Piccalilli. It's always been a take it or leave it kind of product in this house. If we had some in the cupboard, we would have it in the occasional sandwich or wrap, but it was never something that we would regularly add to our shopping list. However, that has changed, since we were given the opportunity to review the range of piccalilli offerings from Darlington based Calder's Kitchen.
Calder's Kitchen offer three takes on the traditional recipe;
As it was fairly obvious, from the names, that there was going to be some chilli heat involved, we decided to start with the traditional piccalilli and work our way up from there.
The traditional piccalilli is based on a recipe from company founder Andrew's Grandad Charlie. Described as "the way piccalilli used to be", it really is as versatile as it's creators claim. So far, we have added it to sandwiches, wraps and had it as a snack, with some of our favourite cheese. It is definitely tasty, with plenty of crunchy vegetables and a well balanced mix of sweetness and a mild curry flavour.
Stepping up to the Chillililli, this was one that we thought might not be too popular with the boys, as the youngest 2 are not fans of anything chilli based. This was not the case with this product, with all 3 asking to have this in a classic cheese toastie, rather than the traditional recipe. With the addition of scotch bonnet chillies, this one has a nice warming chilli heat, without being too hot for more sensitive taste buds. It also retains the great crunchiness of the traditional recipe, with its mix of cauliflower, courgette, onion, gherkin and carrot.
Stepping up the heat a little further, is the Sillylilli. The clue is in the name with this one. Definitely not a favourite with the 2 younger boys, but the teenager and us parents loved it.
We even used some in Calder's Kitchen's Coronation Chicken recipe and enjoyed it in a crusty bun. Next time though, it might be best to make 2 batches of this, one with the Chillililli, so all 3 boys can enjoy it.
Overall, we enjoyed all 3 versions of this classic, with our favourite being the Chillililli and we will be using this more regularly, now that we have found something a little tastier than the bland supermarket versions.
All 3 varieties are still handmade to a traditional family recipe from Grandad Charlie, who originally made it using vegetables grown in the family garden in South Shields and are vegan friendly. For more info, visit Calder's Kitchen's website https://calderskitchen.co.uk/
**We were gifted these products, in return for our honest review, as part of this campaign**
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