Chilli of the Valley, run from Wales by Dan Reed and his family, caught my attention all the way back in twenty-eighteen, when I was looking for a mild and Marvel-themed sauce for a friend. Their garlicky, green one fit the bill perfectly but the second sauce that I tried from them was much less to my tastes and I left them alone for a long time.

Now I wish that I hadn’t, however, as their second garlic sauce, extract ones and the Black Death that Dan recently sent me – Made with black garlic and carolina reaper – have all proven really well crafted.

And he even reworked the recipe for his Calypso, in response to my initial complaints, to turn it from a sharp and unpleasant sauce into one of the most delightfully creamy and tropical things to ever coat my chicken.

My early impressions of this company were undeservedly harsh and, now that I’ve had more of their delicious wares, I can see that they’re worthy of my love and yours. So go check out their website and maybe try making some brownies with Dan’s Black Death.