SPOTLIGHT ON something hot and beverages to cool you down

It’s getting hot, hot, hot and it’s not just the weather. This week we look at a new chilli festival on its way, and some cool summer sips

For the first time, a flavourful chilli festival is two days jam-packed with chilli themed activities for all the family to enjoy, ranging from cooking demonstrations and talks on growing chillies to a chilli cook-off and chilli-eating competitions. So whether you’re a chilli enthusiast, food lover or just someone looking for a fun weekend, the Great Chilli Festival has something for everybody. With live music on both days, featuring a Mariachi band, and a variety of activities for children including bouncy castles and a mini-carousel, you can be sure you’ll be very entertained. And if you’re worried you won’t be able to handle the heat, there’s plenty of choice from the stallholders for those with a gentler taste palette. Here are some of the hot highlights...

Saturday, June 30

Chilli eating competition: Those brave enough can participate in a chilli eating competition at 4pm. There will be 10 rounds of increasingly hot chillies for the participants and plenty of amusement for the spectators. With two minutes to finish each chilli, you’re not allowed to drink anything during the competition, no matter how tempting a pint of milk may look.

Chilli sauce competition: Visitors also have the chance to head down to the sauce competition tent and judge the sauces entered by the traders themselves.

Sunday, July 1

Chilli Cook-off Competition The UK Chilli Cook-off Association is running a chilli-con-carne cook-off between 10 pre-registered teams. The teams will get the chance to battle it out for the Kent title and a place at the national finals. Competitors only have four hours to cook a gallon of chilli-con-carne from scratch. Their gallons will then be put before a panel of judges and a public vote to determine whose the best is. The teams that place will receive cash prizes and the winning team goes on to cook in the UK finals, with a chance of qualifying to compete in the World Food Championships in Alabama. There’s also another chilli eating competition at 4pm.

The Great Kent Chilli Festival is on Saturday, 30 June and Sunday, 1 July, from 10am to 5pm at Hole Park, Rolvenden. For more details and to book tickets, head to greatkentchillifestival.co.uk

It will be the first time the Great Kent Chilli Festival has been held in the county when it comes to Hole Park