The hottest festival line-up of the year

Here’s a hot challenge – Anyone fancy tasting 163 chillies in a day?

That’s the mouth-tingling offer from the Victoriana Nursery Gardens in Challock, which is staging Chilli Fest over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, October 1 and 2, from 11am to 4pm each day.

The nursery’s Stephen Shirley said: “There are chilli festivals and there are chilli festivals, and we’ve been to more than one or two where we’ve struggled to find a fresh chilli – let alone a chilli plant.

“At Victoriana, our Chilli Fest is just a little bit different – it’s all about the chilli.

“This year, we will have 163 varieties to taste, complemented by many stalls selling sauces, chutneys and jams – as well as foods to eat on the day from chilli candyfloss to chilli coffee. Couple that with a range of arts and craft stalls, who have to sell at least one chillithemed item and you have the perfect event for the lover of all things chilli.

“We think it’s safe to say that we go ‘chilli mad’ for the weekend.”

The event is free to enter, although the nursery does ask for a donation to its chosen charity, The Mission to Seafarers, from anyone wishing to taste the chillies.

Expert growers and eaters will be on hand to offer advice and information about all the varieties grown at the nursery and guide visitors through a tasting experience.

There will be 163 varieties of chilli fruits on show and for sale in the ultimate pick your own.

Go to www.victoriananursery. co.uk for more information.