event Perth Chilli Festival

Micca302

Micca302

Hi Chilliheads,

We have our Perth Chilli Fest coming up in a couple of weeks and thought I would give heads up for anyone interested.
It is being held at the beautifal Araluen Botanical Park(about 1/2 hour from perth. Unfortunately there is talk about this one being the last at Araluen, so would be great to see lots of people to get down there.
Here is a section from their website-

PERTH CHILLI FESTIVAL - 7 & 8 MARCH 2009
2008 saw the Perth Chilli Festival a finalist in the prestigious Western Australian Tourism Awards and a Gold Medal winner in 2007. This event is a celebration of everything Chilli...from fresh foods, pickles, chutneys, olives, cheese, chocolate, wines, beers, plants and much more. We have a number of new and exciting stallholders taking part in this years festival plus some of Perth hottest Latin and World Music bands here to entertain. Chef Dale will be cooking up a storm plus giving you plenty of opportunities to try some great new dishes he is creating especially for the festival.

Cost of entry: $12.00 adults, $6.00 school aged child, $30.00 Family (2 adults and up to 6 children) Lots of free tastings and entertainment all day.
and also the link their website which has a map to find it - http://www.araluenbotanicpark.com.au/whats-onf.html

Will be getting down there early to get the "bargains", so will hopefully see you down there.

Micca
 
I would love to get there, but it is a bit expensive for me to do just for the chilli festival.....

I got to the Melbourne chilli festival last year cause I organised to take the better half down there for Valentines day. I had the hire car booked for the trip to the festival before I even told her about it...:lol:

Mate, I hope......NO......DEMAND that you take photos till your camera's memory is full, so we can see what it is that we missed....

Hope you enjoy yourself. They are always a fun day.
 
Mate there will be loads of pictures, just got to remember to take some of the Chilli / sauces and not the lovely ladies who sell them!!!! Actually not many ladies selling sauces, but with people like Haggis it is always fun.(wonder if he will be there this year?)
Will definately have some Chilli Beer for you guys and post some pictures later.

Would love myself to do a Chilli fest road tour, but cost is always an issue(and finding someone to look after my babies). Maybe one day.....

Micca
 
Micca302 said:
Mate there will be loads of pictures, just got to remember to take some of the Chilli / sauces and not the lovely ladies who sell them!!!! Actually not many ladies selling sauces,
Micca
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I was going to say.....I don't remember that many photo worthy ladies selling sauces at the Melbourne show......execpt for Stillmanz wife.....:D

:ducks as rainbow takeaway knifes fly past my head:....:lol:

If I am thinking of the same Haggis (from Melbourne), he might be a little busy with what's going on their but It would be good to see him there....
 
Yeah the same Haggis, i'm sure he must have his hands full with whats goin on over there though. Hope everything is ok.
mmmm wouldn't it be great to have a Chilli woodstock where people come from around the world and laugh, eat Chilli, drink and make a fool of themselves. Sounds damn fine to me!

Micca
 
Finally got around to posting a couple of pictures of the Perth Chilli Fest. Here they are -

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The day was fantastic as usual and there seemed to be a lot of people enjoying themselves.
Now to knock off some of those sauces and maybe some OP rum!

Micca
 
Looks like fun mate....what sort of numbers did the event get?

Looks like a heap of people walking around in the 2nd pic...
 
