Ferreira do Zêzere sits in central Portugal's Médio Tejo, on the Zêzere river just upstream of the Castelo de Bode reservoir, in olive-grove country. The Chilli Experience, a small-batch chilli farm and pickle kitchen run by Alan Stenhouse in Ferreira do Zêzere with production in Cabaços, Alvaiázere, has taken three medals at the European Hot Sauce Awards 2026 (heatawards.eu), Europe's flagship hot sauce competition: Silver in Sambal, Chutney and Pickles with Chilli Citrus Fire, Bronze in Sambal, Chutney and Pickles with Vampire Slayer Bite, and Silver in Sweet with Sweet Heat Inferno.
The Chilli Experience grows chillies directly on the farm in Ferreira do Zêzere, then hand-finishes the range in small batches in a separately approved kitchen in Cabaços, Alvaiázere. Alan Stenhouse runs production himself, with cook times of three and a half hours on the slower products and Indian-pickle influence running across most of the line. All three EHSA medals landed in the maker's first full year of approved-kitchen production.
Chilli Citrus Fire (Silver, Sambal, Chutney and Pickles): the longest of the range to prepare. Alan's answer to lime pickle for cooks who find the lime too sharp, with lemon infused into the pickle to mellow the edge while keeping the heat profile.
Vampire Slayer Bite (Bronze, Sambal, Chutney and Pickles): a garlic-heavy Indian-style hot pickle that fills the kitchen with garlic aroma for days. Built for Indian-food eaters who wanted something addictive with a decent level of heat. Currently The Chilli Experience's best-selling product.
Sweet Heat Inferno (Silver, Sweet): three and a half hours of cooking to reach the right consistency and glossiness. Designed to pair with cheese, with depth of flavour up front and enough heat to register without overpowering the cheeseboard.
"Absolutely delighted to have won two Silvers and a Bronze at the European Hot Sauce Awards 2026. We grow all the chillies on our farm in Ferreira do Zêzere, then craft everything in small batches in our approved kitchen in Cabaços, Alvaiázere, where we only started production last year." – Alan Stenhouse, The Chilli Experience
The European Hot Sauce Awards 2026 ran over 200 sauces from across the continent through blind tasting this year, scored on five criteria by a deliberately mixed panel of chefs, sommeliers, critics and chilli specialists. Sambal, Chutney and Pickles asks for proper pickling technique and time; Sweet asks for long-cook control and the discipline to keep heat from running off with the dish. The Chilli Experience landed in both, three times over.
"Three medals in a maker's first full year of approved-kitchen production is the kind of result this competition was set up to surface. Alan has been growing the chillies himself for years, and the moment the kitchen opened the medals followed. We are watching what comes out of Ferreira do Zêzere next year." – Nathan Austin, Republic of Heat
Chilli Citrus Fire, Vampire Slayer Bite and Sweet Heat Inferno are available through The Chilli Experience at thechilliexperience.com. Full EHSA 2026 results across all 16 categories: heatawards.eu/results/2026?utm_source=press_release&utm_medium=press&utm_campaign=ehsa2026&utm_content=chilli-experience.
The European Hot Sauce Awards 2026 are announced ahead of the Berlin Chili Fest, 29–31 May 2026. Republic of Heat's EHSA 2026 Top 3 winner box is live at republicofheat.com/de-en/discovery-set/euhsa_top3, with further EHSA selection boxes at republicofheat.com/de-en/hot-sauce-sets.
PRESS RESOURCES Press kit (photos, logos, AI lifestyle composites credited Republic of Heat / European Hot Sauce Awards 2026): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14aXiyhxk0d3Mbe0lWRaMRaMHXihCufwq?usp=drive_link
ABOUT THE CHILLI EXPERIENCE The Chilli Experience is a small-batch chilli farm and pickle kitchen run by Alan Stenhouse in Ferreira do Zêzere, central Portugal, with production in an approved kitchen in Cabaços, Alvaiázere. Chillies are grown directly on the farm, then hand-finished into sauces and pickles in small batches. The full range, including Chilli Citrus Fire, Vampire Slayer Bite and Sweet Heat Inferno, is available at thechilliexperience.com.
ABOUT THE EUROPEAN HOT SAUCE AWARDS The European Hot Sauce Awards (EHSA) is the professional competition for commercially produced hot sauces in Europe, run annually since 2024 from heatawards.eu. EHSA was born out of the Berlin Chili Festival, which has run since 2019 and returns 29–31 May 2026, and became an independent competition in 2024. Over 200 sauces from producers across the continent were entered in 2026. Entries are judged blind across five criteria: aroma, heat profile, flavour, creativity and finish. The 2026 edition covers 16 categories, with Gold, Silver and Bronze medals awarded across multiple positions in each. Each category also names a Best in Category, the top Gold. EHSA is run independently of any single producer or retailer.
ABOUT REPUBLIC OF HEAT Republic of Heat is a European hot sauce subscription designed to show off the flavours coming out of Europe and help solve the distribution problem independent makers face. Founded June 2025 in Berlin by Nathan "Naga" Austin and Simon "Scoville" Gardner. The Discovery subscription delivers three handpicked craft sauces plus a spicy extra to subscribers across the EU each month. Press partner of the European Hot Sauce Awards 2026. republicofheat.com.
PRESS CONTACT Press: Republic of Heat, on behalf of European Hot Sauce Awards contact@republicofheat.com +49 176 41601284
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