A FINAGHY man is a hot new property on the Belfast food scene after he scooped a prestigious Great Taste 2024 award for a new sauce.
Blackfire Food was set up by chilli fanatic Tim McCarthy in 2014 to celebrate all things spicy.
Built on Tim's ‘flavour first’ philosophy, Blackfire produces a range of condiments, chilli-infused oils and spice mixes that complement every imaginable dish.
As 'Chief Alchemist' of the business, Tim has drawn on his decades of tasting and travelling worldwide to produce a multi-award-winning brand that has put Ireland on the world hot sauce map.
At the recent Great Taste 2024 Awards, Tim's Ghost Pepper and Black Lime Ketchup was awarded a Great Taste three-star in the world’s most trusted food and drink accreditation scheme.
“We are thrilled to have won a Great Taste award for our spicy ketchup," beamed Tim.
"I started making hot sauces at home in Ardmore Park from the kitchen table in 2014 for myself as I just couldn’t find anything that I liked in the shops," he said.
"All hot sauces seemed to be based on boring chilli varieties and white wine vinegar. My business grew from there and now Blackfire Food has a full range of hot sauces – including our world famous ‘Pain in the Hole’ super hot sauce – chilli jams, chilli oils and spice bags.
"For a small local business like mine to be a world beater is incredible.
"We are off to London in September where we’ll be up against all of the other three-star winners to see who comes away with the ultimate accolade for food producers, The Golden Fork Awards, which is equivalent to a Michelin Star for food producers, so fingers crossed."
You can find out more about @blackfirebelfast on Instagram.
