North East Chilli Fest 2013 Preview

NORTH EAST CHILLI FEST 2013 PREVIEW 

Hi everyone and welcome to my second full post and may i just say a big thanks to the great many people who viewed the last post way beyond my expectations. so for this post i thought i would look ahead to the chilli festival on july 6th and 7th just over a week away now at the very scenic seaton delaval hall. 

You can pick up tickets online here http://www.chillifest-ne.co.uk/ also for clarity geordie gourmet do not profit from this in anyway. 

For those of you who are new to the north east chilli fest this is the second annual festival and having attended the first effort i must say they are a great day out full of entertainment and lovely food. 

At the front of the hall was many exhibitors of chilli and other gourmet foods more a market feel whilst to the rear of the hall was loads of hot food vendors and bar with entertainment. 

entrance to the actual hall is included with the ticket which is a nice touch also there was a mexican mariachi band and choir preforming at various points not to mention the insane chili eating competition. 

so to this year and i have contacted and highlighted just a few of the interesting exhibitors at this years festival  to give you a feel of what to expect.

A bit chilli - www.abitchilli.co.uk 

A bit chilli based in buckinghamshire offers a range of chilli products including four delicious dipping chutneys using four different chillies and flavours i asked them a few questions to find out what to expect from them at chilli fest.

What led you to produce chilli products in the first place ? 

I've always loved cooking and being vegetarian have used chillies in my cooking for years. I produced my first chilli chutney a few years ago and everyone loved it so it just started from there

There seems to be a growing market for chili products in the uk these days what would you put that down to? 

I think peoples tastes have changed with the popularity of Indian and Mexican food. Through that, awareness and the love of chilli heat and flavour has grown the market

You have a interesting and unexpected range of products how did you come up with the idea for lemon drop chilli curd ? 

I love the different flavours, as well as the heat that chillis offer. I have tried to put a range of products together which champion different types of chillis. When I first tasted the Lemon Drop chilli and its distinctive citrus flavour it just seemed a great thing to try it in a lemon curd. And it just works!

Why should people visit your stall at chilli fest ? 

To taste our products and decide for themselves which is their favourite chilli and flavour!

The flamepit smokehouse bbq www.flamepit.com 

Based in Newcastle the flame pit use a custom smoker to cook amazing bbq food with there own homemade rubs and sauces  again i asked a few questions to give you a feel of their unique product

What led you to produce amazing bbq food ? 

It was trips to america and eating great BBQ and meat, watching shows like Man vs Food and Diners, Drive-ins and dives. We tested for months and I attended a pitmaster course with Ray Lampe (AKA DR BBQ).

How easy was it to find a smoker like yours in the uk ? 

No one really makes a serious smoker in the UK we had ours custom built buy a master welder. Shipping and VAT from the USA would have added thousands of pounds to the price. Ours is about a ton and a half

 you produce all your own rubs and sauces what led you to make that decision ? 

We made the study of BBQ our goal and bringing great food to people. We imported and tested many of the brands of rubs but tweaked it for the UK and we also tested rubs from over 50 BBQ recipe books. Our rub will be used at the Chilli fest and will be available to the public.

Why should people visit your stall at chilli fest ? 

why should people visit your stall at chilli fest ? 

It is the only TRUE BBQ at the event. We will be cooking the meat for over 12 hours for each day with charcoal and american hardwoods. Real pulled pork and Brisket, there is nothing like it.

El Kantina mexican street food  

The third and final exhibitor i contacted was El kantina (however there are many more exciting food producers going to be present have a look at the chili fest website for full line up).specialising in fast fresh street food with a modern tex mex flavour. 

What was the inspiration behind el kantina ?

The inspiration behind the concept is lots of travelling in The South of the US and Mexico and a general passion for the food from these two neighbouring countries. We wanted to fuse together the best of both cuisines with our modern ‘Twisted Tex-Mex’ menu

You are also looking at the ready meals market traditionally held by large companies what led you to take on the big boys ? 

