CHILLI JAMS ARE HOT BUSINESS
City man’s chilli jam a big winner
GROWING in Steve Botham’s Toowoomba backyard is a chilli lover’s dream.
Currently he has about 100 plants, with about 50 to 60 varieties of chilli ranging from the very mild to one called the Carolina reaper - the hottest in the world.
Mr Botham, or Steve the Chilli Man as his business is known, has been creating jams from his chillies for about a year and they are already being awarded as some of the best throughout Australia and New Zealand.
He won first place and third place at the recent Mr Chilli Awards, which is for any company in either country that makes a product with chilli.
His Mango Madness, with a heat rating of four out of five, won first place in the chilli jam category, while the slightly milder blueberry and habanero jam came third.
The Yorkshire-born turned Toowoomba man makes a total of five jams, which also includes a mild strawberry and chipotle, a Tolerable Tickle creation and the Not For The Kids Chilli Jam.
“I have been a chef for over 30 years. I used to be a head chef in a Mexican restaurant in the UK and we used to play around with the chillies then,” Mr Botham said.
He explained he just decided to start growing them himself and went from there. He hopes to encourage people to try a whole range of chillis.
“It’s just trying to get people to try different ones because there is so many different flavours in there as well,” he said.
“A lot of people get a kick from eating them. The hotter ones, it releases endorphins so people get a bit of a buzz from eating them.
“If you are growing veggies and herbs, you really need a chilli plant.”
Mr Botham also makes chilli-infused salts and hopes to start making chilli sauces.
For more go to stevethechilliman.com.au or find Steve the Chilli Man on Facebook.