Liesl Addicoat is the Founder of The Chilli Chick Shop in Cudgen NSW. Liesl has a passion for food – food with spice; bold flavours, textures and especially fresh produce from the garden – her garden. So it came naturally, after years of work as a chef and for a time in corporate product development, that she decided to create a business that embraced the things she loved and was good at!

“My husband, an avid gardener, would bring fresh produce from our garden – then I’d do what I really enjoy… experiment! The results pleased us both, so he started growing a variety of chillies, which lead to the creation of our range of chilli products!” Positive feedback from family and friends further sparked her idea for ‘The Chilli Chick Shop’.

Roll forward to 2017… while recovering from a back operation and having time to contemplate the future, Liesl made the decision to ‘give it a go’- so she started off her chilli business as a side-hustle. Now she’s leaping into her third year of business with lots of exciting plans for the future.

Liesl lives in the rich produce-growing region of Northern Rivers NSW.

She loves sourcing fresh, local produce and being amongst the energy of a dedicated group of fellow food producers and providers. “Being part of such a fantastic community of people supporting one another is so satisfying and fun!”

Her home town of Cudgen, has a reputation for its sweet potatoes and so evolved one of Liesl’s fabulous products – Habanero and Roasted Cudgen Sweet Potato Sauce. Naturally, the sweet potatoes are sourced from a local farm – Mate and Matt’s Farm, and her chillies, when in season, are from a local chilli grower – Todd, from Farmstrong Farm in Tyalgum. During the Winter months, chillies get flown in from Bing Peppers in Cairns. In fact, all The Chilli Chick Shop products are made from fresh, local or Australian produce, all of which are top- quality with no added nasty preservatives or fillers. They are also gluten-free, and most products are vegan.

“My customers tell me it makes their meal-time so much easier and far less stressful. Adding a relish or sauce to a nice basic meal, makes for a WOW outcome. I always cook with ‘flavour before fire’- so there is something for everyone – from mild to extra hot! We even satisfy those with a sweet tooth – with customers loving our Chilli Caramel Fudge and Salted Chilli Caramel Popcorn. In a time-poor society, that ultimately wants to bring healthier, Aussie-made, quality products into the home; The Chilli Chick Shop makes it fun and convenient.”

Whilst her customers also love the money- saving deals Liesl offers through her online store, she adds “Ordering online is oh, so simple, and it means our products are not only accessible to everyone in Australia, but able to be delivered before you can say… CHILLI!”

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