The Hot Sauce Emporium

01/09/2024

Sunday mealtime ends as it began this morning, with some excellent home-cooked food (fried rice), and a fine selection of chilli sauces.....

01/09/2024

After a busy few days in the shop, those late Sunday breakfasts are a welcome treat. Of course it is true that I take my work home with me...

28/08/2024

Another chilli farm visit, and this time it was the turn of the South Devon Chilli Farm, situated in the beautiful countryside of South Devon. Pictured with me is Ben, longstanding team member, and currently involved in the logistics side of the business. Also featured are just two of the many chilli varieties to be found in the Plant Nursery and Chilli Show Tunnel, which looks spectacular at this time of year. If you are in the area ever, particularly in August through to October, I highly recommend a visit. Plus of course, you can sample the whole range of products in the on-site shop.

The pictured chillies are Golden Nugget and Sugar Rush Stripey, both new to me.

More chilli farm adventures to come...

26/08/2024

It's that time of year to be visiting chilli farms, and first on the list to visit to call in on were Joy and Michael Michaud of the renowned Sea Spring Seeds in South Dorset. As regular Emporium customers will be aware, we carry a range of chilli seeds from Sea Spring Farm, and having seen for myself the incredibly thorough and meticulous testing regime Joy and Michael carry out on all the seeds and plants they sell, including new cultivars, I can assure any potential buyers that their products are of the absolute highest quality. Joy and Michael are incredibly knowledgable and are always trialling potential new varieties of chilli, the most famous of their creations being of course the Dorset Naga (that's a polytunnel full of them in case you were wondering). Of course, I only stock chilli seeds, but you can purchase a wide range of vegetable seeds direct from the farm online.

More chilli farm uodates to follow...

24/08/2024

This outstanding Japanese-inspired limited edition sauce from Brixton's Lazy Scientist Sauces sneaked into the Emporium a few weeks back now, and has sadly almost sold out. However, there are still a few bottles left, and we are hoping that it will be making another appearance around Christmas-time. If you are lucky enough to grab a bottle, you can expect to experience the earthy, umami flavours of miso and soya, combined with the nuttiness of sesame, the distinctive taste of nori seaweed, and of course a blast of Naga fire.

You can find this sauce, plus a couple of hundred more, at the Hot Sauce Emporium, located in Bristol's historic St Nicholas Market.

13/08/2024

One of the positives of working in the Emporium is when unexpected guests turn up - and today it was none other than quality saucemaker Russell Williams from Grim Reaper Foods. Russ was in town with his family for the Balloon Fiesta (although unfortunately said balloons proved to be rather elusive on Sunday). Some of you will be very familiar with the Grim Reaper quality range, including the luxuriant chilli chocolate, but you may not be aware that Russell is also the man behind the equally excellent Chilli Alchemist range, some of which can be found on the Emporium shelves.

We are always happy for folks to come in to say hello and peruse the vast range of chilli sauces on offer - you can find the Hot Sauce Emporium in the Exchange Hall in Bristol's historic St Nicholas Market.

09/08/2024

Here we are with another new addition to the Emporium shelves. Regular customers will be familiar with Secret Aardvark Trading Company's famous Habanero sauce, but here's something a little different from them. The Drunken Jerk Jamaican Marinade is bursting with classic jerk flavourings and also has a cheeky little dark rum boost to it. It's perfect for marinating chicken, fish or tofu, or try mixing it into mayonnaise for a flavoursome dip.

Drunken Jerk is now available from the Hot Sauce Emporium - we are located within Bristol's historic St Nicholas Market. Excellent and timely backdrop courtesy of People Unite Records and shop favourites Ruts/Ruts DC...

08/08/2024

I've been a bit slack on the old social media lateley, but rest assured there have been plenty of new arrivals in the Hot Sauce Emporium. Take this latest offering from shop favourites Heartbeat Hot Sauce Co.. This creamy and rich blend of jalapenos, scotch bonnets, chipotles in adobo, dates, olive oil, maple syrup and smoked paprika goes on everything and despite the name, it's way too good to reserve only for camping trips. The sauce only arrived in the shop today and I've got through half a bottle already...

If you are visiting Bristol this Summer, or if you are a regular, it's time to pay a visit to the Hot Sauce Emporium to see what's new - find us in Bristol's historic St Nicholas Market.

