Member Article

Two Star Accolade For Local Producer

Whitley Bay based Crazy Fred’s Chilli Emporium has scooped itself a Two Star accolade at the annual Great Taste Awards.

The award has been given for Crazy Fred’s Lime and Coconut Chutney, one of the company’s best sellers. Launched at the North East Chilli Festival in July 2013, sales have doubled against the previous two best sellers, Onion Chutney and Extreme Chilli Sauce.

Owner of Crazy Fred’s, Fred Pole, launched the company in 2010 and he sells the products at markets, fairs and online at his Crazy-Freds website. He said:

“I have previously received a couple of One Star awards from the Great Taste Awards but due to the reaction of the customers I was hoping for more for the Lime and Coconut Chutney. I am delighted to have received a Two Star award, as a lot of work goes into this particular product.”

With a complex assortment of eleven ingredients, including fresh ginger, coriander and Thai green chillies, the cooking of the sauce is strenuous but creates amazing aromas meaning the neighbours know a new batch is on!

The Great Taste Awards are organised by the Guild of Fine Food and are the acknowledged benchmark for fine food and drink. It has been described as the ‘Oscars’ of the food world and the ‘epicurean equivalent of the Booker prize’. Winners get to use the Great Taste logo, which is the sign you can trust when buying food and drink in your local, quality retailer.

In 2018 over 500 judges came together at 65 judging days and the competition was fierce. Comments from the award judges for Crazy Fred’s were:

“An interesting and mouthwatering product, tropical notes with lots of coconut and a warm fragrance from the ginger and chillies. We are very impressed by the balance of all the ingredients.”

Only four other products in the same relishes category achieved the Two Star accolade.

Fred concluded:

“The uses for the Lime and Coconut Chutney from my customers varies from using it as a dip or relish, to marinating meat or as the base ingredient of a Thai curry – they just add coconut milk!”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Anna Toms .