Every course was inspired by, or incorporated, Tracklements Fresh Chilli Jam. From chicken livers and crab pakoras to crispy ray wing and even strawberries, the menu was designed to demonstrate just how versatile this much-loved condiment can be.
I was delighted to be invited along to experience it for myself.
A little about Tracklements
Tracklements is a family-run condiment company based in Wiltshire. Its story began in 1970, when founder William Tullberg discovered a recipe for wholegrain mustard in the 17th-century diary of writer and gardener John Evelyn.
After experimenting with the recipe at home, William began producing his own mustard. What started as a small operation has since grown into a well-known British brand offering more than 50 different mustards, chutneys, relishes, sauces and jellies.
The business is now headed by William’s son, Guy Tullberg, and the company continues to make its products in small batches using traditional methods.
Tracklements Fresh Chilli Jam was first launched in 2001, making 2026 its 25th anniversary. Over the years, it has won more than 10 food awards and has become one of the brand’s most recognisable products.
Despite its name, it is perhaps best described as a sweet chilli and red pepper relish. It is made using ingredients including red peppers, red chillies, raw cane sugar, cider vinegar, onions, lemon juice, garlic and sea salt.
The result is sweet, sticky and tangy, with enough chilli to add warmth without completely overpowering the other flavours. It is also suitable for vegans and is gluten-free.
Many of us probably think of chilli jam as something to add to a burger, sandwich or cheeseboard, but this event was all about showing that it can be used in far more imaginative ways.
Lunch at Mark Hix’s Kitchen Table
The anniversary lunch took place at Mark Hix’s Kitchen Table at his home in Charmouth, Dorset.
Mark Hix MBE is a chef, restaurateur and food writer who is particularly well known for his seasonal approach to British cooking. He has written several cookbooks and is passionate about using quality produce from trusted farmers, fishermen and independent suppliers.
His Kitchen Table events offer a much more intimate experience than eating in a traditional restaurant. Guests sit around the kitchen island while Mark prepares the food, talks about the ingredients and shares stories about cooking, fishing, foraging and local producers.
Being invited into a chef’s home naturally made the occasion feel personal and relaxed. Rather than each dish simply arriving from a restaurant kitchen, we were able to see the food being prepared and hear more about the thought behind it.
The setting was also beautiful, with views across Charmouth and the Dorset coastline adding to the sense that this was a very special way to celebrate the anniversary.
A six-course chilli jam tasting menu
The main question going into the lunch was whether one condiment could really work across six very different courses without the menu becoming repetitive.
What made the concept interesting was that the chilli jam was not simply placed on the side of every plate. Instead, its sweetness, acidity, gentle heat and sticky texture were used in different ways throughout the menu.
Chopped chicken livers with Fresh Chilli Jam
The meal began with chopped chicken livers served with Tracklements Fresh Chilli Jam.
Chicken livers are naturally rich, so the sweet acidity and chilli heat provided a welcome contrast. It was a great introduction to the menu and immediately showed how chilli jam can help cut through richer ingredients.
It is the kind of pairing that would work particularly well as a starter or canapé, especially for anyone who enjoys pâté with chutney or fruit preserves.
Crab pakoras with Fresh Chilli Jam and sweetcorn
The next course was crab pakoras served with Fresh Chilli Jam and sweetcorn.
The pakoras had the contrast you want from a fried dish, with a crisp exterior and soft filling. Crab has a delicate natural sweetness, which worked well with both the sweetcorn and the chilli jam.
The acidity of the jam also helped balance the richness of the fried batter. It was another pairing that showed how well the condiment works with seafood.
Summer rolls
The summer rolls brought something fresher and lighter to the menu.
After the richer opening courses, their crisp vegetables and delicate texture provided a welcome change of pace. The chilli jam added sweetness, tanginess and heat, working particularly well as part of a dipping sauce.
This was probably one of the easiest ideas from the menu to recreate at home. Fresh Chilli Jam could be loosened with lime juice, soy sauce or rice vinegar to create a quick dressing or dip for summer rolls, salads or noodles.
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Sesame prawn toasts
Next came sesame prawn toasts.
Prawn toast is already a combination of savoury seafood, crisp bread and nutty sesame, so the chilli jam felt like a natural addition. Its sweetness complemented the prawns, while the chilli added an extra layer of warmth.
This was a good example of how easily Fresh Chilli Jam can be used as a dipping sauce. It would be a simple way to make homemade or shop-bought prawn toast feel a little more special.
Crispy ray wing with chilli and ginger sauce
The main fish course was crispy ray wing served with a chilli and ginger sauce.
Ray wing has a delicate flavour and a distinctive texture, so it needs a sauce that complements rather than overwhelms it. The combination of chilli, ginger and sweetness brought warmth and fragrance to the dish while allowing the fish to remain the focus.
This course demonstrated that chilli jam can be used as a base ingredient rather than simply as a finished condiment. Mixed into sauces, marinades or glazes, it can provide sweetness, acidity, garlic and chilli in one spoonful.
It would work in a similar way with prawns, salmon, white fish or even roasted vegetables.
Dorset strawberries with labneh and Fresh Chilli Jam
The final course was perhaps the most unexpected: Dorset strawberries served with labneh and Fresh Chilli Jam.
Chilli and fruit can work surprisingly well together, particularly with naturally sweet and slightly acidic fruits such as strawberries. The labneh added a creamy, tangy element, while the chilli jam brought extra sweetness and a gentle warmth.
Although it sounded like the most unusual dish on the menu, the different elements made sense together. The chilli did not turn it into a savoury dish; instead, it gave the strawberries an unexpected extra dimension.
It was a clever way to finish the meal and proved that chilli jam does not have to be limited to savoury recipes.
More than something to serve with cheese
The most interesting part of the lunch was seeing how differently the same product could behave in each course.
With the chicken livers, the chilli jam helped cut through richness. With the prawn toast and crab pakoras, it complemented the natural sweetness of the seafood. In the summer rolls, it became part of a fresh dipping sauce, while the ray wing showed how it could be incorporated into a more complex sauce.
Finally, the strawberries and labneh demonstrated that chilli jam can even have a place in a dessert.
Using the same condiment throughout an entire tasting menu could easily have felt repetitive or gimmicky. However, the lunch showed that the different elements within Fresh Chilli Jam—sweetness, acidity, garlic, red pepper and chilli—can each play a different role depending on the ingredients around it.
It also gave me plenty of ideas for using it at home. As well as serving it with cheese, burgers or sandwiches, it could be used in salad dressings, marinades, glazes, stir-fries and dipping sauces.
I would also be tempted to try it with grilled halloumi, roasted vegetables, sausages, prawns or baked camembert. For anyone feeling more adventurous, pairing it with fresh fruit and something creamy could create an easy but unusual dessert.
Celebrating the anniversary of a condiment with a six-course tasting menu was certainly an unusual idea, but it was also a very effective one. It was an honour to meet Mark and to witness his creativity in action.
The event was not simply about adding chilli jam to every plate. It was about exploring how its sweetness, acidity and gentle heat could be used to balance rich ingredients, complement seafood, add depth to sauces and even enhance a dessert.
The intimate setting of Mark Hix’s Kitchen Table made the occasion feel particularly special. Being able to watch Mark cook and hear him talk about the ingredients added another dimension to the meal.
After 25 years, Tracklements Fresh Chilli Jam may already be a familiar sight in many kitchens, but this lunch proved there are still plenty of inventive ways to use it.
I came away looking at the jar as much more than something to put on the side of a cheeseboard—and with lots of new inspiration for using it in my own cooking.
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