At Berlin Chili Fest this September, one Berlin maker arrives with three gold medals and a deliberately contrary idea: that the best hot sauce is built for flavour, not for heat. Not That Spicy, the label from Justin King, took three Golds at the 2026 European Hot Sauce Awards, and puts its whole philosophy in its name. It joins more than 50 artisan producers at the festival's Harvest Event, from 4 to 6 September.
The promise sits in the brand. Not That Spicy is built on flavour over burn, with no extracts, and the medals are there to back the claim. It is the anti-superhot case made by a decorated maker rather than a marketing line, a reminder that heat is only one part of what a sauce can do.
Its flagship, Princess Passion, is a flavour-first sauce built for taste rather than punishment. Justin King will be at the festival across the weekend, pouring for visitors who want to taste what a sauce does when heat is not the point.
“Three Gold medals for a label called Not That Spicy tells you where the craft in this scene is heading,” said Neil Numb, founder of Berlin Chili Fest. “Heat gets the headlines, but flavour is what makes people come back, and this is a maker who has proved it.”
Not That Spicy is one of more than 50 artisan hot sauce producers from across Europe appearing at the Harvest Event 2026. Together they will bring hundreds of sauces to taste and buy, ranging from virtually no heat to the deliberately dangerous. More than 13,000 visitors are expected across the weekend.
Berlin Chili Fest runs Friday 4 September from 6pm to 10pm and Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September from noon to 10pm at the Berliner Berg Brauerei in Neukölln. Day tickets cost 7 euros and a weekend pass costs 12 euros, available from chilifest.eu.
ABOUT BERLIN CHILI FEST
Established in 2020, Berlin Chili Fest has grown into one of Europe's premier hot sauce celebrations. The festival combines professional competitions with grassroots community spirit, proving that you don't need corporate backing to build something meaningful. It attracts thousands of attendees, partners with industry leaders like Clifton Chili Club, and maintains its commitment to supporting independent, artisan hot sauce makers.
CONTACT
European Heat Council, Press Office Simon Gardner simon@republicofheat.com +49 176 41601284 Berlin Chili Fest press hub: europeanheatcouncil.eu/chilifest Not That Spicy profile: europeanheatcouncil.eu/chilifest/makers/not-that-spicy Press accreditation: chilifest.eu/press-accreditation Secondary: Neil Numb, Founder & Organizer, info@chilifest.eu
Accredited press can claim a free weekend pass and a complimentary maker tasting set, sent to you: https://europeanheatcouncil.eu/chilifest#request
Press images available on request. Credit line: “Berlin Chili Fest,” free for editorial use with credit.
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