Chilli lovers feel festival heat at Dorothy Clive Garden
The Trinidad Scorpion might sound terrifying to most people but for some of the fearless chilli festival visitors it was the main attraction.
The scorpion, the second-hottest chilli in existence, was the final challenge for the brave souls taking on the chilli-eating competition at the Dorothy Clive Garden's fifth annual chilli festival.
Expanded to take in both Saturday and Sunday, the festival, which took place at Willoughbridge, Market Drayton, featured a host of chilli-related celebrations including a variety of food and drinks created with the fiery food-stuff.
Julia Roberts, marketing and events manager at Dorothy Clive Gardens, said the event had proved hugely popular since its introduction five years ago, when it was devised as a way of attracting visitors as the summer fades to autumn.
Although the event features a host of entertainment, food, and educational chilli information, Julia admitted that the public favourite is always the spectacle of the chilli eating contest.
The competition saw its final challengers taking on the heat of the Trinidad Scorpion, which although technically rated as the second hottest chilli behind the Carolina Reaper, was selected for its consistency, with each of the finalists guaranteed to feel the pain in their bid for success.
Julia said: ""It is the highlight, the crowd is massive because it is real drama."