We took the decision to take the ready meals to market due to an obvious gap in the market and consistent demand for the products. We don’t think there are any other independent suppliers proving a retail ready pulled pork dish for independent retailers and wanted to be the first to do it.  The popularity of the Pulled Pork at shows and events was a testament to its future success as a retail product and our ‘Chow Down at Home’ range of products.  Having worked in the food industry for six years, helping other businesses in new product development, getting the product to market for ourselves was the obvious next step

Why should people visit your stall at chilli fest ? 

At chilli festival we will have some of our regular menu favourites such as our Pulled Pork Ninja Nachos (with a good old chilli boost just for the occasion) as well as our Sombrero Basket and Cone of Love! Our Chorizo Chilli Sour Dough Bread Pot will also make an appearance. We will also have a supply of hot chilli condiments for customers to pimp up their chow as they please

Thank you for taking the time to read and i hope this has you fired up for the chilli festival

 (sorry couldn't help it) and i hope to see some of you at Delaval hall 

next blog will be on a new Newcastle gin bar in a week or so 

yours Geordie gourmet 

 tickets cost £7 and are available online as well as grainger market - french oven , Gateshead - spice monkey , Whitley bay - park view kitchen , New Hartley - post office , Seaton delaval- 10th avenue cakes , Durham indoor market - the curry shop 

Brewdog Newcastle

This is my first post in my blog set up to celebrate the great and good of the geordie gourmet scene and it seems only fitting to begin with one of my personal favourite retreats in the city producer and seller of fine beers Brewdog

For the uninitiated a brief history of brewdog, they started out as a small micro brewery in Scotland 6 years ago and have grown into a chain of bars with a difference, brewing there own beer and celebrating beers from other brewers they deem worthy.

 Upon entering the industrial looking building almost on Newcastle quayside the first thing you may notice is the lack of signage no fosters amstel or coors taps to be seen just plain black taps with a brewdog logo on. above the bar is a menu 4 beers that tend to be ever present then 3 or 4 limited run beers all made in brewdogs Scottish brewery and 2 or 3  from other brewers. At this point i would strongly advise actually shock horror speaking to the bar staff by which i don't mean grunting larger please i mean speaking as they have some knowledge behind them and will find the right brew for you. 

On my recent visit i sampled there 5am saint containing 5 hops 5 malts and 5% this is a beer that packs loads of flavour more on which later and a chocolate beer brownie that is produced locally by pet lamb patisserie using brewdog beers. Aside from cakes there are cheese and meat platters and more usual bar snacks of nuts and homemade scotch eggs available. 

Newcastle brewdog also offer a beer masterclass at £20 per person that includes 6 drinks and food platters and is a highly recommended eye opener to initiate you into the world of craft brewing. 

I asked a few questions to bar manager Helen Davison 

In just six years brewdog has come so far what would you put this down to ?  The general interest in craft beer has boomed over the time we've been establishing ourselves. Over the past few years, the increase in bars offering a craft beer selection, nurturing their real ale offerings, and generally taking more pride in their product  range has encouraged the buyer to be more experimental. I also think that people are becoming more conscious of what they spend their money on. They want to know what they are consuming, and who they are supporting. I think Brewdog's popularity comes down us providing people with a range of ethically produced, trustworthy products. Every beer is individual and exciting, and our staff are knowledgeable and passionate about each one.

With the motto beer for punks its not your typical boardroom could you tell us about the people behind the company ? James and Martin decided to set up the Brewery because they were frustrated by seeing the same boring brands saturating the beer industry. Our motto 'Beer For Punks' stems from the guys adopting the punk ethos and attitude, protesting against the corporate beer scene, and rebelling against the mainstream. James and Martin make beers they want to drink, uncompromising and full of attitude. Although the company has rapidly expanded in such a small space of time, they are both very much involved in the daily running of both the brewery and the bars. They and are still extremely passionate about what they do and this enthusiasm is evident throughout each aspect of the company.