18/07/2024

Things are coming along nicely in the Emporioum polytunnel, after a slow start. Pictured is the decorative and appropriately named Purple Haze chilli, seeds of which can be purchased from the Hot Sauce Emporium in or direct from .

28/06/2024

For fans of the excellent The Hillbilly Moon Explosion, I have just a couple of these 'Queen Of Heat' special tour sauces available, which I picked up when I was lucky enough to catch them playing in Bristol recently. The sauces are a band collaboration with the excellent Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm and are made using the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Pepper, so do live up to their name. The sauces are available in the shop now, but just to stress I only have a couple (plus one for my own collection, of course)...

Straight from the Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm, we give you:
QUEEN OF HEAT Hot Sauce!

14/06/2024

With dubious election promises coming thick and fast this week, you may be reassured to know that the Hot Sauce Emporium really can promise Jam Tomorrow - Mr Vikkis Habanero Chilli Jam, that is. This latest addition to the range of Mr Vikki's products was awarded a full three stars by Great Taste, and after just one sumptuous spoonful you will fall in love with this beauty, trust me.

Mr Vikki's Habanero Chilli Jam, along with a wide range of their exceptional products, is available now from the the Hot Sauce Emporium, located in Bristol's historic St Nicholas Market. We are only one of two Mr Vikki's stockists in the whole of the South West and for that reason alone it is worth paying us a visit...

01/06/2024

I may have missed the memo, as it appears to be National Mechandise Day...

This rather fetching T-Shirt has just arrived from Lazy Scientist Sauces, along with two very inviting-looking sauce samples. The Japanese-inspired Miso Naga has already been customer-tested and has been very well received, so it may well be appearing on the shop shelves soon, and the equally delicious looking Katsu Hot Sauce will be sampled later today....it can be a tough job running a chilli sauce shop sometimes, but I'm sure you'll agree that someone has to do it.

More amazing Lazy Scientist sauces and hundreds more chilli products can be found in the Hot Sauce Emporium - located in Bristol's historic St Nicholas Market.

01/06/2024

What better time than a quiet Saturday morning than to start decorating the new Emporium fridge? First off the mark are some freshly donated stickers from Tubby Tom's, Oakes Hot Sauce, Crazy Bastard Sauce and the well worth checking out Tayo's Apparel, not to mention a brace of stickers from bristol's own mutant maestros, Herb Garden (Bristol, UK), who also threw in a free CD. Anyone would think they were trying to bribe me into mentioning that they are appearing at this year's https://www.calnebikemeet.com/entertainment...

More hot sauce/music/anything sticker fun to come...

24/05/2024

As the latest line-up of Hot Ones is revealed, the Hot Sauce Emporium is pleased to announce that every featured sauce is now in stock - as long as it's Da Bomb Beyond Insanity. But let's be honest - that's the one you really want to try, isn't it?

Yes, the legendary Da Bomb Beyond Insanity from Spicin Foods is available once more from the Hot Sauce Emporium, located within Bristol's historic St Nicholas Market, where you will also find a number of other sauces featured on the show over the various seasons.

16/05/2024

It's another masterpiece from Gloucester Gourmet Tubby Tom's, in the shape of not one but two buttery creations. Honey Butter takes Tom's original creamy Buffalo Wing sauce and further enriches it with - yep - honey butter, to ludicrously addictive effect, whilst the Garlic Butter rub delivers an intensely sweet and herby garlic butter flavour which is as equally perfect as a meat rub or as a dusting on fries, cheese on toast, or, as the man himself suggests, stirred into mashed potatoes...

Both items are available to purchase now from the Hot Sauce Emporium, located in Bristol's historic St Nicholas Market.

14/05/2024

URGENT APPEAL!!!

After 7 years of loyal service The Hot Sauce Emporium fridge has made its final journey to the recycling centre, and with it, a whole bunch of much-loved stickers. New decorations are urgently required, so if any saucemakers, bands or anyone else with some interesting stickers are reading this, please donate generously the next time you are sending me a box o' sauces or visiting the shop! Sauce and sticker maestro Tubby Tom's has already started the ball rolling for me, but there's plenty of room for more....

07/05/2024

Rockin' Out with Team Tubby in the Tubby Tent at this year's Eastnor ChilliFest!!!

