UK chilli pepper season early this year after perfect spring
Last year Brits bought an estimated 230 million chilli peppers – a 50 per cent increase in demand since 2011.
But it’s the super-hot varieties that are creating the greatest excitement with chilli pepper fans. Last year Tesco saw sales for super-hot chillies rocket by 130 per cent, largely down to the popularity of the world’s hottest commercially grown chilli pepper, the Carolina Reaper, which was available for the first time exclusively at the supermarket’s stores across the UK last summer.
The perfect spring growing conditions means there will be twice as many of the notorious Bedfordshire grown Carolina Reaper variety this year.
They are exclusively grown by Bedfordshire farmer Salvatore Genovese who is the UK’s largest chilli pepper grower.
Salvatore said: “This year we’ve had really good levels of light and some great weather which has helped push the season forward.
“I’ve also planted a lot more of the Carolina Reaper because the high demand last summer took us by surprise. That, together with the earlier start to the season, means we will have nearly twice as many as last year.”
Other chilli peppers grown by Salv that are stocked by Tesco include the previously hottest UK grown variety, the Komodo Dragon, as well as the Scotch Bonnet and Habanero in red, green, chocolate and yellow; Flavia, Purple Valentina; Cayenne; Fresno in yellow, green, red and orange and his own favourite the Serenade.
For more information please contact:
Tesco
Tel: +44 01707 918 701