In Spicy Interview, we speak with growers and companies involved in everything related to hot peppers. From growing peppers to Hot Sauce producers and everything in between. This time: chilisaus.be! This shop of spicy products and producer of hot sauces can be found a lot at events and has established its name in the Netherlands and Belgium for several years. Read our interview with Kerri, the owner of Chilisaus.be, here.
So, hot sauce… Why did you start Chilisaus.be?
Hot peppers and travel have always been my passion, so I thought, why not combine the two?
The dream began in Belgium in 2017 with an RV full of hot sauce and spicy snacks.
What products do you offer on the web shop, and why these?
A wide range of hot sauces, chili oils, chili salt, spices & seasonings, dried chilies, flakes, powders, extracts and spicy snacks.
In various heat levels from 1 to 20. Only from smaller independent producers.
Why? Because quality products with fresh ingredients and real peppers are important and hard to find.
Therefore, our products never have additives, E numbers and/or artificial flavors or colors.
Where do your products come from?
Especially the UK, which is quite challenging these days because of the Brexit, as well as Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.
Why local producers?
To support and encourage smaller, independent producers. I never use commercial products and my personally selected assortment is never available in regular stores or supermarkets.
Do you have a favorite product at the moment?
Well, we just made another batch of our own hot sauce in collaboration with another local producer: The 2022 Edition, Chocolate Smoked. The Carolina Reapers we use in this are tremendously hot!
You operate in NL, BE and ship within Europe. What is the most mature market in terms of hot sauce acceptance?
In Belgium, there is a huge pepper-growing community. It was interesting to learn a lot about this, and then become part of it. But so far every country has accepted us well!
What do you think is the reason for that?
Our heat level model in which we describe heat levels from 1 to 20 is a good guide so that everyone can find what suits them. Most of our products have no added sugars and are also vegan.
Why do you advise people to use spicy products?
Mainly to add extra flavor and create great flavors. Peppers activate your metabolism and have many health benefits.
You go to a lot of events, what is your favorite event of the year?
Chili festivals are always a highlight! A whole day dedicated to all things spicy.
The next Belgian Chili Fair is in June 2023 and Dutch Chili Fest is on Sep 18, 2022 in Eindhoven. Surely these are two of my favorite events ofa year.
Why are these events so important to you?
It’s a great way for people to taste and try the products before they buy them. So they can learn that peppers are very versatile in their genuses, heat levels and flavors.
How do they help you spread the love of hot sauce?
It is always great to meet like-minded people – there are more of us than you would think and there is always someone who wants Hot sauce as a gift!
You’ve made your own Hot Sauce before. What was your inspiration to do this?
When always asked “Do you have a better Hot Sauce for Spaghetti than Tabasco?”, you start thinking. And in no time,“The 2020 Edition” was born. During the lockdown times of 2020, there were no events and markets, and I was back in Scotland (Where Kerri is from, ed.) for 4 months, so I got creative!
A natural step was to follow up on the successful 2020 sauces. This time we worked with another local producer: Mr. Happy Hatter Hot Sauce. And so “The 2022 Edition” was created.
Are there any other spicy products you would like to make yourself?
A lot! My brain is always working on new ideas. Who knows what will roll out next year….
Thank you for speaking with us. Do you have something you want to bring to the community?
Keep eating spicy food, it’s good for you!
And so ends our interview with Kerri. We are very excited about this small business and how it spreads the love of spicy products. We therefore recommend taking a look at their website: chilisaus.be.
Want to start growing your own peppers for hot sauce? Then check out our pepper seeds.
Did you also like this article? Then share it directly from our website on your socials with your friends!
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp
Pinterest
