It’s official… the hottest ready meals in the world are about to hit UK supermarkets, but you have to be over 18 to buy them.
If you’d consider yourself to be pretty tolerant when it comes to spicy food, and reckon you’ve got what it takes to handle the heat, then two new ready meals made with the world’s hottest chilli pepper are launching in Iceland from this week – but due to the serious spice levels, bosses have been forced to ban ban under 18s from getting their hands on them.
The two new meals, a searingly-spicy Chicken Tikka Masala and a molten Chilli Mac & Cheese, are with the world’s hottest chilli, Pepper X, which tops a staggering 2.69 million Scoville heat units – making it 53,760% hotter than a jalapeño.
The Pepper X chilli earned the title of the World’s Hottest Chilli from Guinness World Records in 2023, and last year, and has only ever been available in sauce form up until now.
The world’s hottest ready meals are going on sale in the UK but you have to be over 18 to buy them / Credit: Supplied
The new products are so hot, in fact, that Iceland has become the first UK supermarket to introduce an age restriction on ready meals.
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Whether you can believe it or not, staff at stores across the UK are prepped and will be on high alert when the products hit the shelves from this Thursday (10 October), ensuring IDs are shown at the checkouts, which means those daring enough for the challenge need to come prepared if they want to walk away with them.
“Our customers love spice, and they are always pushing us to turn up the heat,” explained Matthew Worsley, who is the Head Development Chef at Iceland Foods.
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“So this time, we have developed a range that will not disappoint.
The meals will exclusively be available from Iceland and The Food Warehouse / Credit: Iceland Foods
“Our Pepper X range is unlike anything we’ve ever offered to our customers before. It’s intense, it’s fiery, and it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted, but with intense heat comes great responsibility, so to ensure only the most experienced spice enthusiasts can take on the challenge, we’ve decided to limit sales to customers aged 18 and over.”
The new Pepper X meals will arrive in select Iceland and The Food Warehouse stores from Thursday 10 October, with a full rollout across the UK, including online, by Monday 14October.
Featured image – Supplied
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Half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner, new survey reveals
Emily Sergeant
Christmas dinner is one of the key parts of any festive celebration.
No matter whether you choose to tuck into a traditional roast with all the trimmings and lashings of gravy, or you prefer to go for something a little different like a curry or a Chinese instead, your Christmas dinner is a chance to gather round with your loved ones and enjoy one of the heartiest meals you’ll likely have all year.
However, some shocking new figures have revealed that half of Manchester residents have no clue how to even cook a Christmas dinner.
Through a major study by the UK’s leading electrical retailer, AO.com, it was revealed that the majority of our city’s residents are “losing confidence” in preparing even the simplest of British dishes – with a traditional roast or Christmas dinner being one of them.
A new survey has revealed that half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner / Credit: Freepik | GoodFon
As part of its new campaign to get Brits back into the kitchen, AO found that just 57% of respondents reckon they would be able to make a roast dinner, 52% could whip up a classic shepherd’s pie, 58% could cook bangers and mash, merely 61% could prepare a full English breakfast, and again, only 57% could tackle fish and chips.
Classic desserts are clearly a struggle for us Mancs too, according to the survey, as only 19% of respondents said they’d feel confident cooking a Christmas pudding.
The survey also found that nationwide, it was Gen Z – those between the age of 16 and 27 – that are the least confident in their ability to cook great British classics, while on the other end of the spectrum, Baby Boomers are the most capable, proving that culinary confidence increases with age.
Our region’s residents are apparently ‘losing confidence’ at cooking simple British classics / Credit: Freepik
Commenting on the results, Jay Lockton, oven expert at AO.com, said: “Kitchens should be a place of creativity and joy, but our data shows that a lot of people in Manchester are losing confidence in preparing even the simplest of British dishes.
“Based on our findings, many younger people may be opting for convenience foods or takeaways due to their busy schedules and the perception that cooking from scratch is time-consuming or difficult.
“But with simple guidance and the right tools, we believe everyone can rediscover the joy and simplicity of homemade meals.”
Featured Image – gpointstudio (via Freepik)
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New Hairy Bikers documentary to take viewers on ’emotional journey’ in tribute to Dave Myers
Emily Sergeant
A new documentary paying an emotional tribute to late Hairy Biker Dave Myers is set to air on the BBC in the run up to Christmas.
Dave Myers – who was most well-known for being one half of the famous Hairy Bikers duo that starred in the BBC cookery and travel show of the same name, alongside Si King – died earlier this year (28 February 2024) after revealing back in May 2022 that he had been diagnosed with cancer, and was undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
The final Hairy Bikers episode aired on 19 March following Dave’s passing, and viewers tuned in in their tens of thousands to watch the beloved show that had been entertaining the masses for close to two decades.
🏍️ Si King celebrates the life of fellow Hairy Biker and best friend Dave Myers in a special one-off BBC documentary
Si picks out key moments from the past 25 years of the pair's TV careers in The Hairy Bikers: You’ll Never Ride Alone
But despite that being the final episode with Dave involved, there’s still one last chapter left to tell.
Set to air on BBC Two on Monday 23 December, viewers will be invited on an “emotional journey” through the Hairy Bikers story with Si King, as he celebrates the life of his best mate and former TV partner.
The documentary follows Si as he leads a motorcycle convoy to Dave’s hometown of Barrow-in-Furness, while archive material, new interviews, and previously-unseen footage is shown to help celebrate Dave’s life.
A new Hairy Bikers documentary will take viewers on an ’emotional journey’ in tribute to Dave Myers / Credit: BBC / South Shore Productions
You can relive the journey that took Dave around the world while cooking up a storm as one of television’s greatest-ever double acts.
“I’m incredibly proud of the programme because it’s a tribute to my best mate,” Si King said.
“It was an amazing experience, I didn’t quite know what to expect. That was the whole thing, none of us did. We thought at the most we’d get 10,000 bikes, we didn’t dream it would be 46,000 motorcycles and a 30-mile tail, it was just insane. I just felt enormously privileged.”
Emily Sergeant -
9th October 2024 
