A Chilli Celebration That’s Hot Hot Hot

AN eye-watering, tongue-tingling street festival will be spicing up Manchester’s Bank Holiday Weekend.

Commencing at high noon (when else?) outside the fish market on High Street in the Northern Quarter on Saturday 25 May, the event is organised by the folks behind Kahlúa Coffee House. There will be a range of frankly frightening chilli challenges to try out if you dare.

It’s all about the flavour, not the fire.

Six of the area’s bars and restaurants will be taking part in Manchester’s first ever chilli smackdown. In order to be crowned ‘Fuego Champion’, they will do battle in a head-to-head cook-off, aiming to produce their most delectable chilli con carne. But, according to the website, (and this is balm to my nervous taste buds) it’s all about the flavour, not the fire.

For the princely sum of £10, you can be the arbiter of taste. To be a judge, register here.

The chilli critics will try each of the six chilli con carnes submitted as well as receiving a complimentary cocktail to cleanse those discerning palates.

However, such family entertainment as watching grown men weeping and turning puce as they get to grips with the chilli-eating contest, is all free and gratis. If you have a tongue of steel (disturbing image, I know) and wish to enter the chilli-eating contest, click here.

Other events on offer include a piñata pit where you can hit a donkey with a stick to win prizes – before you call the NSPCA, it’s not a real one, it’s only papier maché. There will be a chilli mercado where you can sample and spend on hundreds of chilli products and also the chilling-sounding moruga roulette. Spin the wheel and watch it land on a lovely cocktail or, perhaps, on a mouth-incinerating moruga chilli. Not for the faint-hearted.

With Mariachi bands providing some Latin tunes as well as surprise live sets from some of Manchester’s favourite acts, you can go loco in Acapulco and then realise you’re actually going local on the cobbles of the Northern Quarter.

High Street to heat up