2 days to go chilli fans! We continue our 9 day countdown to the
20th West Dean Chilli Fiesta with some more excellent stalls for
you to visit across the event! So let's dive in shall we…
Craft Beers with a Bite
Joe Ross, Jon Chapman and Russ Cox (aka Staggeringly Good) proudly
make "Beer for people who love to ride dinosaurs!" This Portsmouth
based CAMRA approved beer company launched its first beer,
'StaggerSaurus' last year and have since injected a weirdly
wonderful sense of fun in to the Craft beer scene with their
brilliant word-play and tattoo-like illustrations…Oh and of course
their delicious flavours that will be making their way to West Dean
this weekend.
The journey began when they created some personalised
beers for friends' birthdays and stag do's (hence the other
meaning of 'Stag'geringly Good). The beer went down so well that
they decided to set up their own company and after a little over a
year they now supply over 40 great pubs and bars throughout
Hampshire and the South.
Staggeringly Good are certainly set for great things in 2015 and
will be adding to the festival atmosphere in spades when they take
to the West Dean lawns!
.All their beers have a dinosaur theme with some beautifully
designed labels that match the well-
crafted ales within. Such examples include:
AND…
Extinction Black IPA (A dark and fruity chilli beer that comes in
mild and EXTRA HOT varieties)
With their unique branding and ever so slightly wacky attitude
to the world of beer making, these guys are doing something
different. I can't wait for a taste of their Extinction Chilli beer
(black cap of course) ;) which is ready for those who dare to add a
little extra spice to their already sizzling Chilli Fiesta
weekend!
Fast Food Using the Best Ingredients
Now it's hard to do justice to the extravagant and wonderful
boss-lady of Wham Bam
Mother Bhumi, Amanda Holley. So for this next section
dissecting the kings of tempura pakora and bhajias (as I'm reliably
told is the correct way to pronounce it), I'll be using mainly
direct quotes from 'Mother Bhumi' herself. It will give you the
perfect idea of what Wham Bam Mother Bhumi is all about!…
"After 16 years cooking pakoras, if someone asks 'what makes
fast food great?' I would have to share our guiding principles:
1. to get as close to the source of the ingredients as
possible.
2. to nourish people on the spot without damaging our beautiful
planet.
3. Love what we do!
As long as all that happens you get a smile on your tummy! Our
pakoras and bhajias are allergen-free, organic and delicious; we
grind our own whole grains and spices for the batter, use domestic
quality sunflower oil (used once and used for biodiesel), serve on
ecofriendly plates and recycle.
All our vegetables come from Cherry Garden Organic
Farm and we have a policy to use independent traders (because
we are one!). That is the background to a the most delicious
pakoras and bhajias that you will taste for quite a few miles!
Taste and go to heaven!"
Enough said? Well get a load of this chilli fans! Not only does
Amanda provide some of the tastiest and healthiest 'fast-food'
that's ever likely to grace your tongues, but she's also one of the
most charitable women I've had the pleasure of dealing with.
Wham Bam Mother Bhumi - profits help those in need
For an hour, every day at the Fiesta, she'll be giving profits
made from her delicious food to aid the Nepalese earthquake crisis.
So get down to Wham Bam Mother Bhumi this weekend to 'put a smile
on your tummy' and a smile on the faces of those who really need it
over in Nepal.
West Dean's family-friendly Chilli
Fiesta turns 20 this year! Join in the fun 7, 8 and 9 August
2015. Early Bird Tickets available until 31 July. www.westdeangardens.org.uk
