 

Be among the first to savour a bold, spicy twist on Vegemite with the debut of the festival’s new Vegemite Chilli by Chooks Hot Sauces. 

Or discover an Indian-accented South African hit at Durbalicious’ South African pickle stall, offering zesty pickles that bring a tangy kick to your palate. 

There will be  over 70 vendors peppering the festival grounds. 

To add to the vibrant atmosphere, six-piece band, Harmaniax will return this year to create a fun soundtrack to the fiery celebration. 

There will be cooking demos and beverages to wash down the tasty morsels. 

There will be a dedicated Chilli Express bus service from Lilydale Station to and from the event. 

Early bird ticket purchases made on the official Herb + Chilli Festival website come with a bonus - a free chilli hat on arrival. 

For more info, or to purchase a day pass or bus ticket, visit https://herbchillifestival.com.au/

How to spice up your Easter treats

Chilli chocolate sauce? Sounds like a great way to spice up Easter. 

Sydney inner west-based The Chilli Factory, one of Australia’s leading boutique producers of chilli sauces, salsas, and other hot and spicy condiments, will officially launch four new products at The Royal Sydney Easter Show.

Chilli lovers visiting The Chilli Factory’s stand in the Woolworth’s Dome will have the opportunity to try the new gourmet range of chilli oils, chilli honey, and chilli chocolate sauce.

Red Belly Venom is a new hot chilli oil, ideal for infusing into stir fries or noodles. A milder chilli oil, Daintree Drizzle, works perfectly as a drizzled salad dressing.

Ballistic Bee Sting, meanwhile, is a hot chilli honey made from 100% Australian honey infused with locally grown chillies.

And for those seeking to make desserts a spicy affair, Cranky Croc Choc is a hot chilli chocolate sauce, perfect for pouring over ice cream.

“Our new gourmet range products are all chilli infused, giving them an authentic taste,” said Daniel Morgan, general manager of the Sydney-based The Chilli Factory (above).

“We’re excited to be giving Australian chilli lovers more versatile chilli products which can be enjoyed individually or complement their favourite foods at home.”

The Chilli Factory is an Australian-owned company and all products in the new gourmet range are made in Australian using Australian chillies.

Sauces ranging from the mild Numbat Nibble (1,700 Scoville Heat Units) to the extreme Scorpion’s Strike (1.27 Million Scoville Heat Units).

“Naturally, the Chilli Factory attracts long-term chilli fanatics at the Easter Show,” said Morgan. “But each year we notice an increase in new visitors learning more about the subtle and not so subtle nuances of chilli.

“We ensure visitors are aware of the heat of our chillies before trying them and always suggest a less is more approach is the sensible tasting option for seasoned and newbie chilli tasters alike.”

Beginning over 30 years ago, The Chilli Factory has gone from making a few bottles of chilli sauce as a hobby, to the best gourmet chilli sauces and chutneys available in Australia, winning over 160 awards along the way.

As a service to readers, I have volunteered to try the new releases and will update with tasting notes when I have done so.   

For more information, visit https://www.thechillifactory.com

# This is an edited version of a story that appeared in Ciao Magazine.