So what makes brewdog so different to other Newcastle bars ? As soon as you walk into BrewDog Newcastle, you can seeaesthetically, it is differs from every other bar in the city centre. Our bars are visually recognisable and possess lots of structural similarities. It was important to me, to encorporate some local art into the decor to give our bar some locality, as well as it's own identity. Newcastle is a city full of diversity and immensly talented people- and so all the varying degrees of art work you see around the bar, have been provided by regulars and residents of the city. The main obvious difference between ourselves and every other bar- is we do not compromise on our drink selection. We do not sell any commercial brands, everything we stock: spirits, soft drinks, ciders, wines and beers, are all craft. We boast an immense bottle selection, stocking beers from all over the globe, and an ever changing draft offering, both from BrewDog and guest breweries. We provide Beer Schools for people who want to learn more about craft beer. We often stock beers that other bars can not get access to, and we are the only bar to feature a full Beer Cocktail menu. When customers come into the bar, and don't recognise any of our products, they are immediately stepping out of their comfort zone; we pride ourselves on giving everybody great customer service, and encouraging people to try new things!

i see on a local level you have worked with pet lamb patisserie how did that come about ? We met the girls from Pet Lamb  when they participated in a DIY day we held in the bar. The day was a celebration all things DIY curated by Laura Sheldon; supporting local companies, artists and musicians who possess the same ethos as BrewDog. We paired some beer and cake together on the day, then later approached the girls to incorporate some of our beer into their brownies. Since then we've experimented with different styles, and now stock a range of beer infused cakes as part of our food offerings. We have hosted beer and cake pairings in the bar, and will happily put together beer and cake flights for any customers who want to experiment with pairing themselves! 

what is your favourite brewdog beer? It's very difficult to pick one favorite as we stock such a wide range of different styles, and so it really depends on your mood. My 'go to' beer would more than likely be 5AM Saint, it's a really well balanced amber ale-brewed with 5 different malts and 5 different hops. I'm also a big fan of Jack Hammer at the moment- it's incredibly sharp and hoppy, but still refreshing, and Pradox Isle of Arran- a 15% imperial stout, barrel aged in Isle of Arran whiskey casks- we've had it on draft lately and it tastes amazing. 

what can we expect from the future of brewdog in newcastle and as a whole? Brewdog as a whole is still growing. Although we have grown rapidly, and our popularity has risen we are still a very small company, and have only just dented the beer scene. Craft beer is on the rise, and it's great to see over the past year more bars in our region offerring a much wider selection, which is great for us. Plans for this bar include, more events, more live music, more tap-takeovers from exciting breweries, food and beer pairings, beer cocktail competitions, beer tastings and loads more Brewdog beers. It is our AGM this weekend, so expect some exciting announcements.  

Brewdog can be found at 16 dean street 

12-12 sun to thurs and 12-1 fri and sat 

follow brewdog newcastle on twitter

Well that's my first addition hope it wasn't too painful , feel free to leave a comment and if you put your email in the box at the top of the page you can receive my blog via email. 

Its been a busy few days so you can expect 2 more posts in just over a week 

thank you for your time 

geordie gourmet 

welcome

Hi all and welcome to Geordie gourmet blog
         i thought i would spend this first post and take a little time to explain what i plan to blog about and some ideas i hope to bring to this , i wont go on too long i am aware your time is precious.

So gourmet - this word has many meanings but i shall be using it mainly in two ways that of a person who has devoted passion to their food or produce  and that of good food and drink simple as that if its good its in

Geordie this ones a little harder to define as it can be both place and accent and if you believe some of my friends a way of life , it can mean the greater north east of england to one or within a mile of the quayside to another. far be it for me to decide but in this case i am going with the north east area as a whole but as its my home the city of newcastle will probably be featured most

 so that in a nutshell is my plan to celebrate all things gourmet be it good restaurants delis shops or even takeaways who are going that extra mile and doing something a little different in the north east.
It may be food as local as a stottie cake or a dim sum but if its exciting local food i shall happily give it a shout

what to expect i shall review places i have eaten and food based findings and shine a light on anything i feel worth it  share some pictures and recipes and even try to interview some of the stars of the north east food scene.

so thats my plan i hope to have my first post up within the week and i hope at least some people out there find my food based ramblings in some way interesting.
                                                 and if not it should be tasty anyway
                                                                            the geordie gourmet