The Chilli Pickle comes to you...

Today we are going to hand over to Alun Sperring - Head Chef and owner of the Chilli Pickle restaurant - to tell us about launching their new delivery service, The Chilli Pickle Canteen...

As owners of the Chilli Pickle, an independent regional Indian restaurant on Jubilee Square, Dawn and I realised a long term ambition when a smart car carrying our first delivery drove out into the January night.

Outside the Chilli Pickle

The idea of recreating the inventiveness of an Indian bazaar, backstreets restaurant or railway canteen had been taking shape for some time. We’d also had frequent encouragement to deliver favourite dishes from our regular guests, for those evenings when time or inclination kept them indoors.

As you might imagine, we’re frequent visitors to India, making the trip not only for speciality ingredients and to research dishes, but also to spend time in a culture we love. Last year, we visited the former princely state of Hyderabad to learn the secret of the perfect biryani. In Bangalore, we sampled world-famous rava idli. Even stopping by the roadside for a snack in India’s coastal mountains, we were served freshly-made green chilli pakora. We felt that we’d found dishes made to travel, and the concept of the Chilli Pickle Canteen took on a life of its own.

By the start of this year, it was getting harder and harder to keep our plans a secret. With help from some of Brighton’s best web developers and graphic designers, we felt we could unveil a delivery service as distinctive as the restaurant. The online ordering system was hand-coded to our specifications by a local firm, and local illustrator Geo Parkin brought our story to life with a comic strip. The specially designed boxes enclosing each dish are adorned with rangoli, the geometric patterns used to brighten Indian homes during festivals, as interpreted by a local designer.

As far as the menu is concerned, our new inventions join some touches you might recognise from the restaurant. The Grand Thali is a spread of small dishes, designed to show off the best seasonal produce and the inspirations of our Indian speciality chefs. For a speedier dinner, the Railway Tray offers an express introduction to regional Indian flavours. Finally, we pay homage to our Hyderabadi inspiration with a guest biryani – our current offer is a Persian-style mutton version with dried limes, fresh dates, smoked aubergine and harissa sauce.  You can also find the ice creams we make on the premises – and it goes without saying that our signature homemade pickles and chutneys are available too.

We’ve worked hard to show a distinctive experience of Indian cuisine in the home to Brighton’s discerning diners. To try it out, visit http://thechillipicklecanteen.com/order-now.  For Geo Parkin’s comic, please visit http://thechillipicklecanteen.com/inspirations.