Ahhh, the humble bowl of Chilli… Since the dawn of time (ish), it has been a beacon of spicy comfort food to the masses. A lighthouse of warmth, if you will, followed by the afterglow of an endorphin rush hug. From the penniless student searching for a cheap and nutritious meal, to the 3 Michelin starred chef, the bowl of Chilli has become a regular and welcome feature of the British household… and little wonder why! From a tasty burger topping, or a zingy blanket on top of a plate of hot salty chips or simply and gloriously on it's own, Chilli really is a friend to us all.
But for the few, the happy few, the band of chilli-heads, it is much much
more. It is an obsession. A never-ending goal to produce the best bowl of
Chilli known to man. A continuing journey to tweak a recipe that has
been with us for years, maybe decades, forever hopeful that we can nurture
that primal instinct in us all, to realise the dream of knowing that we
have conquered what mother nature has given us… to truly say that we are
the best of the best. Sadly for most of us, we must console ourselves in
the knowledge that we can only seek comfort in the adulation of our close
family and friends — to be merely chilli Kings or Queens of our own
domain. But for no longer! An elite force of men and women shall don aprons
and wield their mighty wooden spoons, conjuring up a magic cauldron of hot
bubbling meaty spicy broth for the people of Reading. The chosen ones, the
brave few, the masters of the chilli pepper will do battle to be crowned the
Reading Chilli Cook-off champion of 2012!
On Sat 2nd June, the 2nd Annual Reading Chilli Cook-off will take place — and this year we're going large! We've teamed up with the Tilehurst Jubilee Festival to bring you a fantastic day of entertainment! The event will be held in the beautiful Prospect Park, where the whole family will be able to enjoy an awesome mix of entertainment, including:
- fairground
- music arena showcasing the best Reading live bands
- stalls
- games
- sideshows
- classic car and bike display
- themed real ale/lager/cocktail tents
- It's a knockout
- multi-ethnic food
- stalls
- family picnic area
The whole day's festival is free to get in. You pay nothing. Zero. Nada…
To accompany the Chilli cook-off, we will have a great selection of chilli related stalls, selling sauces, chutneys, salsas, snacks, food, chilli plants and fresh and dried herbs and spices.
For the very brave whom lack of any functioning tastebuds or shame, there will be the ultimate chilli pepper eating competition.
If you'd like to enter this year's chilli cook-off, head over to the entry form and tell us about it! For any other queries drop a line to chillimaster@chilligonebarmy.com.
