Fire Dragon Chillies from Hokianga has won the 2016 World Hot Sauce Award.
Fire Dragon Chillies from Hokianga has won the 2016 World Hot Sauce Award.
Two Northland chilli producers are hot property after capturing one gold and one bronze medal in the 2016 World Hot Sauce Awards.
Hokianga's organic growers, Fire Dragon Chillies, owned by Clint Meyer, took out the gold medal for the third year in a row in the extra-hot section with theirFire Dragon Chillies Deadly Chilli Sauce, made from a blend of the hottest chillies on earth.
Dargaville's Wild West Worcester, owned by Katie Le Noel who has been making her own Worcester sauce for 30 years, won the bronze medal in two categories: the Sweet Black Sauce in the hot sauce category and the Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce in the marketing category. Northland Inc business growth manager, David Templeton, said the awards added to Northland's growing reputation as a source of quality wine and food products in New Zealand.
The American-based World Hot Sauce Awards are considered the most coveted chilli awards in the world. This year more than 1000 products were entered by 213 companies representing 16 countries at an awards ceremony held in Louisiana, USA.
Other New Zealand winners were Baxter's Original and Huffman's Sauces of Wellington with Lucky Taco and Culley's from Auckland.
All World Hot Sauce winners will be at the inaugural NZ Hot Sauce Festival in Auckland on June 25 which will feature at least 13 national producers and 100 sauces as well as international sauces.
