10 May 2024, Issue 1209
Spice it up! March your taste buds into the flaming depths of hell this weekend and show your mates what you’re really made of! This Saturday, May 11, from 3pm, The Barrel Room will host the Tauranga heat of the NZ Chilli Eating Champs 2024, where temperatures are set to rise.
“It starts off with not as hot stuff like jalapenos, cayenne peppers, scotch bonnets, and it just gets hotter and hotter up into ghost peppers, reapers, scorpions, and all that fun stuff,” says The Barrel Room manager Liam Jackson (pictured), who will give the competition a go himself.
Nearly 200 contestants have signed up already, he says – and there will be strict rules to follow at the fiery challenge. “If you drink, you’re out. “If you throw up, you’re out. “If you leave the table, you’re out.” Experience all the sweat and tears, and see
if you can handle the heat. Or watch those who try! “It’s basically last man standing,” says Liam. Read more about the competition and those keen to spice up their lives this weekend on page 6. Photo: John Borren.