top of page

Search


lukeathompson
Dec 28, 20242 min read
Best Hot Sauces of 2024
I tried about 75 hot sauces from 30 different companies this summer and reviewed around 50 of them here. The plan was to find my...
0


lukeathompson
Nov 2, 20244 min read
Which plants were best? The numbers.
It's the first Saturday I've been home in what feels like months. The Habanero fermentation is bubbling in the kitchen. The fridge is...
0


lukeathompson
Oct 15, 20241 min read
Mouse Bastards
After a few days away I return to devastation in the greenhouse. I’ve spent more than six months going out every night and removing...
0


lukeathompson
Oct 7, 20243 min read
Some Surprise Flavours
I seem to have spent a lot of time in trains and cars and boats and planes the past few weeks, then in bookshops and galleries and...
0


lukeathompson
Sep 9, 20243 min read
Chilli Flakes and Killer Onions
The past couple of days we’ve had quite a few Cayennetta ripen - around fifty. They’re a pretty simple-flavoured hot pepper and they’ll...
0


lukeathompson
Aug 25, 20242 min read
Ripening Books & Peppers
‘I wrote this book because . . .’ I say as I walk Puffin through the woods. ‘Ultimately, it’s about . . .’ I say as I’m watering the...
0


lukeathompson
Aug 16, 20242 min read
Writer versus Barbecue
I was meant to be doing a barbecue for Sarah’s parents while they’d all gone swimming, but as I was wheeling out the cooker from the...
0


lukeathompson
Jul 28, 20243 min read
Meet the Peppers
The end of July has seen a number of the peppers accelerate, although the wet has also seen the slug population accelerate too. I've seen...
0


lukeathompson
Jul 23, 20241 min read
REVIEW: Aye - Kimchi Hot Sauce
So many ingredients in here and nothing is especially dominant, which is a nice change. This is another wonderfully rich, dark fermented...
0


lukeathompson
Jul 19, 20241 min read
REVIEW: Hoots - Smokin' Hoot Classic
Most of the sauces I’ve tried the past couple of weeks have been mild and I almost forgot what the sting of a good Scotch Bonnet hot...
0


lukeathompson
Jul 16, 20241 min read
REVIEW: Chimac - Korean Hot Sauce
I’m enjoying these fermented hot sauces at the moment and this one is primarily made from the Korean fermented pepper paste gochujang. So...
0


lukeathompson
Jul 13, 20243 min read
Pestilence
I recently noticed the yellowing of some leaves in the greenhouse and a couple of plants dropped their leaves. I’ve been pretty attentive...
0


lukeathompson
Jul 11, 20241 min read
REVIEW: Muti - Deep Trouble
A bit more garlicky than Troublemaker, but again a strong sense of the ferment. I’m not getting a lot of chipotle or mango, which is a...
0


lukeathompson
Jul 8, 20241 min read
REVIEW: Muti - Troublemaker
A new company. I’ve picked up three sauces, all made with fermented ingredients and I’m starting with their Troublemaker, which is made...
0


lukeathompson
Jul 5, 20241 min read
REVIEW: DevilDog Hot Sauce - Aji Panca, Cranberry & Spiced Clementine
I love this company. This is how it should be done. The play, the flavours, the originality. A specific Peruvian pepper is used here, the...
0


lukeathompson
Jul 3, 20241 min read
An Appreciation of the Cayennetta
At the beginning of the year I hadn’t even heard of the Cayennetta but right now, as of 3rd July 2024, it’s just about my favourite of...
0


lukeathompson
Jun 30, 20241 min read
REVIEW: Thiccc - Honey Butter Louisiana
Another design misfire. This is a heatless condiment that says it's made with honey and butter. So the image? A blood-soaked bison with...
0


lukeathompson
Jun 27, 20242 min read
REVIEW: Pip's Hot Sauce - Nagatropolis
I bought this one a while ago and have been putting it off. It sounds like it’s going to be way too hot for me. I’m not here for the...
0


lukeathompson
Jun 25, 20243 min read
The Month of Pubescens
Intro I’ve grown peppers idly for a number of years but only a few varieties. Cataloguing what’s been happening and when it’s happening...
0


lukeathompson
Jun 23, 20242 min read
REVIEW: Ginger Beard's Preserves - Original Buffalo Hot Sauce
My second Buffalo Hot Sauce is from Bristol's Ginger Beard. This one is sharper and less unctuous than the Guzzalo. More peppery, less...
0
bottom of page