In March of this year, Florence Pugh, the talented Oscar-nominated actor and winner of the Trophée Chopard at Cannes, made an appearance on a chat show to promote her latest movie alongside Morgan Freeman. However, things quickly took a turn for the worse. Pugh appeared visibly flustered and soon found herself in an uncomfortable situation. “This is like eating battery acid,” she confessed to host Sean Evans. Tears streamed down her face, she began to drool, and sweat formed on her eyebrows.
Pugh joined a growing number of British celebrities who have participated in Hot Ones, a YouTube chat show that has garnered a staggering 385 million views on TikTok this year. The show has managed to attract A-list guests who are willing to devour increasingly spicy chicken wings, take on challenges, and answer interview questions. This spicy food trend has now reached a multitude of stars from the UK and Ireland, including Lewis Capaldi, Harry Kane, Idris Elba, Niall Horan, and Colin Farrell.
What’s interesting is that this surge in interest towards hot sauce is indicative of a shift in British culinary preferences. In the past year, sales of hot sauces have seen a significant increase, with Waitrose reporting a 55% rise compared to the previous year. Specifically, sriracha sauce has experienced a meteoric rise in popularity, amassing over 550 million views on TikTok under the hashtag #sriracha. The scarcity of Huy Fong sriracha has even made headlines in the US.
Recognizing this growing demand, Waitrose now offers more than 20 different hot sauces, ranging from milder options like chipotle to habanero sauces that measure between 30,000-50,000 heat units on the Scoville scale. Alongside major retailers, the number of small-batch hot sauce producers in the UK has been steadily increasing.
In the realm of table sauces, Nando’s has seen remarkable success, even surpassing HP (famous for its brown sauce) to become the third most popular brand in the UK. Nando’s BBQ sauces, available in supermarkets, have experienced a 9.5% growth this year, generating £22.4 million in sales. Meanwhile, traditional British condiments like brown sauce, mayonnaise, and ketchup have seen declines in unit sales.
The UK’s fascination with spicy flavors has also brought about a burgeoning cultural scene. In 2018, Jess Karia and Ben Uraszewski founded Bauce Brothers, a subscription hot sauce club. The duo initiated annual awards for the best sauces in 2021. Uraszewski explains, “We’ve always shared a love for hot sauce, but it was challenging to discover great UK-made ones easily. Buying sauces online presented a vast range of choices, but most focused on extreme heat rather than flavor. We started the club to help fellow hot sauce enthusiasts find excellent sauces made in the UK that prioritize flavor.”
London’s Hot Sauce Society, the largest festival of its kind, has experienced growing popularity, attracting larger crowds every year. These events have become essential for sauce makers and hot sauce enthusiasts alike, showcasing artisanal spicy sauces. Over the past decade, chili festivals have sprouted up nationwide and have become synonymous with British summer. Alongside eating competitions, these festivals serve as a platform for sauce makers to share their creations.
Allie Behr, the event producer for the Hot Sauce Society festival, notes, “The hot sauce community is incredibly welcoming. It’s not just about burly men like in the craft beer scene. It’s an inclusive community, and sauce makers often sell family recipes and exchange stories. It’s truly heartwarming.” One UK-based sauce maker, Pat Hinds, offers a Guyanese pepper sauce called Pat & Pinky’s, inspired by his mother’s cooking. This particular sauce features the wiri wiri chili, which is relatively unknown outside of Guyana. Hinds believes that introducing this chili to the world is a way to showcase his country’s culture and cuisine.
Hinds, who worked in marketing for 25 years before launching Pat & Pinky’s, witnessed the rise of hot sauces in the US, especially in a city like New York, before this trend found its way to the UK. With the exponential growth of street food and the opportunity to explore diverse culinary offerings, people’s palates have become more adventurous when it comes to trying flavors from different parts of the world. Social media platforms like YouTube have also played a significant role in shaping people’s culinary experiences, allowing them to virtually taste various dishes before trying them in person. Hinds encourages those who are still wary of hot sauce to take the leap and give it a try, suggesting that events and tastings are an excellent way to introduce people to the world of spicy flavors.
As Uraszewski from Bauce Brothers aptly states, “Hot sauce is a guaranteed way to elevate any plain meal into something magical.” The increasing popularity of hot sauces in the UK, the growth of the artisanal hot sauce market, and the vibrant chili festivals all contribute to a growing cultural movement that celebrates bold and fiery flavors.
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