fiery, chilie fiesta (Chilli Fiesta (West Dean))

Member Name: genmil

Product:	Chilli Fiesta (West Dean)
Date:	09/03/09 (113 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: all you need to know about chilli

Disadvantages: none

Every year in summer, I look forward to visiting West Dean garden and its festivals. There are 4 main garden festivals in West Dean, Wholly Herbs, Chilli Fiesta, Totally Tomato Show and Apple Affair. My favourite is the Chilli Fiesta.

West Dean garden and college is situated in South East England, 6 miles north of the historic city of Chichester. West Dean is managed by a charitable trust, the Edward James Foundation and it is a community of artists, craftspeople, restorers, gardeners and farmers. The garden is set in the back drop of the rolling South Downs, a peaceful and tranquil place with occasional blearing of sheep from the fields.

West Dean Gardens is open year round. In the garden, there is a carefully restored walled kitchen garden and a few Victorian Glasshouses. There is a visitor centre with a licensed restaurant with homemade lunches and teas.

What happened at the Chilli Fiesta?

At the Chilli Fiesta, your senses come alive. Surrounded by many varieties of chillies from around the world, your sense of smell, taste and sight is titillated. Not only would you be able to see and touch the different varieties of chilli, you are also introduced to the many uses of chillies. You also get the chance to try chilli dishes from around the world such as Mexico, India, South East Asia and South America. If you are adventurous, you might like to try chilli lager too.

There are also cooking demonstration and talks on chillies and how to grow them. In some of the Victorian glass house, you will be able to see different variety of chilli growing in pots. The labels on each pot indicate the type and the condition for growing that chilli. So for those who like to learn more about growing chilli, it is an added bonus.

The admission fee for West Dean garden's event are £7.25 for Adult, £6.75 for over 60s, and £3.25 for children 5 and above.

West Dean Gardens is a beautiful place to visit if you are near Chichester or the South Coast. Beside the Chilli Fiesta which is definitely worth attending, there are also other events like open air play, music and literary festival on the grounds.

Summary: A great summer outing.