What’s Hot at West Dean Gardens Chilli Fiesta?

Want to experience a scorcher this summer? Make sure to bring taste buds ready to be tantalised for a true food festival highlight: the West Dean Gardens Chilli Fiesta. Taking place over the weekend 9-11 August, the West Dean Gardens event is officially the UK’s biggest chilli festival and the perfect foodie adventure during a stay at Quay Quarters’ luxury holiday cottages.

Nestled in the beautiful South Downs National Park, the gardens themselves are an all-year-round highlight, with an astonishing array of homegrown and exotic plants and landscapes ripe for exploring. Attending the Chilli Fiesta makes for double the fun with a family-friendly vibe, cookery classes and tasty dishes on offer that truly live up to the inspiring setting.

With over 140 stalls selling chilli-related gifts, plants seeds and produce, you’re bound to come back fully loaded with ideas for your own garden. Refreshments abound with five different bars on site, each selling ice-cold drinks to wash down the chilli peppers! Here’s our round-up of the best looking events and activities at the West Dean Gardens Chilli Fiesta 2019, so you can plan the tastiest weekend possible.

Cookery Demonstrations

If, like the Quay Quarters crew, you love nothing more than cooking up a culinary storm, the Chilli Fiesta’s cookery demonstrations are not to be missed. Hosted by Miranda Gore Browne of The Great British Bake Off fame, these shows aren’t just about pepping up your dishes with chilli (although there will be plenty of chillies involved!) Don’t miss a delectable display of gluten-free dishes by 2016 MasterChef Champion Jane Devonshire, plus demonstration by GBBO finalist Chetna Makan, who’ll be showing off her repertoire of tasty Indian-inspired food. Returning to the Chilli Festival this year is Sussex food grandee Steven Edwards, head chef at Brighton restaurant etch, which was recently voted the best restaurant in the city!

Children’s Activities

West Dean Gardens Chilli Fiesta makes for the perfect family day out during a stay as our kid friendly bed and breakfast or luxury holiday cottages. There’s a host of fun activities to keep the children happy, starting with the vintage funfair packed with classic games and rides – we love the mini Austin cars! Daredevils will enjoy thee slackline and circus workshop, brand new for this year’s Fiesta. There will also be an outdoor cinema showing family films – don’t forget your chilli-inspired nibbles!

Live Music & Dance

It wouldn’t be a food festival without a bit of a boogie! No matter what day you visit, you’re bound to catch a funky entertainment show on the main front lawn stage. Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra take the stage on Friday evening with their unique brand of swing-honkytonk-rockabilly” that will get the whole place grooving. On Sunday, Strictly Come Dancing fans shouldn’t miss an exclusive dance performance by Strictly star Graziano Di Prima and his partner Giada Lini, with moves that are off the Scoville scale!

Spice up your summer with a stay at Quay Quarters

Our dog-friendly holiday cottages and bed and breakfast accommodation are only a short drive from West Dean Gardens and the South Downs National Park. with short-break options and cottages to suit different itineraries and family sizes, you’re bound to find the perfect home from home at Quay Quarters. Book now to stay during the next West Dean Gardens Chilli Fiesta.