Cheeky kid. Chef. Wine man. Grower.

From a young age I was interested in cooking and creating. Left alone as a child, I would sneak into the kitchen and start making macaroons or coconut sweets. My mum would return to a smiling son and a kitchen in chaos…

I trained as a chef at 16, working in the Savoy and the Mayfair Intercontinental before taking a role as executive chef at a boutique inn among the mountains of Vermont. A decade later I grew tired of kitchen life and needed a new challenge.

Returning to the UK, I started managing bars and restaurants, this time enthralled by the buzz of being front of house and serving happy customers. This was my life for 13 years but I felt there was something missing, and realised I had no outlet for my creativity.

Moving into the wine industry, I learned about viticulture and vinification, which excited new interests and led me to start growing my own plants. First herbs, then an avocado and then peppers. Sweet, magical chilli peppers! The joy from growing (and eating) my own was only dulled by the end of the short summer season. I needed to capture that heavenly feeling and bottle it to enjoy all year long.

First fermentation to fabulous flavours.

The first fermented chilli sauce I made used homegrown chillis and green tomatoes, with only some ginger root bought in. Although a little unbalanced with the ginger as the dominant flavour, it was a promising start and I was proud to have made something lasting from produce that could easily have been thrown away. This first ferment was the progenitor of #Jalapeno

Now focusing on premium ingredients sourced from sustainable farms and using my wine-tasting knowledge to select and refine the taste profiles, I believe I have created a wonderfully innovative selection of flavour-forward chilli sauces with heat playing a supporting, yet powerful, role in the eating experience.

I enjoy these sauces most days with meals and snacks (sausage rolls are a special favourite). I dip, dunk and rub the sauces onto food to maximise the flavour and get a boost of heat. With both dedicated chilli fans and initially cautious customers alike returning for more, I’m always so happy to hear how people are enjoying my sauces, and I’d love to know what you choose to do with yours.

Stay healthy, enjoy the heat and always be happy! 

RJ