Another amazing festival with glorious weather (really), a great turn-out and an opportunity for me to meet up with and chat to some of my favourite suppliers and friends including Tubby Tom's, Hot-Headz, Mr Vikkis, The Wiltshire Chilli Farm, GingerBeard's Preserves, Grim Reaper Foods, Wiga Wagaa, devil_dog_sauces, and everyone's favourite chilli eating contest hosts, Clifton Chilli Club. I missed more than I'd have liked to, and I forgot to take any photos, although I did come back with plenty of new ideas for the shop, which really needs to be bigger...

Same time next year for sure...

03/05/2024

As the man says, Secret Aardvark Trading Company Habanero is back, and this time, the Aardvark has brought a friend. Introducing Serrabanero, a medium to hot classic green chilli sauce which combines green habaneros, serrano chillies and tomatillos with garlic, basil and lime juice to produce a zingy, tangy, slightly sweet condiment that is just perfect for nachos, enchilladas, pizza and much more.

Both sauces are available now from the Hot Sauce Emporium, located in the former Corn Exchange, part of Bristol's famous St Nicholas Market.

26/04/2024

It's the Old One-Two from these knockout medium-heat chilli jams from Easton Chilli. Both of these locally made jams have won awards, including a prestigious Great Taste 3 Star award for the Black Garlic Chilli Jam, and a Taste of the West Gold for the Thai-influenced Salted Pineapple Chilli Jam. They are available in the Hot Sauce Emporium from this weekend, and are highly recommended.

The Hot Sauce Emporium is located in Bristol's historic St Nicholas Market, just close to the City Centre.

25/04/2024

IT'S BACK!!!

Spicin Foods came through for me and the Pain Is Good Buffalo Blue Cheese Sauce arrived today...

Nothing more to say about this legendary sauce other than it's on the Emporium shelves right now...

Find us in Bristol's historic St Nicholas Market.

16/04/2024

I cannot recall how many times over the past few years I've been asked 'Do you stock the Hot Ones Last Dab?' and had to answer in the negative. Well, that situation has finally changed....YOU CAN now purchase the HEATONIST The Last Dab ### and The Last Dab Xperience over the counter, in the shop, and you can forget all about those pesky shipping fees and import duties. I'm sure that both these scorchers need no introduction, but in a nutshell, The Last Dab Xperience contains over 91% Pepper X, Pepper X powder and Pepper X distillate, whilst the ### combines Pepper X with two other strains - the Chocolate Pepper X and the Peach Pepper X. Developed and cultivated by Smokin' Ed Currie, who previously gave us the Carolina Reaper, Pepper X is the current holder of the title of World's Hottest Chilli pepper, and it packs a punch like a headless boxer. With a birdcage where his head should be.

Both sauces are in stock now in the Hot Sauce Emporium - we are based in Bristol's historic St Nicholas Market. Found artwork possibly by Marc Bessant.

23/03/2024

Easter - God's gift to chocolatiers - is almost upon us once again, and so it seems appropriate to mention that the Hot Sauce Emporium is stuffed full of chilli chocolate treats, from the Grim Reaper Foods range of sublimely-flavoured bars, to the somewhat more family-friendly South Devon Chilli Farm range, to the melt-your-face-off mayhem of the Dr Burnorium's Hot Sauce Emporium Psycho Chocolate Gift Boxes and Psycho Bullets. Most (but not all) of the chocolates are suitable for vegans, although perhaps not so for those with an aversion to chilli, and of course we also stock hundreds of other sauces and chilli-based products. We don't do Hot Cross Buns, but if you pop a Psycho Bullet inside an ordinary bun, it will certainly be hot and it will probably make the recipient very cross.

The Hot Sauce Emporium is Closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday, but we are open on Saturday 30th March for those last minute Easter treats. We are located in the Exchange Hall, within Bristol's historic St Nicholas Market.

20/03/2024

Many thanks to Yoyo and Fraser from Yoyo Laos Sauce for stopping by on Saturday to treat Emporium visitors to a delicious tasting session - needless to say they were very well received. This also means that the Hot Sauce Emporium is re-stocked with Yoyo sauces including the Extra Hot, the Luang Prabang Special, and the newest offering, the Yoyo Lan Xang Hot Green Chilli Sauce, which is sweet and very garlicky, and makes an amazing dipping sauce. Unfortunately the original Ginger Chilli Sauce sold out on the day, but it will be back soon...

If we are lucky enough to have Yoyo Laos visit again, I will flag it up in advance next time!!! The Hot Sauce Emporium is located in Bristol's historic St Nicholas Market.

