No one really understands just how hot Thanos is until they meet him face to face. The destroyer of worlds lived up to his name during our visit to Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm, and one of us paid the price in full. If you go somewhere that creates incredible chilli sauces, you do have to try them all. That rule was taken very seriously.
Tucked away in the Pembrokeshire countryside, Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm is one of those places that makes you smile as soon as you arrive. A burst of colour, heat, and personality sits behind those polytunnels, with chillies of every shape and intensity hanging like jewels. What started as a simple experiment has grown into one of Wales’s best-loved small producers, with sauces, oils, jams, and spice blends now finding their way into kitchens and cafés all over the country.
Watch our Pembrokeshire Road Trip visit to Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm on YouTube as Anthony meets Owen, explores the growing and production process, and comes face to face with Thanos.
Anthony met Owen to talk through how the chillies are grown and how a Welsh farm can produce such an impressive range of heat and flavour.
The chillies are grown in polytunnels which protect the plants from strong winds and heavy rain while extending the growing season at both ends of the year. Everything is grown from seed, and nothing goes to waste. The compost, roots, and leaves are all returned to the soil and reused for future crops.
Harvesting never truly stops. While some varieties are being picked, seeds are already being planted for the following year. It is a continuous cycle that keeps the farm productive month after month.
“It really was just a hobby at first. A little pop-up greenhouse and a few pots and pans on the stove, and it grew from there.”
Inside the production kitchen, the process becomes serious very quickly. Once picked, the chillies are de stemmed and frozen ready for batches of sauces. Chocolate habaneros sit beside Burmese naga chillies that look every bit as fierce as they taste.
The sauces are made in a large steam jacketed kettle capable of producing around 750 bottles in one batch. Vinegars, sugars, garlic, ginger, and spices are blended with the chillies before being cooked, bottled, capped, and labelled on site. Everything is handled in small batches and made with care.
The farm produces a full range of sauces that move steadily up the heat scale.
Southern Gold is a honey mustard and brown sugar based sauce inspired by South Carolina barbecue. Fire Cider is made in collaboration with a local Pembrokeshire cider producer. Scorpion Bite brings immediate heat, while Reapers Creepers builds slowly with smoked paprika, garlic, and brown sugar before the warmth creeps in.
“We go for flavour first. There is heat, but flavour always comes before heat.”
For those who truly want pain, there is also a pure chilli extract that reaches 6.4 million on the Scoville scale. That one is not treated lightly.
It is not just sauces that come out of the farm. Chilli oils for cooking, jams that work beautifully with cheese and charcuterie, and dried spice mixes all form part of the wider Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm range. Each product is made in small batches with the same care and attention as the sauces.
What really shines through is the personality behind the brand. The names are playful, the branding tongue in cheek, and the humour is never far from the surface. It makes the products feel inviting even for those who usually tread carefully around chilli.
Seafood quickly became part of the conversation. Owen pointed out that tropical mango sauce works beautifully with prawns and shrimp, and some of the farm’s sauces are already being used with Atlantic Edge oysters.
Anthony shared one of the challenges set by the Faber team.
A fully British sourced Tabasco style sauce.
That single idea sparked immediate excitement.
“Let’s make a Tabasco style sauce but bring it lower down the scale.”
Tasting day arrived quickly. The rule was simple. If Anthony tried it, everyone tried it. Southern Gold came first. Sweet, tangy, and full of flavour.
Then Thanos arrived.
“That is the one Atlantic Edge use with their oysters. In tiny doses.”
What followed was laughter, regret, and an appreciation of restraint.
“Can you stop filming now please.”
The verdict was unanimous. Thanos is not to be taken lightly.
There is something about Pembrokeshire that seems to make everything taste better. Sea air drifting inland, long sunshine hours, and clean growing conditions all play a part. The chillies here thrive, developing strong heat alongside real depth of flavour.
Each variety brings something different, and the farm has turned that diversity into a range that offers both everyday sauces and extreme challenges. It is heat with personality and purpose.