Last year I met Shishanee from The Spice Maze via instagram. I was able to try out her range of spices and loved cooking with them. This weekend they are heading to Wandin as a stall holder at the annual Herb & Chilli Festival. I asked Shishanee to find out a bit more about the event for me and this is what Clive had to say.
The Herb & Chilli Festival
1. How did the chilli festival start
wife and I have run events for other organisations over many years and
felt we could do something for ourselves. We have a business selling
potted herbs
to retail garden centres and though a herb festival would work well.
However when we tested this with friends it had a luke warm response.
We were talking to another friend who suggested chillis might be a good
addition. So the Herb and Chilli Festival
was born. Then we had to find a time and date. We applied to be part
of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2012 and were accepted but we
had to have it on the third weekend in March that year. The Jindivick
Chilli event had moved back to that weekend
from February in 2012 which was a clash but we felt the product was big
enough for two festivals.
2. Tell us a bit more about the event
is a two day festival with 90+ stalls and four stage. Stalls include
Hot Sauce Alley which is a series of specialist hot sauce producers and
the Food Court
with 30 stall selling food from all over the world – all using a range
of herbs and man y with chilli. Products range from Fish Tacos, twisted
potatoes, Cambodian BBQ, pulled pork, arancini and this year
Seychellois Creole (Creole cooking from the Seychelles).
Drinks include imported boutique Mexican beer, Mango beer, Lychee beer
and several special brews from Moondog brewing. There are stalls
selling jams and chutneys, spices and rubs, smoking gear, jewellery,
clothes and of course plants.
3. What can one expect at the chilli festival?
Stage one is a series of speakers on chillis, herbs and how to grow
them, Stage two is the Competition Stage with The Hellfire Wing
Challenge, Captain Chili, Shout n Holler and an exhibition by the masked
Mexican wrestlers. Stage three is a series of cooking
dem onstraions compared by our Festival Chef, Dani Venn and Stage 4 is
the entertainment one with dancing displays by Peruvian Folkloric and
music: Latin Fusion, R&B Zydeco and Willie Nelson tribute.
There are jumping castles, pony rides, animal farm and face painting all for the kids and all free.
4. Where can we get tickets?
On line at www.herbchillifestival.com.au
Thanks for giving us some background on the event Clive. It sounds like a fun weekend. We have a family pass to give away to one lucky Melbournite so make sure you check out our post on InstaFacebook.
Thanks to the recent development here, there is no longer a place to be avoided at night. This is a perfect location for a classy, elegant event. It’s great when everyone gathers at LA venues for an incredible picture.