The man who grows the hottest chillies in the UK has revealed his secret to getting them eye-wateringly hot – he shouts at them.

Matt Simpson, 43, believes that the heat produced by chillies is a defence mechanism to deter predators, and has taken to depriving them of water and ripping off chunks of the plant in a bid to simulate an attack by a predator – and therefore produce the hottest chillies possible.

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And Mr Simpson says that he has tried everything in his power to stimulate the chillies’ natural defence – including shouting at them.

Matt Simpson shouts at his chillies and it seems to be working (Picture: SWNS)

The result of his unusual methodology is the ‘Katie’, – ‘like all ladies, hot but not to be messed with,’ in the words of Mr Simpson – which measures an eye-watering 1,590,000 Scoville units.



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And if you think that sounds hot, be grateful you’re not munching on a Carolina Reaper, which measures 2,200,000 Scovilles.

A jalapeño, by way of comparison, measures between 1,000 and 4,000.