Chilli-Innovation in food in Fife!

Chillilicious

There is so much to see at the Chillilicious base in Ceres and so much which connects with our theme of Innovation Architecture and Design

 

Innovation

Tricia and Stacy are nothing if not Innovative, a chilli farm in Fife for a start! It’s the first in Scotland and they have been growing chillies since 2011. That’s not all, Their pest control is done not by chemicals and sprays but by natural means. If you visit the farm – it’s open every weekend from Friday –  Tricia will tell you that the farm was on the site of a former linen mill, whilst all the buildings from then have gone, the remains of the pond where the flax  was broken down to make linen is still there and every season frogs congregate and produce………  more frogs!  And these little chaps spend their days eating all the slugs which might damage the chillies!  A natural pest control. What next for these innovative girls – frogs legs? And if that isn’t enough they also buy in a mass of ladybirds which eat all the nasty bugs that might also damage the chillies, The word for a mass of ladybirds?  A loveliness!!!

Architecture

Without going too deeply into the private lives of the Chillilicious owners, you have to look at their wonderful house as you drive into the farm. It’s on the right as you approach the little farm shop. The roof is based on a church roof and is one of the steepest in Fife!  And the window is a Norwegian based design so, when you are there just look around and image all the comings and goings in history, look to your left and the banks which now graze sheep were where the linen was dried after the soaking in the pond  and to the right of the house Tricia’s kitchen where all there condiments are made is a log cabin.

Design

Stacy is an artist who has worked with Liz Rowley the well known stained glass artist and she brings her design skills not just to her glass kitchenware available in the shop but also to the designs for the labels of the condiments and her “take” on the Burns’ Selkirk grace is painted on the ceiling of the shop

Visit soon and the studio for open Studios the first week end in May

Some hae heat and canna eat

And some would eat that want it   

But we hae heat and we can eat

And sae the chilli be thankit