14/03/2024

Sometimes, the best things happen by accident. Take this Peppapot hot sauce from Brighton's Burning Desire Foods - it arrived in the Emporium by mistake earlier this week, but it's so flavoursome that it had to go straight out on the shelves. Like all the Burning Desire sauces, it is absolutely bursting with fresh flavours - in this instance, habaneros, lime, garlic, pepper, coconut milk and ginger, and it's a great all-rounder. Just look at this typical family celebrating its awesomeness in this heartwarming and definitely not photoshopped portrait...

This feisty showstopper is available now from the Hot Sauce Emporium - find us in Bristol's historic St Nicholas Market.

07/03/2024

New to the Emporium this week are two sauces from the Eaten Alive London fermented bio-live range. The medium-heat Raw Kimchi sauce is made using fermented chillies, peppers and traditional Gochugaru, whilst the Preserved Lemon is made from fermented yellow habanero chillies, sweet peppers and whole lemons, and packs a little more heat. Both sauces are extremely delicious, and are already proving a hit with customers, so we may well be seeing more products from Eaten Alive on the Emporium shelves very soon.

The Hot Sauce Emporium is located within Bristol's historic St Nicholas Market, and once again thanks to our neighbour Japonicat for providing the striking backdrop.

01/03/2024

A quick heads-up on availability of our own Hot Sauce Emporium range...

We are currently out of the Ginger Submarine sauce, but will have a new batch in stock very soon...

The Clockwork Lemon sauce is currently available, but stocks are low, and due to a poor harvest of the Lemon Drop chillies last year, won't be available again until after this year's harvest...

The popular 100% organic cotton No Sweat Hot Sauce Emporium T-Shirts are down to the last few. We have one adult small and a few medium, large and extra large sizes left - the XXL size is now sold out. If you have been thinking about getting one, now is the time, as there are no immediate plans to print any extras.

Organic cotton Hoodies - there are still good supplies of all adult sizes (S, M, L, XL, XXL), and as I need to make space before I can get any more T-Shirts done, the Hoodies will be on sale at half their original price for March and April - that's £19.95 for a top quality organic Earth Positive garment...

That's all for now with this drawn-out update, but remember, these sauces and garments are NOT AVAILABLE to purchase anywhere else in the world, so if you want to grab one, you know where to find us. And if you don't, the Hot Sauce Emporium is located in the Exchange Building within Bristol's historic St Nicholas Market.

23/02/2024

Congratulations to all those who entered, and especially to all those who won, in what is now becoming an integral annual event in the UK chilli-lovers calendar. Great to see plenty of overseas entries as well this year.

I'm especially pleased to see a whole host of awards going to saucemakers whose products you can find on the Emporium shelves, including Mr Vikkis, GingerBeard's Preserves, South Devon Chilli Farm, EatMuti, Hot-Headz, Grim Reaper Foods, Chilli Alchemist, Burning Desire Foods and Lazy Scientist Sauces. Keep on doing what you're doing, folks.

And the winners are...

https://www.cliftonchilliclub.com/national-chilli-awards-2024-results

16/02/2024

Say hello to Naomi Wilkinson (and assistant)! Naomi provided the striking illustrations for Neil Ridley and Dean Honer's Hot Sauce (A Fiery Guide to 101 of the World's Best Sauces) book. It's always a pleasant surprise when a customer turns out to have been involved in one of the items on sale in the Emporium, and I really cannot recommend this book strongly enough for anyone with more than a passing interest in hot sauces and chillies in general. I must confess that I haven't read the Hello Kitty book (available in Japonicat next door), but I'm sure it's equally as good...

15/02/2024

At last it's back!!! Secret Aardvark Trading Company Habanero Hot Sauce has finally returned to the Hot Sauce Emporium shelves to blast away those lingering Winter Blues. For those of you who've yet to meet the Aardvark, it is a habanero and roasted tomato-based sauce, described as a Caribbean/Tex-Mex hybrid, and is the very definition of a great all-rounder.

Find the Secret Aardvark, plus hundreds more hot sauces and chilli-themed products, in the Hot Sauce Emporium, located just off Bristol City Centre in the historic St Nicholas Market.

05/02/2024

Look who's back!!! Three hot n' fruity faves from the one and only Crazy Bastard Sauce - Ghost Pepper & Mango, Trinidad Scorpion & Clementine and the Carolina Reaper & Blueberry. Now available in store - find us in Bristol's historic St Nicholas Market.