World’s hottest chilli owner calls for fire-breathing Dragon

Fire Foods' Infinity Chilli is rated an explosive 1.17 on the Scoville scale of hotness (the Richter Scale within the chilli world) although it has now been dethroned; the firm originally discovered the fiery pepper by accident when its chillies crossbread in a polytunnel.

Owner Nick Woods told Foodmanufacture.co.uk that Fire Foods – which he runs with wife Zoe – makes products including the world’s hottest curry sauce, chilli mustard, chilli beer and chilli sauces, but has now reached a crossroads.

“We have got the brand Fire Foods. We have got demand from all round the world. But we are as big as we can be from a four-bedroom house. Now we need someone to take things to the next level, someone who knows the food industry,” ​he said.

Brilliant chilli niche​

Woods added: “Chillies are liquid gold at the moment. It is a brilliant niche to be in. It is the right time for someone like Associated British Foods or Peter Jones from Dragons’ Den to get behind them. Everything’s in place, we just need a leg up. Someone who can say to us: 'I can help. I know how to freight out pallets overseas' ".​

He said Fire Foods sales had gone “through the roof”​ since his Infinity chilli hit the record books, with orders being placed as online in countries including Brazil, Australia, Norway and Sweden; however, he stressed that production levels varied according to demand, and said he had “absolutely no idea”​ what the firm's current turnover was.

Woods added that products were sold by mail order or at food fairs, but that the firm found it difficult to sell through third parties such as delis due to current high production costs that lowered sale margins.

For instance, his superhot chilli sauce now costs £7.50 per bottle to make.