We had a great time, I was very impressed by some of the food, impressed with most of it, and disappointed with a small section. I was surprised there werent more 'specialty' chilli stalls (not there werent quite a few), and that no-one was selling chilli con-carne. Scorpion had asked me to pick up some naga plants if I saw any, the hottest available were Fatalii, Chocolate hab, and Red Savina. The owner of 'Herbs R Us' said it was too hard to grow the bhut family, so he didnt bother anymore. I found a bottle of sauce by Hananeroes for Gringoes (I think its in the pic above, third from the right, the tall one), I picked up their 'Dragon's Fire', definitely in my top 5 all time sauces. Im working on a review at the moment, will post one day. There were a few vinegar sauces that made me feel a little ill, what was surprising was one of those was selling more than most others, but then I saw very few people try what they were buying (he had the sign "Voted hottest sauce 2008 Chilli Festival" everywhere). Shows what good marketing can do!
Micca, did you notice the guy to the left of the stage selling naga morich pods? He was also selling Blair's sauces, and some louisiana hot sauce. I saw the pods at the back in a little bowl, he didnt really know how much to charge, so said $2 each. Probably the best bargain I found all day!
Overall it was a fun day, I enjoyed setting my mouth on fire, it was fun talking to some people about unique chillies, and humourous to listen to other people spew crap passed off as knowledge. My wife has said she doesnt want to go next year, Im not sure myself, will see what happens.

Oh, I heard that there had been a chilli eating contest open to all, with pre-heats a few days before. Apparently the entrance exam was 5 orange habs in 5 minutes, that got you into the contest proper. It was suggested I enter, I offered back a possible diagnosis of schrizophenia, perhaps a delusional episode, worth getting looked at. Would be interested to see how the comp went!
 
moyboy said:
Looks like fun mate....what sort of numbers did the event get?

Looks like a heap of people walking around in the 2nd pic...
Click to expand...

Don't know the exact numbers, but there was rumour going around that they saw about 10000 people go through saturday. Will check to see! Unfortunately with that many people, pictures and sauce tasting became very difficult. Just had to spend more time in the Bar drinking Chilli beer.


McGoo said:
We had a great time, I was very impressed by some of the food, impressed with most of it, and disappointed with a small section. I was surprised there werent more 'specialty' chilli stalls (not there werent quite a few), and that no-one was selling chilli con-carne. Scorpion had asked me to pick up some naga plants if I saw any, the hottest available were Fatalii, Chocolate hab, and Red Savina. The owner of 'Herbs R Us' said it was too hard to grow the bhut family, so he didnt bother anymore. I found a bottle of sauce by Hananeroes for Gringoes (I think its in the pic above, third from the right, the tall one), I picked up their 'Dragon's Fire', definitely in my top 5 all time sauces. Im working on a review at the moment, will post one day. There were a few vinegar sauces that made me feel a little ill, what was surprising was one of those was selling more than most others, but then I saw very few people try what they were buying (he had the sign "Voted hottest sauce 2008 Chilli Festival" everywhere). Shows what good marketing can do!
Micca, did you notice the guy to the left of the stage selling naga morich pods? He was also selling Blair's sauces, and some louisiana hot sauce. I saw the pods at the back in a little bowl, he didnt really know how much to charge, so said $2 each. Probably the best bargain I found all day!
Overall it was a fun day, I enjoyed setting my mouth on fire, it was fun talking to some people about unique chillies, and humourous to listen to other people spew crap passed off as knowledge. My wife has said she doesnt want to go next year, Im not sure myself, will see what happens.

Oh, I heard that there had been a chilli eating contest open to all, with pre-heats a few days before. Apparently the entrance exam was 5 orange habs in 5 minutes, that got you into the contest proper. It was suggested I enter, I offered back a possible diagnosis of schrizophenia, perhaps a delusional episode, worth getting looked at. Would be interested to see how the comp went!
Click to expand...


The Habaneros-4-gringos Bushfire Bbq Sauce is my favourite. Been buying it from him for years, but unfortunately due to public demand(???) he has toned the sauce down over the time and this year he has now brought out a Mini Bushfire Bbq(medium strength).
The festival is suppose to have a Carribean style feel and have never seen any Chilli con carne there before. This year I noticed they had an Indian Curry place which I don't remember seeing before, so maybe next year.
Herbs-R-Us have had the same varieties for a while and have asked him why he doesn't grow the super hots with him saying that it is too hard to get the amount of seed needed to grow them?
Naga pods, damn must have missed that one! Scored!
Did you see wildfire chilli selling TS seeds and some hard to get seedlings? Grabbed some seedlings for $2.50ea.
Might try to see if I can get a copy of that video and post it on here, very amusing!

