From Humble Beginnings

We began selling chilli pepper plants in 2001. The plants, and later pickles and sauces, gained wide acclaim and in 2007 we purchased Cherwood Nursery in Chawston which we renovated. Known for its ‘Pick Your Own’ chilli tunnel which is open to the public, the nursery has become the destination of choice for European hot pepper enthusiasts. In addition to fresh retail and wholesale chillies, we also produce a selection of gourmet sauces, spice rubs, dried, smoked, frozen, and pickled chillies processed onsite in a 5 ‘Stars On The Doors’ production kitchen. We were also ‘grow-to-order’ and white label for many of the best European hot sauce producers, restaurants, farm shops, delicatessens, and distinguished retailers such as Harrods and Fortnum and Mason. We host tours and workshops. Our gourmet products are available from the nursery and local Waitrose stores. Edible Ornamentals has featured in the national daily press, The Economist and leading national trade publications The Grocer and Fresh Produce Journal. Joanna featured as a chilli expert on BBC’s 3 Counties Radio, Radio 2’s ‘Chris Evans Show’, and Radio 4’s ‘You and Yours’ and has appeared in many TV programmes including Ready Steady Cook, Economy Gastronomy, Market Kitchen, Countrywise, Gordon Ramsay’s ‘Ultimate Cookery Course’, ‘The Hairy Bikers’ and ITV’s ‘Sunday Brunch’. Heston Blumenthal visited and filmed an episode of his Channel 4 series “Great British Food” which featured Shawn and Heston eating a Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, hottest chilli in the world at that time. Edible Ornamentals won an extremely prestigious “Grower Of The Year Award” at the annual Horticultural Weekly sponsored event in 2011. We’ve been crowned “Best Chilli Grower UK” at the Fiery Foods Festival in Brighton in 2011, 2015 and 2016. We were also named ‘Local Food Hero’ for East Anglia by the Good Food Channel’s Market Kitchen and in 2015 and 2017.