Micca
 
imaguitargod said:
Thanks for posting pictures and making me jeoulous of not living in Australia! :lol:
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No problem, glad to tease! :)
Hey soon it will be the other way around and you guys will be teasing us:cool: Looking forward to drooling over some great Pepper piccies!

Micca
 
Micca302 said:
Don't know the exact numbers, but there was rumour going around that they saw about 10000 people go through saturday. Will check to see! Unfortunately with that many people, pictures and sauce tasting became very difficult. Just had to spend more time in the Bar drinking Chilli beer.





The Habaneros-4-gringos Bushfire Bbq Sauce is my favourite. Been buying it from him for years, but unfortunately due to public demand(???) he has toned the sauce down over the time and this year he has now brought out a Mini Bushfire Bbq(medium strength).
The festival is suppose to have a Carribean style feel and have never seen any Chilli con carne there before. This year I noticed they had an Indian Curry place which I don't remember seeing before, so maybe next year.
Herbs-R-Us have had the same varieties for a while and have asked him why he doesn't grow the super hots with him saying that it is too hard to get the amount of seed needed to grow them?
Naga pods, damn must have missed that one! Scored!
Did you see wildfire chilli selling TS seeds and some hard to get seedlings? Grabbed some seedlings for $2.50ea.
Might try to see if I can get a copy of that video and post it on here, very amusing!

Micca
Click to expand...

Hi

I had the seed store there - Wildfire Chilli. Apparantley if you include stall members there were about 11,500 people that went this year, the most ever! It will be on again next year, haven't heard of it closing.
My partner Adam did that Habanero eating contest - he got third. Man they were some whoppa habaneros!!!
 
Wildfire Chilli Australia said:
Hi

I had the seed store there - Wildfire Chilli. Apparantley if you include stall members there were about 11,500 people that went this year, the most ever! It will be on again next year, haven't heard of it closing.
My partner Adam did that Habanero eating contest - he got third. Man they were some whoppa habaneros!!!
Click to expand...

Thanks Candice for the turnover of people. Thought they had a record turnout.
When you say it will be on next year, do you mean at Araluuen? Have you got a spot for next year? Just curious because they are suppose to be having trouble renewing the licence for next year and have seen in the paper that the Tulip festival(no interest to me, honest) held there has been cancelled and that the Chilli fest is in doubt. Wonder where it will be held?

Micca
 
Micca302 said:
Thanks Candice for the turnover of people. Thought they had a record turnout.
When you say it will be on next year, do you mean at Araluuen? Have you got a spot for next year? Just curious because they are suppose to be having trouble renewing the licence for next year and have seen in the paper that the Tulip festival(no interest to me, honest) held there has been cancelled and that the Chilli fest is in doubt. Wonder where it will be held?

Micca
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I heard the Habaneroes 4 Gringoes guy say they are looking at the convention centre, or at least somewhere in the middle of the city. Somewhere with more space would be a good start, a little closer to Perth would be great too.
 
They definately need a new venue. Parking is a nightmare, but the location set in the hills with a lake is priceless. Someone suggested the supreme court gardens? Now that sounds a bit nicer than the crappy convention centre.

Micca
 
Hi guys

In the letter I got from Araluen telling me about this years fest they said that one of the major things that they woulds be looking at is parking. I did hear some people say that had to wait an hour to park and then walk for ages too. I did enquire about a stall for next year and they didn't mention anything about changing venues. You can't register till later in the year, so hope I get a stall again. Will try and make it bigger and better next year!
 
We will just have to wait and see. I’ll be contacting Habaneros’4’Gringos soon who have had a stall every year there and will definitely ask him about it.

Micca
 
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